The Book of Romans, Chapter 15

Self-denial on behalf of others.

Romans 15 teaches that the Christian life is not merely about knowing the truth; it is about living that truth in love, unity, service, and hope – something that is seriously lacking in our world.

Paul brings together sound doctrine and practical obedience. Because Christ has welcomed us, we should welcome others. Because Scripture gives us hope, we should live with confidence in God’s promises. And because Christ works through His people, we should serve faithfully so that others may come to know Him.

In the broader context of Paul’s letter, Romans 15 illustrates an important progression: God saves us through Christ, transforms us by His Spirit, and calls us to live together in ways that glorify Him and advance the gospel.

Romans15:1, Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. Verse 2. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Verse 3. For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “THE TAUNTS OF THOSE WHO TAUNT YOU HAVE FALLEN ON ME.” Verse 4. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

(Commentary Break): This phrase emphasizes the individual responsibility of every believer in the context of the early church including you and me, and Paul addresses both Jewish and Gentile Christians, urging unity and mutual edification. The use of “each” underscores that no one is exempt from this call to action, reflecting the communal nature of the Christian faith as seen in passages like 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, where the church is described as one body with many parts. Also Philippians 2:4 which says “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves”. And in the phrase “should please his neighbor” the term “neighbor” here extends beyond immediate proximity to include fellow believers and, by extension, all people. “Pleasing” one’s neighbor involves selflessness and a willingness to prioritize others’ needs, reflecting Christ’s own example of servant-hood.

As an additional reminder, we, as Christians, are not ‘doormats’ – we are ‘doormen and door-women’, not just to be ‘walked on’ or ‘trodden down’. We needn’t allow people to ‘wipe their feet on us’ so-to-speak as we are leading and directing others to “The Door” by way of our attitudes and actions. None-the-less, the righteous whose zeal for God may bring hostility from those who despise God, may suffer, just as Jesus bore that hostility. His suffering should strengthen believers to endure reproach without retaliation and to serve one another in love. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 5. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, verse 6, so that with one purpose and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Commentary Break): Notice that despite all the external pressures Paul and the church in Rome is facing, Paul does not address those external matters – politics, social welfare or social reforms, not on church programs – as the means of salvation from this world’s ills. He tells us to focus on being of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus – with on purpose and one voice that we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the lesson and purpose for us today as the Church, the Body of Christ. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 7. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us, for the glory of God.

(Commentary Break): Let’s allow verse seven sink into our minds. Visualize how Christ has accepted you – Who, while we were yet sinners in rebellion against God – came to you, showed us mercy and grace and ultimately was brutally murdered and died for your sin-penalties so you might find freedom and eternal salvation for your soul. Now that is how we are to accept one another. Let’s think about this before a fellow believer offends you or makes you uncomfortable or even treats you badly. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 8. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision in behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written:

“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,

AND I WILL SING PRAISES TO YOUR NAME.” Verse 10. Again he says,

“REJOICE, YOU GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.” Verse 11. And again,

“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,

AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.” Verse 12. Again Isaiah says,

“THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,

AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,

IN HIM WILL THE GENTILES HOPE.”

(Commentary Break): 1. Jesus Christ is depicted here as a servant, emphasizing His role in fulfilling God’s promises. 2. The Circumcised refers to the Jewish people, who were given the sign of circumcision as a covenant with God. 3. God’s Truth represents the faithfulness and reliability of God’s word and promises. 4. The Patriarchs are the forefathers of the Jewish faith, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom God made significant promises. 5. The Promises are the specific commitments made by God to the patriarchs, including the promise of a Messiah and blessings to their descendants.

Jesus exemplified servant-hood by fulfilling God’s promises to the Jewish people. As believers, we are called – you are called – to emulate His humility and service to others.  God’s truth and faithfulness are unwavering. We can trust in His promises, just as the patriarchs did, knowing that He fulfills His word. While Christ came as a servant to the Jews, His mission extends to all nations. This calls us – and you –  to embrace unity and inclusivity within the body of Christ. Understanding the promises made to the patriarchs enriches our comprehension of the New Testament and the continuity of God’s plan. As recipients of God’s promises through Christ, you are encouraged to live in a way that reflects His truth and faithfulness to the world. (End Commentary Break):

Verse 13. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse 14. And concerning you, my brothers and sisters, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. Verse 15. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given to me from God, verse 16, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Verse 17. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. Verse 18. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, verse 19, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Verse 20. And in this way I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already known by name, so that I would not build on another person’s foundation; verse 21, but just as it is written:

“THEY WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD ABOUT HIM WILL SEE,

AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD WILL UNDERSTAND.”

