WEEK 7 DAY 1

DAY 1 – NOVEMBER 7

TITLE: “SPIRITUAL STRENGTH”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1-7

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1

KEY VERSE: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1

Spiritual strength is for a purpose. We are not to be spiritually strong for ourselves but for others. Strength is a privilege which carries responsibility. In the Greek, the term for strong used here is literally “those who are able.” The power and strength they have is not a power over others but a power to be used for the benefit of others. Those who are spiritually strong are not to please themselves but to bear with the failings of the weak. In other words, we are to come alongside others and help them become all they can become in Christ.

The spiritually strong are to be available to help others. The phrase “bearing with others” is not just speaking of tolerance. True love is always more than tolerance. As we are able in Christ, we are to take up the burdens of others and provide the help we can. Paul shared this principle with the Galatians. He wrote, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2.

Victoria Ruvolo, 45, of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, was selected as the "Most Inspiring Person of 2005" by Beliefnet, and for good reason. Victoria was driving home from her niece's voice recital when she passed another car driven by a teenage boy. He and 19-year-old Ryan Cushing, along with three other teenagers, had just used a stolen credit card to go on a spending spree. One of their purchases was a frozen turkey which Cushing decided to toss into oncoming traffic. The 20-pound projectile smashed through Ruvolo's windshield, crushing her face. Amazingly, Ruvolo survived, although she spent 10 hours in an operating room while doctors repaired her face. When she finally went home, it was with a tracheotomy tube and months of painful rehabilitation. On October 17, 2005, Ruvolo attended Cushing's sentencing and asked his judge for leniency.

Part of her statement read: "Despite all the fear and the pain, I have learned from this horrific experience, and I have much to be thankful for…. Each day when I wake up, I thank God simply because I'm alive. I sincerely hope you have also learned from this awful experience, Ryan. There is no room for vengeance in my life, and I do not believe a long, hard prison term would do you, me, or society any good." Cushing, who wept and expressed remorse for his action, was sentenced to six months in jail. He could have received a 25-year prison sentence if Ruvolo, his victim, had not intervened. Ruvolo added, "I truly hope that by demonstrating compassion and leniency, I have encouraged you to seek an honorable life. If my generosity will help you mature into a responsible, honest man whose graciousness is a source of pride to your loved ones and your community, then I will be truly gratified, and my suffering will not have been in vain…. Ryan, prove me right." Take a few moments again to reflect on the verse, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”

DAY 2 - NOVEMBER 8

TITLE: “PLEASING OTHERS”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1-7

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1

KEY VERSE: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1

I heard about a little girl who had been trying to learn the art of tying her shoes. She finally grasped the knack and was able to do it by herself. Her parents expected the child to be delighted, but were surprised by her disappointment. Her father asked why she was crying. She sobbed, “I just learned how to tie my shoes.” He said, “That’s wonderful, honey, but why are you crying?” She replied, “Because now I’ll have to do it all by myself for the rest of my life.” She was discovering that growing older carried with it responsibility. Paul makes it clear that those who are spiritually strong and secure have a responsibility for others. Spiritual strength is for service and not status. Identifying himself as one of the strong, Paul told them they are to bear with the failings of the weak, meaning “to bear up” or “carry.”

In the book of Acts, as Paul was saying a farewell to the leaders of the church of Ephesus, he said this to them, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35. We are responsible not to please ourselves but to please others for their good. It is not about me!

Amanda, our youngest daughter, has grown up eating Gold Fish crackers. Through the years, I have seen several different flavors of Gold Fish crackers on the market. Some Amanda likes more than others. Right now, her favorite flavor is the Extra Cheddar. A while back, my wife bought some Cheez-it crackers as something different to try. I think she was trying to break the habit of Gold Fish crackers. One day, while taking a family trip, Sharon brought them along on the ride in case Amanda became hungry. I was intrigued by the self-centeredness demonstrated on the package of this box. It said in big letters, “GET YOUR OWN BOX.” I interpreted this to mean, “These are mine! You get your own!”

I wonder sometimes, though we might never say it, if this is how we truly feel. Selfishness, critical judgmental, or a self-centered spirit will always hinder community. Not everything may benefit me or be what I prefer or desire, but I set that aside for the sake of pleasing others. For true community to happen, the spiritually mature have to be more focused on pleasing others for their good, to build them up, than to please themselves. In consideration of what is good for others, we must be building others up. We have a responsibility, and if you are walking with Jesus, you have a responsibility to invest in others. The scripture says here we are to please others for their good, to build them up. It is not about me pleasing me. Listen to Paul’s’ heart in I Corinthians, as he writes, “…even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” I Corinthians 10:33. It takes surrender of self to please others so they can be built up in Christ.

