TOPIC :  “ POOR SAINTS“

Text:  Romans 15:19-29

19. Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

20. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation;

21. But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand.

22. For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

23. But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;

24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you; for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

25. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

28. When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

29. And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

KEY VERSE: Romans 15:26

“For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.”

MESSAGE

Julian the apostate was the last non-Christian (or pagan) Roman emperor. He acknowledged that the Christians or the “Galileans” as he referred to them, took care of the needy far more than their pagan counterparts, which led to many new converts.

In our text, Apostle Paul informed the church of his general ministry to the gentile world and the success God had given him in pioneering gospel work in many places. He enunciated also, his desire to visit the church in Rome after his trip to Jerusalem. The trip was to take to the church in Jerusalem, the financial contributions that the churches in Macedonia had made for the “poor saints” there. Paul collected the offerings to meet a real need in the lives of the saints in Jerusalem and to show that the Christian family truly should care for one another.

Today, the prosperity gospel has blurred the spiritual vision of many people who see the poor as those who cannot be true believers. The early Christians witnessed serious economic adversities such that Paul and other people had to raise charity for them. And as Julian acknowledged, early Christians used charity to the poor as a means of evangelism that successfully turned many to God.

You must remember the poor Christians in your congregations and community. You can give them money, food or clothes; do something to alleviate their sufferings. You can make a difference in the lives of fellow believers today.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Remembering the poor brings Christ closer to us!

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Daniel 6-8

Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.