(Commentary Break): These foregoing verses should be the example for every person who stands before God’s people and proposes to preach the Gospel in His Name. Period. And if you should encounter anything otherwise – flee. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 22. For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; verse 23, but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you verse24, whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while— verse 25, but now, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints. Verse 26. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Verse 27. For they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to do them a service also in material things. Verse 28. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Verse 30. Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, verse 31, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; verse 32, so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and relax in your company. Verse 33. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (End Chapter 15).

PLEASE NOTE and CONSIDER:

I would suggest, on this date October 22, 2026, that we all pay very close attention not only to the words and teaching of Paul, but to be aware of the circumstances surrounding His ministry, for it would appear that we may be faced with similar – or worse – circumstances today and in the near future. And Paul’s example will serve us well as he suggested in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

Paul faces serious political threats – and we now face serious political threats: Paul face Roman occupation, public disorder, military intervention, and the precarious balance between local religious life and imperial authority. Social and religious: Accusations of undermining Jewish tradition, hostility from some opponents, mob violence, and potential estrangement from fellow believers.

Paul faces difficult Geographic challenges and we may also face serious geographic threats as we run from dangers: Long-distance travel, exposure to the elements, maritime hazards, and the practical risks of transporting money.

Paul face ongoing legal threats and we may also face serious legal threats as seen under the Obama and Biden administrations: Arrest, potential mistreatment, accusations, prolonged detention, and eventual appeal to the emperor.

What makes this passage particularly meaningful is that Paul knew his journey could go badly, yet he did not abandon his responsibility. And so it must be for us today, October 22, 2026. He was carrying a gift intended to unite Christians across ethnic and cultural divisions. He was entering a city where his preaching had already generated controversy. He was aware of opposition, and he asked believers hundreds of miles away to struggle alongside him in prayer (Romans 15:30). Paul’s confidence was not that his plans were guaranteed to succeed exactly as he imagined. It was that his service belonged to Jesus Christ and that he needed the prayers of God’s people as he pursued it. The remarkable contrast is that Paul was seeking to strengthen the unity of the church while personally facing the possibility of violence, rejection, and imprisonment. Romans 15 therefore reveals both his missionary courage and his dependence on God. And so it should be with us today as these Last Days come into clear focus.

Let’s face these days with the same great bravery as the Apostles knowing that Jesus has promised that “I will be with you always – even unto the End of this Age”.

And we shall overcome because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and like those before us, we do not love our life more than Him and His call to us, even when faced with death.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young.

Next: (Coming Soon). The Book of Romans, Chapter 16. Greetings and Love Expressed.

(Previous): The Book of Romans, Chapter 14, Be Subject to Government.

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AN

Ironically, Al Gore, a former vice president, coined the phrase and produced a documentary film name “an inconvenient truth” which referred to global warming. I say “ironically” two decades later as key claims like Arctic ice collapse and glacier disappearance have not materialized.

A British High Court ruled in 2007 that the film contained factual errors, including misleading data on Arctic ice and glacier timelines.

Global climate-related deaths have dropped by over 97% since the 1920s, attributed to societal progress rather than climate policies.

Despite $16 trillion spent on climate initiatives, fossil fuels still supply 81% of global energy, with emissions hitting record highs.

Critics argue Gore’s alarmism prioritized panic over practical solutions, as innovations like nuclear energy and drought-resistant crops now offer clearer pathways.

Al Gore, once hailed by the left as a climate crusader, now faces a reality check two decades after his film An Inconvenient Truth thrust climate alarmism into the mainstream as a litany of predictions that have failed to materialize. Critics are highlighting a growing chasm between Gore’s dire warnings and the data that contradicts them. Now we can see that the only “inconvenient truth” is that Al Gore is either a delusional hypocritical or a liar, and most likely, both.

