Romans – Shalom Talk

Answering for our actions

Published on September 25, 2025September 29, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It was my observation while researching God’s mercy, there exists within the nature of Elohim a characteristic to be actively compassionate. We call this God’s mercy. Consider this – we were once alienated from God by our disobedience, we were destined to face God and answer for our actions. Now, within the new covenant, we are part of the family, adapted into Abraham’s family. We walk with God. In the past we had earned banishment, now we are part of the community of God.

Isaiah 65: 16-19 says — Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more [NIV].

Consider what Isaiah wrote — See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind [NIV]. It is possible to say Isaiah 65:17 teaches we will not remember much of our life on earth. He seems to be saying our memories will be purged. The preceding sentence (Isaiah 65:16) says — For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes [NIV].

Together, I think these two verses means, in God’s mercy, upon resurrection, our memories will be cleansed of the strife and troubles we experienced. But the good stuff remains in our memories. This is why John can write (Revelation 21:4) — He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away [NIV]. God’s mercy gives us a pass to heaven – Selah!

By what right do we obtain a pass to Heaven? Did we not by our sins, take part in rebellion which tried to dethrone Elohim? And did we not in times past move in this world by Lucifer’s nudge, sowing disobedience? Did we not live by the lust of our eyes and heart? How can God love us? Our struggle is with the notions of justice vs the notions of mercy. They complement each other, but one is applied more aggressively than the other in each case. Our answer to the question – how can God love us? The door pass (faith) is provided by his redemptive mercy and love which renews every morning.

Seem too simple? Could our resistance to the idea of pure mercy be part of a subtle resistance to faith. Sometimes I struggle to accept mercy being this simple. The Israelites had the same problem. Paul said, speaking of Israel — they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge (Romans 10:2). The Israelites did not understand the one thing that would make a difference in their life. Consider Hebrews 4:2 — For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us [believers], just as they [some of the Israelites] did; but the message they heard [in the wilderness] was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed [NIV].

Goodness. To obtain mercy from God, we must believe it is achievable. It is not enough to know what he did in the past; we must believe it is available to each of us now. An endless supply of mercy – Why an endless supply? Because we know ourselves. We need an endless supply of mercy to survive. We have two choices. #1 — We starve to death, sitting on the doorstep of a banquet hall, rejecting the invitation. Or, #2 — we grab hold of God’s mercy (Romans 10:9), enter the hall, and sit down with the other brave souls who have embraced the redemptive power and mercy of the blood of Jesus.

I choose Jesus.

The Teacher of Truth

Published on July 3, 2025July 8, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation the Holy Spirit has many different tasks; this includes indwelling believers to bind them together with God and help them become more like Him. For Christians, the experience of eternal life does not begin at death but when they trust in Jesus and God places His Spirit within them (see 2 Timothy 1:14). Paul says — Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Holy Spirit equips people for ministry, is our guarantee (deposit) of eternal life, gives people insight and wisdom, teaches people truth, communicates with the Father on people’s behalf, and empowers Christians to walk with God.

He lives within followers of Jesus and produces lasting change in their character. John 14:26 says — But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said [NIV]. He produces God’s love in human hearts. Romans 5:5 says — “Hope does not put us to shame, … God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit [NIV]. The Holy Spirit speaks the truth. John 16:13 says — When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come [NIV]. This infusion of the Spirit is remarkable, life changing, stabilizing, and essential.

The Holy Spirit is a promise of the great things to come for those who trust God. Ephesians 1:13-14 says You also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession [NIV]. He provides us with the skills and abilities necessary to share God’s love. Hebrews 2:4 says — God also testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will [NIV].

Jesus Himself was filled with the Holy Spirit to carry out His ministry. Luke 4:18 says — The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free [NIV]. Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the Holy Spirit and wanted His disciples to understand the power of the Spirit. He told them it was “better” for them that He leave, because then the Holy Spirit would be sent to them (implied in John 16:7).

