Romans 12:1-8 ~ renewal

Romans 12:1-8 (New Revised Standard Version)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Renewal, when does it occur? Sometimes it's rock bottom, then Renewal. Recently, the Christian community AND the media have been in a frenzy over the words that Haiti might have deserved the horrible earthquake as a judgement from God.

Has this ever occurred before? For man to question if tragedy is earned? OH yeah! This has happened before! Jesus answered this question twice, in one paragraph. I can't think of another time Jesus used 2 circumstances to answer 1 question.

Luke 13:1-5

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

When New Orleans was hit twice with Hurricanes, does it mean that God hated them? Does it mean Haitians should be punished for devil worship from men on August 14,1791. No, and I will tell you why:

Exodus 34:6
"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generations.

Is still true and Jesus gave us a New Covenant that God could call us forgiven.

Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

When God, who is slow to anger, takes vengeance, He does not take it twice; it is not needed. (Just as New Orleans had 2 hurricanes, the Haitian earthquake had serious aftershocks.)

Nahum 1:9
What do you plot against the LORD?
He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.

The Exodus, a major event, occurred because God pitied the Children of Israel & their dire circumstances. There was dire poverty in New Orleans, generations of some of the most cruel poverty our country has seen, dire poverty in Haiti. In the Exodus, Children of Israel died, were homeless, and they were afraid.

Instead of seeing this as cruel judgement of God, it is the call to recognize the need for renewal. In circumstances this dire, it is a call! Did you know the meals for all of the people moved to the stadium in Houston, as victims of Hurricane Katrina, were fed for weeks, not by the government, but by the Christian Churches of Houston? This is a call for faith; ministry; teaching; exhortation; generosity; leadership, diligence; compassion, in cheerfulness of faith, hope and love to bring us forward. God is Love.

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