However ironic it may seem, I would like to borrow the phrase “An Inconvenient Truth” and use it to sound an alarm far more serious than cyclical climate changes:

1. “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

As I have read Second Timothy chapter 3, I have normally assumed that he was referring to those outside the church – those who are not believers or followers of Jesus; the unsaved, the lost “pagans” or “heathens” of the world. But I have come to realize that these behaviors and attitudes are fairly common within the church.

I am “politely appalled” at the “polite arrogance” of many in the church, especially in the leadership. They appear to be quite the “lovers of self” and are often elevated to leadership roles thanks to their wealth.
Now I say “polite arrogance” because they are very good at appearing nice about their arrogance. But question them, their decision making, their teachings, and the arrogance will surely make its appearance.
This also applies to their love of money, their pridefulness and the rest of the attitudes named, and certainly not to the excess of the unbelieving hedonist. Right?

But those within the church have no problem letting what they consider “the smaller matters” be ignored and unaddressed. Such as (number 1) calling their shepherd “Leaders, Teachers or Father”, despite Matthew 23:8-10 warning, “But as for you, do not be called Rabbi or Teacher; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders (Teachers or Masters); for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” I believe to do this is a show of arrogant self-aggrandizing, prideful, disobedient and ignoring “The inconvenient Truth.
Am I just using semantics to make a point? It may seem that way until you review the data and the facts.

2. And number 2, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is [n]improper for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?” (1 Corinthians 14:33-36)

Do I need to say anything more? The evidence that those within the church are ignoring The Holy Scriptures is overwhelming.

3. And number 3, “Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24,)

This is meant for the protection of the wife and woman so she can be and do all that God has planned for her as a woman and a wife. But feminism is rampant, even in its subtlest form in the church.

Genesis 3:16 implies that the wife may desire to exert control over her husband. “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

This passage indicates a struggle for authority within the marital relationship, suggesting that the wife’s desire may be to assert control.

Understanding “Desire” and “Rule” The term “desire” in this context can be interpreted in different ways:

Desire for Control: Some interpretations suggest that the wife’s desire refers to a wish to dominate or control her husband.

Affectionate Desire: Others view it as a natural affection or longing for her husband. Regardless of interpretation, the verse establishes a dynamic where the husband is positioned to rule. This has the implications of authority. The concept of authority in marriage is further explored in various biblical passages:

Ephesians 5:23      The husband is the head of the wife.

Colossians 3:18     Wives are called to submit to their husbands.

These verses reinforce the idea of a hierarchical structure in marriage, where the husband holds a leadership role. In summary, Genesis 3:16 implies that the wife may desire to exert control, while the husband is designated to rule. This dynamic reflects the complexities of authority and submission within the biblical framework of marriage.

As this breakdown of Spiritual protection and authority has broken down, the consequences of divorce on children and society have been staggering. Yet woman continue to yearn for their own version manhood and ruling authority at every turn.

Then there are these:

4. And number 4, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and
   1. whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court;
   2. and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
5. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
   1. leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother,
   2. and then come and present your offering. Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison.
   3. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.
6. And number six, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
   1. Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
   2. And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
7. And number seven, “Now it was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’;
   1. but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
      1. Mark 10:11–12 Jesus explicitly addresses either a man or a woman instigating a divorce:
      2. A man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against his wife.

• A woman who divorces her husband and marries another commits adultery. This is the clearest parallel passage showing that Jesus’ teaching is not restricted to men.

1. In 1 Corinthians 7:10–11 Paul writes that a wife should not separate from her husband and that a husband should not divorce his wife. If separation occurs, reconciliation or remaining unmarried is presented as the instruction.
2. The teaching is reciprocal: both spouses have responsibilities concerning the marriage covenant.

8. And number 8, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.
   1. This applies to ‘faith promise giving’, pledges, and promises you make.
9. And number 9, You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also.
   1. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
   2. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
   3. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
10. And number 10. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
    1. so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
    2. for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
    3. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”… Just to name a few of the commands and prohibitions in scriptures that we foolishly overlook or ignore – and I might add – to our great harm.