The first followers of Jesus were filled with God’s Spirit to take the gospel to the known world, and so are we. Acts 2:1-4 says — When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them [NIV].

This passage from Acts is vital to understanding the Holy Spirit. After Jesus died, rose again, and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit came down and filled up every disciple and apostle of Christ to spread the gospel to the world. Now, whenever anyone puts their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately lives within them. God’s people get to experience the power of the Holy Spirit like Jesus did. The Holy Spirit provides believers with the strength to live the Christian life. John 15:5 says — Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing [NIV]. It is the Holy Spirit who convinces us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

I choose Jesus.

The Teacher of Truth

Published on June 5, 2025May 30, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

I choose Jesus.

Rest In The Spirit

Published on March 11, 2025March 9, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation, while searching scripture for insight and wisdom concerning the Holy Spirit, there is much for me to learn about the mission accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This essay is a bit of muttering and emoting on the things I found as my research unfolded. I start with the Gospel of John asking a simple question; how does the Spirit rests upon us? What follows is a glimpse of my journey…

The Spirit of God is our advisor for all things true and fills our mind with the exact data we need, exactly when we need that data (John 14:17; 15:26-27; 16:13). If we are careful and are tuned to God’s channel, we will get the message. I think it goes without saying, the enemy will work to confuse and obscure the truth when we most need it. Lucifer will try to make the power of this world look pretty cool and make God look distant, small, ineffective in a sea of confusion and angst. This is the key — never assume Lucifer is not on the job. He is. Lucifer will make the one true living God seem useless, equating God’s power to a broken power tool in the back of your Garage. Yet, the promise is – God will be there, every time, with all we need. The work of the Spirit, the infusion, infilling of the Spirit, will appear just in time, with all the power needed to crush Lucifer. The Devil is watching my keyboard and trying hard to block this message. Yet, God sends a thunderbolt crashing in to clear the path for truth. That is how it works. Selah.

When the Spirit comes, he comes full force, he carries the truth, he glorifies Jesus (John 16:13-14). When the Spirit rests upon us, we are filled with the amazing truth of God, the amazing power of God to accomplish our assigned mission. The essence of our individual ministries, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is to magnify the beauty and majesty of Jesus. This does not usually happen without a little friction between humans as they try to touch the message without being touched by God. The Spirit sooths the friction. The Spirit of God, rest upon us and reveals the beauty, power, wisdom, and love of Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit empowers us to introduce the love of Jesus to others with demonstratable strength (the gifts of the Spirit). Paul tells us in Philippians 3:3 that we worship by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that fills us with an awareness of Jesus and empowers us to act internally and externally. Our sharing Jesus with others becomes an act of worship. This prayerful worship can be visualized as the smoke and incense that seeps into the throne room…

Peter said — The Spirit of Glory and full Power of God rests upon you (implied in 1 Peter 4:14). I think this suggests two things: the Spirit causes us to understand that the earthly glory we are losing here is not worth keeping, and the present heavenly glory we are embracing, coupled with the future glory we are moving towards, is infinitely better. He then makes the infilling unmistakable; we are changed, not by our feeble works but by the amazing works of God, he chooses to rest upon us. We become aware of the unmistakable presence, not feelings, but presence, the infilling of the shekinah glory, and the empowerment that envelops us and permeates our being. We just know.

In the early church, people were filled with the Spirit to deal with the difficult conditions of building something from nothing. Clearly, they had troubles, roman government troubles, priestly troubles, and Greeks polytheistic troubles; they even had leadership battles. Not much has changed 2000 years later; we need the filling of the Spirit – we need the Holy Spirit to rest upon us – renewed every morning.

Peter said — after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10-11). I cannot say this message enough times — The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you like a mantle of authority (implied in 1 Peter 4:14). Paul said — 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 — By the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. … I [Paul] have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (Romans 13:17-19). Can I get an Amen?

