Study Desk

For the Lord will do on earth what He says in His Word. He will work fast when He says what will happen here."

Why? Because they did not put their trust in God. They tried to be right with God by working for it. They tripped over the most important Stone (Christ).

I know about them. They have a strong desire for God, but they do not know what they should about Him.

For Christ has put an end to the Law, so everyone who has put his trust in Christ is made right with God.

There is no difference between the Jews and the people who are not Jews. They are all the same to the Lord. And He is Lord over all of them. He gives of His greatness to all who call on Him for help.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved from the punishment of sin.

And so I ask, "Did they not hear?" For sure they did. The Holy Writings say, "Their voice was heard over all the earth. The Good News was told to the ends of the earth."

Isaiah says even stronger words, "I have been found by men who did not look for Me. I have shown Myself to those who were not asking for Me."

This is the way it was. Many Jews did not get what they were looking for. Only those God chose received it. The hearts of the others were made hard. They could not understand it.

You may say, "Branches were broken off to make room for me."

You people who are not Jews were cut off from a wild olive tree. Instead of being there, you were put into a garden olive tree which is not the right place for you to grow. It would be easy for God to put the Jews back onto their own olive tree because they are the branches that belong there.

Everything comes from Him. His power keeps all things together. All things are made for Him. May He be honored forever. Let it be so.

Love each other as Christian brothers. Show respect for each other.

Do not be lazy but always work hard. Work for the Lord with a heart full of love for Him.

Pray and give thanks for those who make trouble for you. Yes, pray for them instead of talking against them.

Christian brothers, never pay back someone for the bad he has done to you. Let the anger of God take care of the other person. The Holy Writings say, "I will pay back to them what they should get, says the Lord."

Leaders are God's servants to help you. If you do wrong, you should be afraid. They have the power to punish you. They work for God. They do what God wants done to those who do wrong.

It is right for you to pay taxes because the leaders of the land are servants for God who care for these things.

There is another reason for doing what is right. You know what time it is. It is time for you to wake up from your sleep. The time when we will be taken up to be with Christ is not as far off as when we first put our trust in Him.

Night is almost gone. Day is almost here. We must stop doing the sinful things that are done in the dark. We must put on all the things God gives us to fight with for the day.