Romans 15:22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

What was hindering Paul when it came to fulfilling his heart’s desire to preach the gospel in lands that had not heard it yet? I don’t know for sure. Thinking of this in our times it could be State Department travel bans, entry visa denial, funding, and things I am not even aware of in my experience.

The older I get the more I see me as being the hindrance. It is nothing and no one but me that is stopping me from spreading the gospel. It sure isn’t travel bans, the country that needs the gospel the most appears to be the United States of America.

We do a lot of talking about the conditions here and point fingers of blame without any real knowledge about the real underlying problem. Well the real problem is the same problem that has been going on for two thousand years. Satan has been about his business of being the anti-Christian. Our enemy is not silent, so why are we silent?

Why am I silent? Every reason I can think of is inexcusable.

So what am I going to do about it?

I’ll see you around.

Proverbs 6:20-22 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

TTTB stands for The Tie That Binds. I have not left the Romans study but this proverb explains a comment I left in the study that requires some explanation. In the 15^th chapter of Romans Paul uses Old Testament scriptures to tie together the Jew and the Gentile in Christ.

My understanding of this proverb leads me to a conclusion that if the Jews had done what was asked here and lived a life where His Word was written upon their hearts and tied upon their neck to demonstrate their beliefs as they went about their days, they would have welcomed the stranger into fellowship and worship of our God.

They didn’t and so now Paul is quoting scriptures that points to the two issues of worship left out in the teachings of their Rabbi’s, mercy and grace.

The Jews of that day held themselves aloof and separate from others, which is best demonstrated in their distaste for the Samaritans who worshipped the same God.

In those scriptures I saw John the Baptist saying he was not worthy to tie the sandals upon Jesus’ feet. Then I saw Paul using mercy and grace to bind the Jew and Gentile together in Christ, the tie that binds, as it was meant to be.

If you do not see that, it is okay. I’d only ask you to think on this proverb as you read Romans 15:1-13 and allow the Holy Spirit to speak into the moment.