The deeper truth — If you are uncertain, you will be restored to clarity; if you are broken, you will be healed; if you collapse, you will rise a concrete tower; if you slip into the mud, you will emerge on a firm foundation of Granite. You have been given an amazing mantle of authority to get stuff done. Just do it. Just stop struggling and find rest in the Holy Spirit.

I choose Jesus.

Find your Deliberate Dance

Published on March 6, 2025March 9, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation when searching for how the Holy Spirit empowers us (as defined in scripture) that we owe everything to the superior strategy and planning of God the Father, including the amazing purchase of our soul by the Son (redemption), and the transformative power and implementation of God’s Plan in us by the Holy Spirit (infilling).

We read in Romans 8:9 — Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. All believers have the Holy Spirit. Continuing, we read in Ephesians 5:18 — Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. This suggests we are not continually filled, but we are filled for a purpose, a season, then there is rest. Consider the plight of a Gas engine with a nitro injection system. We do not always use the nitro system, just when power is required. We are told to seek the infilling; seek all the fullness we can garner; and, at the same, we are cautioned to avoid quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and to avoid grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). This is a deliberate dance.

Let us look at four overlapping ideas that lead to the infilling of the Spirit. First, we are told to meditate on Scripture. There is a life-giving connection between the Spirit of God and his Word. Jesus said — It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. (John 6:63). Paul says — Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. (Ephesians 5:18–19). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16).

Second, we are told to believe what we read in the Word. Paul asked (Galatians 3:5), “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” I think it is clear the Holy Spirit is supplied to us and works powerfully in us as we hear the word with faith — as we believe it – as we put it into practice. Stephen and Barnabas were men of faith and full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Acts 11:24). I think we are wise to not trivialize the relationship between faith and the infilling of the Spirit. It is by meditation and faith we experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This leads to belief in what we read in scripture.

Third, we to be obedient to scripture. One of the disciples asked Jesus — Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (John 14:22)? Jesus answered — “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). When you keep his word, he draws close – really close.

Fourth is the thirst, the desire to know God. The glue that brings together meditation, belief, and obedience is desire. We are told to thirst for Him. Our dance with God is to be Deliberate. Jesus says — If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink … Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive (John 7:37-39). The Psalms says — Drink from the river of [his] delights” (Psalms 36:8). As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. (Psalms 42:1–2). O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1).

Embrace meditation on scripture, believe what you read in scripture, become obedient to the guidelines in scripture, and thirst for God. You do this and the Spirit of glory will rest upon you (1 Peter 4:14). Do not hold back. Implement the plan. Seek his presence. Seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Find the ‘deliberate dance’ in your life.

I choose Jesus.

A Basket of Fruit

Published on March 4, 2025March 9, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It was my observation in Galatians 5:22–23, Paul points us to help, he says — But the fruit of the Spirit is… What follows that initial statement are nine characteristics of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer. The nine characteristics are part of a unified package. A believer does not have some and not others, though their relative strength may vary based upon our yielding to the Holy Spirit. What is the package of fruit comprised of?

Love is poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5). The Greek word is agape. This is a responsive love that evokes in us a love for God and a desire to please Him, guard our family, help our neighbor – always putting their needs in front of our needs (Galatians 5:13). Worship, serious surrender, and obedience are the core of pleasing Him. I think that the other eight fruits are focused expressions of agape.

Joy emerges from of God’s mercy and kindness to us. It cements an anchor in our life that keeps us from being swayed by the winds of change and trouble. We rise above drama, hard times, and circumstances that stand in front of us beckoning our attention. Unlike happiness, its ‘wanna be’ equivalent from human logic, joy does not depend on favorable circumstances. Joy just is.

Peace is resting on the one true living God’s lap, not just the absence of combat. Tranquility abounds in our heart, even if we are standing in a Hurricane, pushed to our limits to stand tall. The firm grounding, no matter the situation is rooted in God’s power, mercy, and the absolute iron clad awareness he will keep his word. He is the center post of peace. We are blessed to be sheltered by his peace.

