Good morning, Zane.
Amazing things are happening in our world. Much of it is in the vein of amazing confirmations of Biblical authority—fulfillments of Biblical prophecy. I hope and pray you are paying attention, Zane. And I’m convinced that paying attention means gathering information from reliable sources outside the mainstream media.
I had another reminder of our common mortality this morning. My brother called while we were on our walk/jog to report that my cousin Buddy Davis passed on Saturday morning—as did another friend from college days—Mick Owings—who went to glory the same morning. Read again John 11:25-26 to get this stubborn reality in proper perspective.
Have a great day—doing and being as you should. Love and prayers—Tua/Ray.
Can you imagine a preacher standing before a congregation and beginning his message like this: “The sincere aim and goal of my message to you today is to promote your death!?” Lots of mouths would probably drop open at the initial shock of those words. But anyone with knowledge of the New Testament and the spiritual realities it presents would soon get the point. After all, the most commonly practiced ordinance of the church following conversion is baptism—a representation of the kind of death Christ came to offer. Indeed, the Gospel essentially presents to us the opportunity to die—to become “dead to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). And when it is all said and done, it is not only the responsibility of a Gospel preacher to help make us die, it is our own. It is our own personal heart-level obligation to respond decisively to this wonderful opportunity afforded us in the Gospel. Be reminded of how Paul began chapter 12: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices (all sacrifices die in one way or another…and don’t get up from the altar to carry on with life and business as usual), holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).
Let’s look again at the Focus verse. Paul presents himself “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering (sacrifice) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” However we process this expression, let’s not mistake the central theme: GOD WANTS YOU DEAD!—DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE TO GOD—HE WANTS US ALL TO OFFER OURSELVES TOTALLY TO HIM—SO AS TO BE TRANSFORMED ON THE INSIDE BY THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF HIS SPIRIT. That goes for everyone—both Jews and Gentiles.
May you die a blessed life-changing death—so that you may REALLY LIVE.