Two final thoughts:

1. Thought number 1. The Apostle Paul laments the difficulty of personally knowing about the commandments and prohibitions and still failing to obey them as he calls it “from being in bondage to sin”. “For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate… Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin”.
   1. Note that the litmus test here is that Paul does not go on sinning consistently or persistently nor willingly. He is in a mental-emotional-physical and spiritual struggle. It is his resistance and dependence on God that defines his true nature and his true intent.
   2. Paul goes on to ask and gleefully proclaim, “Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin”, which should be our proclamation as well!
   3. Paul has realized and teaches us that “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
   4. It’s all about your mind-set. “For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God”.
   5. So we learn from Scriptures that we have a choice – even through this horrifying struggle, we have a choice and God has given us this wonderful power of choice! But you must decide.
2. Thought number 2. We have no good excuses for ignoring or modifying the Word of God, but we do have an advocate. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34). And, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1).
3. We have a way: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
   1. Confessing here is saying to God that we agree with Him that we have missed the mark of His righteousness and of His Will for us, for our well-being and our benefit.
   2. This way, alone, we are forgiven and our mind, heart, soul and spirit are cleansed of all unrighteousness.
   3. So again we discover from Scriptures that we have a choice – even through this horrifying struggle, we have a choice and God has given us this wonderful power of choice! But you must decide.

So, in this article, what began sounding like a potential accusation and a criticism ends with a solution, and a resolution. A culmination leading to life and peace – if we will only embrace His word – as inconvenient as you might see it at times, His word is an unchanging Truth. The Truth we can obey and follow in order to find peace, success and prosperity of our souls.

God’s Word prophetically announces, in the Book of Joshua, that “every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness of this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man then shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause you as My people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. Do not allow this Book to depart from your mouth, but meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

(These foregoing scriptures are literally an outline of the lands and peoples God promised to the Israelites. But a deeper study of the origins of these words tells of a much deeper and amazing prophecy and it is for you, today!)

1. The Verse: “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.

The Prophetic Translation:  Everything you touch, in totality – as you bow yourself down before God, walking in His Spirit – every place your foot treads, is yours – you have victory and dominion in and through Him. The Application:  Every place and everything you touch, bow yourself to God, and the touch of God will grant you dominion in all circumstances.

The Verse:  4. “From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.

The Prophetic Translation:  “From the wilderness and this Lebanon = when your heart (“Leb” in the Hebrew) was wild and untamed, rebellious toward God;  even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates = a new beginning, a refreshing of spirit and soul, and the speech of your mouth when it was dead, I, God, purify and give life to your heart and your mind, and you break forth in fruitfulness.

All the place of terror, the low places that come to you and that you are to enter in, God gives you dominion over

The Application:  From the time you were wild in your imaginations, without a (heart) living spirit within you or a mind, until God broke forth and gave you a fruitful heart and gives you a mind, an awareness of Him and in Him; you have dominion over all the terrors and low places you encounter in your life until you enter into His Kingdom of eternity, all of this is yours.

The Verse:  5. “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

The Prophetic Translation:  No man of any kind, neither great or powerful, without exception, can stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you;

The Application:  You will not sink down today. I will not relax on your behalf.  You will not drop back; you will not be disheartened.  You will know that I am always with you and I never forsake you, nor will I let you be alone, I never show slack.

The Verse:  6.  “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

The Prophetic Translation:  Be strong and take hold of my strength, and be strengthened, hardened, and prevail.  Be encouraged, and secure even obstinate in your assurance, for I am making you superior in your strength.  Again, I say, you are strong.

The Application:  You have already inherited this.  The land is now yours, that is all the earth.  This is the oath, My Oath, which I swore to your fathers.  Now, you possess it.

The Verse 7. “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand, or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

The Verse 8. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

The Verse 9. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause you as My people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. Do not allow this Book to depart from your mouth, but meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Prophetic transcription: God will go with you, walk with you, come with you, proceed ahead of you, move with you, live life through you, lead you and bring you, carry you, and cause you to walk. You cannot fail in what God has purposed if you obey Him.

Read God’s Word. Meditate on It. Believe It. Do It and live successfully and abundantly.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it, “politics won’t save you”, only Jesus will “save” you – both now, in this current daily life, and in the life to come after your physical death. But it takes faith.

The Bible defines and describes your politics.  So, instead of talking politics from the pulpit of a church, talk and advance those things which are in the Bible. Talk, preach, teach, promote and advance the Truth of the Bible. – then vote!!

