September 12, 2010

Romans 15: 21b 

  Will You Tell Them?  

Romans

"Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand."

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Thoughts...

In Romans 15: 14-22, Paul says this:  I am fully convinced, dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness.  You know these things so well that you are able to teach others all about them.  Even so, I have been bold enough to emphasize some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder from me.  For I am, by God's grace, a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles.  I bring you the Good News and offer you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God so that you might be pure and pleasing to him by the Holy Spirit.  So it is right for me to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.  I dare not boast of anything else.  I have brought the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I lived before them.  I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God - all by the power of God's Spirit.  In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum. 

My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriputres, where it says, " Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand."

2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 reads:  It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for Christ.  He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us.

Think you cannot share the Gospel because you are a woman?  Paul tells us in Galatians 3: 26-29:  So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all  Christians - you are one in Christ Jesus.  And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham.  You are his heirs and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.

Your neighbor may not have heard the Gospel.  Don't think you have to go off to a foreign land.  Although if you are called to do so, go forth.  There are people in your neighborhood, office, school, etc., who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.    

Be like the Psalmist who said:  "I believed in God, and so I speak."  Ps. 116: 10, 2 Cor. 4: 13.

It is time to share....to tell the world.   In Luke 24: 7, Jesus spoke to the eleven disciples and the other followers of Jesus saying:  "With my authority, take this mesage of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem:  "There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me."  And in verse 49 he says:  "And now I will send the Holy Spirit just as my Father promised.  But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."   Be pBe

Be prepared to carry out the will of the Father to "Go and make disciples out of all the nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:  I am with you even to the end of the age.

Will you tell them?     

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Let Us Pray

Lord God, you have commanded all of us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Forgive us our sins, so that we might be empty vessels that only you can fill to overflowing with your Holy Spirit.  And in doing so, may we know you have ordained us by giving us utterance to preach your Holy Name.  Thank you for saving us, and let us now go forth thanking you by sharing who you are, that you are and how wonderful you are with the world.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray, Amen.     

Please forgive graphic irregularities.  There seem to be problems once again with the provider I use for this website.  I hope they will have all things straightened out soon. 

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