DAY 3 – NOVEMBER 9

TITLE: “BUILDING OTHERS UP”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1-7

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:2-3

KEY VERSE: “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Romans 15:2

The church is not in need of demolition crews but construction crews. The call of scripture is to build up others in the things of Christ. Paul makes it clear that self is not to be pleased at the expense of others. We are to build up others for their spiritual good and benefit. The things we do and the words we speak should build others up. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29.

Paul gives us this powerful example of Jesus Christ. The Message Paraphrase says, “That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. ‘I took on the troubles of the troubled,’ is the way Scripture puts it.” The principle of meeting the needs of others and not pleasing ourselves is so beautifully demonstrated in Jesus. Paul holds up Christ as our Perfect Example. He did not insist on His own rights; He considered the needs of others.

The call is to let go of self-serving interest in favor of the lifestyle of Christ, who did not seek to please Himself. Scripture tells us, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8. The attitude of Christ frees us up from self so we can build up others.

Our purpose should be not to please ourselves but to help our brothers and sisters in Christ become strong and victorious in faith. Citing a passage from Psalms 69:9, Paul implies that Jesus endured reproach and insult for His faithfulness to God, which He might have avoided by choosing an easier path. If the Son of God willingly forsook claims of privilege and prestige, giving Himself up for the weak and needy, how much more should His followers renounce self-gratification and bear with the failings of the weak. It indicates the lengths to which Jesus went not to please Himself. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-6. Following in the footprints of Jesus, we are not to please ourselves but to please others for their good, building them up. It is a call to be concerned about those around us. It is a call to be like Jesus.

“Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.” (Thomas Chislom)

DAY 4 – NOVEMBER 10

TITLE: “HOPE”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1-7

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15: 4

KEY VERSE: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

God’s Word was given to teach us and to mold our lives. Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17. We need the word of God.

Publisher Adam Parfrey, founder of Feral House, a book publishing company, was asked in an interview if there is one book he’d like everyone to read: “I know a book that I’d like everyone to stop reading, because it spreads strange and untenable ideas about life: The Bible” The word of God is alive and dangerous to the sinful lifestyle. It is able to make us into the people and community of believers Christ wants us to be. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. Dwight Moody, evangelist of the 1800’s, said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it I has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

The Word of God encourages the heart and gives us hope. For the Christian, hope is greater than the difficulties and struggles of life. Hope is the certainty that one can have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Hope is the certainty that life has purpose and meaning when lived God’s way. The story is told of a man who lost his store and his entire stock in a terrible fire. The next morning, he put up a large sign: “Everything lost –except wife, children, and hope. Business as usual next week.”

The Word of God gives us hope, for it points us to the source of hope. Romans 15:13 says, “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.” The hope we have in Christ is greater than the circumstances and challenges that we face. When we live in the Word of God and the Word of God lives in us, hope is the mindset and atmosphere in which we live.

During the Vietnam War, the M.A.S.H. unit took care of hundreds of wounded soldiers. It was the duty of military doctors to diagnosis the condition of the wounded. Nurses followed with a clipboard and tags to put on the toes of the wounded. They were designated as “No Hope,” “Medical Help Needed,” or “Dead.” It was told that during one of these rounds, the doctor determined that one of the men was hopeless and asked the nurse to tag him, “No Hope.” But she heard a faint whisper from the man and knelt down beside his cot. He persuaded her to change the tag to “Medical Help Needed.” He went home because hope saved his life. The Word of God is our source of hope.

DAY 5 – NOVEMBER 11

TITLE: “UNITY”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:1-7

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 15:5-7

KEY VERSE: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5

When I was a teenager, we used to sing a chorus. I remember many times when we were instructed to hold hands as we sang this chorus by Ottis Skillings who, for a period of time, was the music pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church. It was published by Lillenas Publishing Company, which was part of the church of the Nazarene in 1971.

We are one in the bond of love, We are one in the bond of love;
We have joined our spirit With the Spirit of God;
We are one in the bond of love

Unity is a sign of God’s handiwork. Unity has always been and will always be God’s plan for His church. Paul wrote, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. I Corinthians 1:10. Unity is something that God gives us, but each of us must take responsibility for unity, for scripture instructs, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3. The Christian maxim, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity,” truly does flow out of the scriptures. Paul again wrote, “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” II Corinthians 13:11. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:13-14.

The Atlantic Monthly (11/94) told about superstar tenors, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, performing together in Los Angeles. A reporter tried to press the issue of competitiveness between the three men. Domingo responded, “You have to put all of your concentration into opening your heart to the music; you can’t be rivals when you’re together making music.”

“We come together with a holy purpose;
We come together for the highest cause;
We speak one language from a heart of worship;
Gathered to bring a song to the world

For Your glory

Chorus:

With one voice, we will sing

Every tribe and every tongue,

Brings a harmony

With one voice, we will bring
Heaven's beautiful melody down to this earth