Why do I say that when it sounds so abstract, so esoteric, metaphysical, so religious? Well, if you will put on your ‘thinking hat’ I will explain why I say what I say.

1. I believe what I say –  that “politics won’t save you” –  that only Jesus can save you. He will “save” you  – both now, in your current daily life, and in the life to come – that is, after your physical death.
   1. And what I am saying does not come from a ‘feeling’ nor from a ‘special interest’ that I hold. I believe what I believe because of continued study and observation.
      1. The word “saved”, in the Bible and according to Strong’s Bible concordance, is defined as “to heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (made) whole; made well, , to get well, to bring safely through, to be cured”.
      2. Strong’s Greek concordance #4982 for the New Testament Greek word for “save or saved”, is (sózó – pronounced ‘sode-zo’) – which saturates the New Testament with the theme of divine deliverance. From urgent cries on Galilee’s storm-tossed waters (Matthew 8:25) to the cosmic promise that “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), the verb gathers every facet of God’s rescuing purpose into one word. Of its 108 occurrences, none contradicts another; together they unfold one seamless testimony to the Lord who “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
   2. Dimensions of Salvation
      1. Physical Rescue – “Lord, save (sózó – from the New Testament Greek language) us! We are perishing!” (Matthew 8:25). Prisoners spared shipwreck when they heed Paul’s warning (Acts 27:31).
      2. Rescue from Tangible danger with immediate deliverance, showcasing God’s sovereignty over nature, illness, and calamity.
      3. Bodily Healing –
         1. “Daughter, your faith has healed (sózó) you” (Mark 5:34).
         2. Blind Bartimaeus: “Receive your sight; your faith has healed (sózó) you” (Luke 18:42).
         3. Restoration of health foreshadows the wholeness God intends for those redeemed in Christ.
      4. Social Restoration
      5. The healed demoniac “was delivered – (sózó)” (Luke 8:36) and then commissioned as a witness (Luke 8:39). σώζω not only mends bodies but reinstates persons into community and vocation.
      6. Spiritual Regeneration –
         1. “He saved ((sózó) us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5).
         2. “By grace you have been saved (sózó)” (Ephesians 2:5, 8). The verb embraces the past act of new birth, the present life of faith, and the future inheritance.
      7. Eschatological Deliverance –
         1. 1. “He will save (sózó) His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
            2. “The one who perseveres to the end will be saved (sózó)” (Matthew 24:13).
            3. The consummation of salvation awaits the Day when believers are “saved (sózó) from wrath” (Romans 5:9).

I have studied the Bible for decades. I have studied it using proper study techniques and other necessary linguistic, geographic, socio-graphic, socio-political and other obtained skills.

I have also studied and considered these matters from a scientific perspective to see if these was some tangible explanation – particularly from atomic and quantum scientific view, and I have discovered considerable intersections and concurrences between the Bible and Science. And science is beginning to agree with the Spiritual (God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit – although science uses different language and comes from a naturalistic-scientific perspective.

What comes next is the answer to why I talk about these thing since they seem so abstract, esoteric, metaphysical, and religious stuff I was talking about at the beginning of this article – and I will ad scientific. But if you will put on your ‘thinking hat’ I might be able to explain what I mean.

Science and the Bible – both – are saying that everything comes from something (John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made).. And there isn’t anything that returns to nothingness.  As a very simple example: Everything you see and everything you cannot see (because it is infinitesimally small), has an origin.
Let’s begin with the observable everyday things. For examples, the house you live in, those clothes you are wearing, the car you drive, and so on, all of these things come from natural materials, and that is true but it is only part of the story – part of the truth.
If a house is made of wood, steel and slate, then you have discovered only where the ‘raw materials’ originated. But unless those materials are processed into a usable form, they will remain as trees, iron ore and rock. You see, someone had the idea to build a shelter, something later name as a house. An idea that comes from ‘nothingness’. (Now this is where it gets a bit esoteric or weird).

No one has ever seen or touched a thought nor an idea.

An idea: The result of thought. A mental representational images of some object or thing. The capacity to create and understand the meaning of ideas is considered to be an essential and defining feature of human beings. An idea arises in a reflexive, spontaneous manner, even without thinking or serious reflection, for example, when we talk about the idea of a person or a place. A new or an original idea can often lead to innovation. Our actions are based upon beliefs, beliefs are patterns or organized sets of ideas.

