"I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ" (Romans 15:29)

Can you imagine reading these words from the Apostle Paul knowing he was planning to come visit your town? Would you be excited to hear him preach and see the demonstration of power by the Holy Spirit as miracles were performed? Reading these words that Paul wrote to this church, "I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ", must have created anticipation that was unmatched by any other event for these believers.

Paul was confident and bold in what he wrote. But just as Paul wrote many times, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" ( I Corinthians 1:31, II Corinthians 10:17 ), Paul's confidence stemmed out of relationship to the Lord Jesus, knowing that what was accomplished was done by God. He wrote with power and authority because he knew who he was in Christ Jesus. He knew the full gospel and how he had been set apart and redeemed to share it with the world ( Romans 1:1 ). He knew that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now dwelled on the inside of him ( Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:19-20 ). So it was a natural statement to make to this church that he expected to come in the abundant blessing of the Gospel of Christ.

In the book of Acts we have the record of what happened while Paul was in Rome. Even though he was under house arrest at this time he was able to teach the gospel freely among the Romans. "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ" ( Acts 28:30-31 ). Paul shared with these believers the full measure of the blessing of Christ which comes through the gospel, which is the power of God ( Romans 1:16 ). Paul was able to walk in this blessing because he chose to do so. He did not allow others to dictate whether or not he operated in the Holy Spirit. Even in chains he was able to teach about the Kingdom of God and his word was confirmed by signs and wonders the entire time he was in Rome.

As believers this full measure of the blessing of Christ is also available to us all the time. It is not something God gives occasionally; he has already given it to us when we put our faith in Him to save us.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us into the entire truth of Christ and to confirm the Word in our lives. The blessing of Christ is now our birthright as his children and recipients of the gospel. Like Paul we can choose to walk in this abundance at all times. Knowing God and understanding what he has provided and accomplished for us will enable us to dwell in His power continually. Imagine what our lives would be like if we fully operated in the grace we were called to. Just as Paul exclaimed, I" know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ", we too would be confident in our words and deeds, knowing that we bring the kingdom of God with us where ever we go.

What an amazing truth to renew our minds with. As born again believers, our confidence is in the Lord Jesus. Knowing him enables us to operate in the same boldness that the Apostle Paul operated in as he anticipated his trip to Rome. My prayer today is that you remember that the Kingdom of God lives inside you and the abundant blessing of Christ is available for you to live and operate within all the time. May you change the world around you by the power of the Holy Spirit inside you; May God's love and truth be evident in everything you do! Amen.

"Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way" (Romans 15:25-28)

This is a wonderful testament to the heart of God's people. Paul is sharing a marvelous account of believers who came together to provide relief for their brothers and sisters in Christ who were struggling. The Jews in Jerusalem where living in extreme poverty. Because of their confession of Christ they had been thrown out of the synagogue and subsequently lost all connections with families, communities and ways to make a living. As believers they faced extreme persecution and extreme poverty living in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life.

As the result, the Gentile churches that were growing around Asia heard of their distress and took it upon themselves to collect an offering to be sent as relief for these believers. We read about this preparation and Paul's instruction to the churches in I Corinthians 16 & II Corinthians 8 & 9. This is where we get wonderful truths about giving. The Gentile churches pioneered the heart of giving cheerfully when needs arose.

After they had collected the offering they had tasked Paul and his companions to deliver the gift to the believers there. Paul is sharing his plans of returning to Jerusalem to deliver their gift and then journeying on to Rome to visit this growing church. He reminds us of a wonderful truth in the middle of these verses. The Gentile church was overjoyed to share with the poor in Jerusalem because they had been blessed by the gospel that Jews had shared with them. They had benefited from their spiritual blessings and so it seemed right that they would also share with these people their material blessings. This act was completely voluntary on the part of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. They were overjoyed and willing to give what they had because the gospel they received had changed their lives. So they gave out of a grateful and thankful heart. Paul wrote to these churches and told them, "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" ( II Corinthians 9:12 ).

What a marvelous truth to know that our gifts express thankfulness to God for what He has done in sending Jesus. It is another way for us to praise him and show our gratitude to him.  These churches were great examples in giving with a pure heart. I am sure as the church in Rome read these words of Paul they were encouraged by the faith of other believers. I am sure they were also excited at the prospect of Paul's visit and encouraged in the truth of this letter. Today, I am thankful that Jews shared in their spiritual blessings so that the world could have the good news of Jesus Christ. Today, I pray that this gospel changes your heart and you dwell in gratefulness and thankfulness to God for what he has done, amen!