Patience comes when we can see life through God’s eye. His eye sees beyond the ‘here and now’, to the cause and effects of actions (or reactions). Patient people are not easily offended or riled by drama or circumstances. They see God in everything, action, reaction. Kindness is our response to everything. We love the unlovable and treat them with kindness no matter what drama they bring to our life. Kindness is persistent, it resists harshness and unpleasant behavior by seeing God in the moment.

Goodness helps form the outcome from cumulated effort of joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Goodness in our actions is an expression of moral excellence. We do things with no expectation of any return. Faithfulness is all about being a person who can be trusted. We stand on the truth, speak the truth, defend the truth. We are dependable, reliable, and live a quiet life. Gentleness is not the absence of strength, it is not arrogance, it is not bullying, it is measured, controlled actions to achieve desired outcomes; it is considerate and measured in when enthralled in drama.

Self-control speaks to both the mind and the body. It centers observing, assessing, and thinking first and then doing second. It applies to all things we think, speak, and do. It represents exercising control over our passions – no matter what they may be.

Oh my. That is a very tall list of behavioral management tools. Who can do this? How? The answer is – more of God less of us. The more we give the Holy Spirit control, the easier it becomes for God to work his gentle control in our life. To be sure, we need to want the Fruit. But we have the helper, the Spirit of God to bring the fruit to the foreground of our daily thoughts, speech, and actions.

The fruit is a spiritual event, it happens over and over, every day of our life; it grows gently in our heart, maturing over time. The fruit has both a personal impact and a community impact. God brings these tools into the community life so we can find ways to get along, no matter what is happening around us.

I choose Jesus.

Captured By Him

Published on February 27, 2025March 9, 2025 by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation while reading Romans that we were captured by the reconciling death of Jesus while we were still sinners (Romans 5:6–10). We were captured by God’s sovereign election before the earth was framed (Ephesians 1:4). We were captured by the indwelling, sealing work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). We were captured through his predestination to be adopted (Ephesians 1:5). We were captured by regeneration and focused calling (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Romans 5:1-6 says Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. … at just the right time, … Christ died for the ungodly (NIV)

When I read this section of Romans, I smiled because of the hope derived by the Glory of God. The faith I carry, a small seed of hope in God’s Glory is given to me, creates peace within me, sustains me through the troubles and suffering, and enhances the pleasures associated with walking in the shade of Jesus. Please do not mis-understand, I am not claiming to have a close walk, I am simply aware of the grace and the peace granted to me from the works of Jesus. We run together to obtain the prize, already gifted to us, just waiting on the shelf for our benefit when we graduate to Heaven. We were not redeemed to sit in the stands and watch the racers, we were redeemed to participate. When we were powerless to redeem ourselves, Jesus stepped in and addressed the problem. So, we are not redeemed to sit in the stands nor sit on the side of a pool with our feet and ankles cooling in the water. We were redeemed to engage. We were bought with a price. We are here to bring Jesus to the forefront.

Romans 5:7-11 says — Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person 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, while 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 boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (NIV).

Jesus is the author of my faith. As the author of my life, he created the book before I existed. But I was unaware of the book. I did not even know that the author of the book (Jesus) had me in mind before my faith was present in my heart. I was not inclined towards the things of God. Then, I found myself standing in front of the one true living God. I do not believe for a second, I could have visualized how things would work out. I think, if I knew how my life was going to progress before I got started, I might have turned away out of fear. But I did not know. Then, in His time, I was equipped for my tasks by Jesus – he became the author of my story. I had nothing to do with the plan, but I did have plenty to do with the deviations from the plan. Thank God he has a long arm and a very persistent affection, he chased me and nudged me back on the path over and over.

For I was “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). I found peace and security in the immense truth of God. Selah. The less I struggle, the better life gets.

I choose Jesus.