Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Romans

Rejoice And Weep

Rejoice And Weep

By |

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Romans 12:15 

What is it to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep? It is to love them as Christ does. If we observe the life of Christ we see that He did just that. His first miracle was to turn water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. He was there to rejoice with those who were rejoicing. At the graveside of Lazarus, John records ‘Jesus wept.’ Although many have offered extravagant explanations for this weeping, the simple fact is He wept with those who wept. He entered into their sorrows with them sympathetically and empathetically. This is the simplest explanation. Thus, when Paul exhorts us to ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep, with those who weep,’ he is really just pointing us to Christ. If we want to know to know how this rejoicing and weeping looks, we can look to the Master as our pattern. Every day we encounter people who are at various stages of life and facing circumstances of every stripe and variety. As we follow Christ, we will learn to rejoice and weep with them.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have lived before us as a perfect example. 
We praise You that Your Holy Spirit 
teaches us daily, how to imitate You more fully.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

One Body In Christ

One Body In Christ

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For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  

Romans 12:4-5 

The redeemed people whom Christ has purchased with His Own blood are the Body of which He is the Head. This enables us to understand how the church, which is another term for the redeemed, functions in a practical way. To be clear, the church of Christ is not an organization, a denomination, or any single local body. We tend to use that term, but it is not an accurate reflection of what the church really is. The church is all the redeemed people of all ages. They are the Body of Christ. As such they have different functions. Christianity is not a competition. If we consider how our own body functions, we have a good illustration of how the church does. The head is the key to everything else. The head is the command center which guides the body through all operations. Christ is our Head. From Him we receive our instructions. The rest of the body has a huge and varied collection of parts all of which have their role in transporting,  feeding, resting, and caring for the rest of the body in every other way. Body parts are not competing with each other, but rather aiding each other for the good of the whole. If we know this, we understand the value of others. Thus as we grow in grace, we begin to understand the usefulness of others who are very different than we are.  

Our Glorious, Living Savior, 
we rejoice that You are our Head. 
We praise You that we have the privilege 
to be members of Your Body. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
The Spirit Of Adoption

The Spirit Of Adoption

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For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ 

Romans 8:15 

How do we become the children of God? We are born ‘the children of wrath.’ We are the sons and daughters of Adam’s fallen race. We are not, by nature, the children of God. In order for us to become members of His family, He must do what is necessary to change both our nature and our status. Enter the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit regenerates, gives repentance, faith and enables us to embrace Christ as the gospel freely offers Him. Christ has done all that is necessary to make us acceptable to God regarding our justification. The Holy Spirit applies the redemption purchased by Christ unto all for whom God intends it. Justification is an act of God’s free grace, as is adoption. What God does legally because of the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit brings to us personally. Thus He makes Christ real unto us. He brings to us the spiritual appropriation of the work of Christ. As He does, we receive the Spirit of adoption and as children, cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ This means the fear that ruled our lives need do so no longer. We are now the children of God by adoption. 

Our Kind and Loving Father, 
we rejoice that You have made us Your children. 
We praise You that we are members of Your family, 
not just for time, but for eternity. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Rejoice And Weep

Rejoice And Weep

By |

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Romans 12:15 

What is it to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep? It is to love them as Christ does. If we observe the life of Christ we see that He did just that. His first miracle was to turn water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. He was there to rejoice with those who were rejoicing. At the graveside of Lazarus, John records ‘Jesus wept.’ Although many have offered extravagant explanations for this weeping, the simple fact is He wept with those who wept. He entered into their sorrows with them sympathetically and empathetically. This is the simplest explanation. Thus, when Paul exhorts us to ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep, with those who weep,’ he is really just pointing us to Christ. If we want to know to know how this rejoicing and weeping looks, we can look to the Master as our pattern. Every day we encounter people who are at various stages of life and facing circumstances of every stripe and variety. As we follow Christ, we will learn to rejoice and weep with them.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You have lived before us as a perfect example. 
We praise You that Your Holy Spirit 
teaches us daily, how to imitate You more fully.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

One Body In Christ

One Body In Christ

By |

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  

Romans 12:4-5 

The redeemed people whom Christ has purchased with His Own blood are the Body of which He is the Head. This enables us to understand how the church, which is another term for the redeemed, functions in a practical way. To be clear, the church of Christ is not an organization, a denomination, or any single local body. We tend to use that term, but it is not an accurate reflection of what the church really is. The church is all the redeemed people of all ages. They are the Body of Christ. As such they have different functions. Christianity is not a competition. If we consider how our own body functions, we have a good illustration of how the church does. The head is the key to everything else. The head is the command center which guides the body through all operations. Christ is our Head. From Him we receive our instructions. The rest of the body has a huge and varied collection of parts all of which have their role in transporting,  feeding, resting, and caring for the rest of the body in every other way. Body parts are not competing with each other, but rather aiding each other for the good of the whole. If we know this, we understand the value of others. Thus as we grow in grace, we begin to understand the usefulness of others who are very different than we are.  

Our Glorious, Living Savior, 
we rejoice that You are our Head. 
We praise You that we have the privilege 
to be members of Your Body. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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