Thoughts emerge from coordinated firing across networks of neurons, not from any single “thought center” in the brain. The prefrontal cortex integrates information and drives complex decision-making, while the hippocampus and limbic system supply memory and emotional context.

Neural activity linked to a decision can begin before conscious awareness of making that decision, according to landmark brain research.

Neuroplasticity means thought patterns can physically reshape brain structure through repeated use, for better or worse.
The output of a network, a cascade of electrochemical signals passing between neurons, the specialized cells that make up your nervous system. Each neuron receives input through branching structures called dendrites, and if enough signal accumulates, it fires an electrical pulse  down its axon to the next cell in line.

That handoff happens at the synapse, the microscopic gap where neurotransmitters, the brain’s chemical messengers, cross from one neuron to the next. Multiply this by roughly 86 billion neurons, each connected to thousands of others, and you get a communication network so dense that how neural pathways facilitate communication between brain regions becomes one of the more genuinely mind-bending puzzles in modern neuroscience.

Even with all this scientific discovery, tracing the origins and processes of thoughts that lead to ideas, no one has ever seen or touched neither a thought nor an idea. So where do these things – thoughts and ideas – come from. These are the very things that drive us to organize the “seen and the unseen” into physical and tangible things. Which brings me back to “being saved by faith” and not politics.

Amazingly (at least to me) Hebrews 11:1 informs us that

“Faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not (yet) seen.”

Biblical Faith, – “pístis” from the Greek word as used in the New Testament – means to “persuade, to be persuaded” Faith is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, “faith” for the believer is “God’s divine persuasion” – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, In secular antiquity faith was referred to a guarantee (warranty). In Scripture, faith is God’s warranty, certifying that the revelation He “inbirthed” will come to pass (His way).

Faith cannot be touched or seen. It comes from The One Unseen God. But when it is given and employed faith will intersect with thoughts and ideas – thoughts and ideas that do not originate in the neural pathways and synapses of the physical human brain, but which are processed there.

The point here is that something must occur in the unseen realms before the tangible occurs or is manifest into the present

Now if you think general science is hard to understand, try quantum physics. And if you still aren’t completely lost, add faith that comes from the Unseen God – Jehovah.

If this has been too much and too abstract, please forgive me, and let me conclude with this:

Politics is and comes from the ‘unseen realm’ of an idea. Politics is defined as “the activity of settling affairs in an organized society”, often involving the resolution of issues through government and the exercise of power. It encompasses various methods, including negotiation, law-making, and the promotion of political views or the ideas of people. Additionally, politics has no basis for absolute truth. Politics are based on negotiations, are imprecise and malleable. Politics are governed through bias, influences and perceptions. It is based on conflict coupled with cooperation. Politics govern you – it does not and never will save you now nor beyond your natural death.

Jesus is the manifest Son of God The Father. God The Father Who is unseen, sent His Son, God who is manifest and is seen and is the exact representation of God The Father, to earth to dwell among us in order to save humanity from the penalty and the power of sin in our lives; to fulfill or to satisfy the requirements of the law of the Old Covenant or The Torah, to serve others, and to offer eternal life. He came to seek and save “the lost” (ä-pŏl’-lü-mē – those who are alienated from God), to proclaim good news of salvation through God’s grace by faith in Jesus), and bear witness to the truth. Jesus saves (sózó) – makes you healthy, safe, whole and gives your life purpose. (And for the ‘purist’, this does not mean you will not encounter loss, tragedies, sorrows, pain, disappointments, ill health, trials of all kinds in life. You will. But it also means that “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are [b]crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from them all.” – Psalms 34:17-19).

So, does that mean we, as Christians, should avoid or neglect politics (an imperfect idea for our salvation)? No it does not mean that we, as Christians, should avoid or neglect politics! But consider that as Christians, our politics are described by the Bible and must be defined by the Bible.
So, preach the Bible – not politics. Advance the cause of Jesus and the Bible – not just a political agenda. You can and should compare and evaluate the platform of a political party or agenda with the Bible, but talk, preach, promote and advance the Truth of the Bible – then go out and.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young