5/16/2007
Reading for the Day: Pr: 16, Ps: 16, OT: Ezr 9 – Neh 1, NT: Act 28 – Rom 1
-Rom 1:16-17 The Gospel of Christ
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I’ve notice that the gospel is not the healings done by Jesus, and it is not His teachings; rather it is His redemption of the lost. Jesus Christ never came to make bad men good but to make dead men live. The righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. Faith means trusting in what God said. I’ve observed that people glibly say "just have faith" like it is and end of itself. It does not answer "faith on what?" Faith has to have an object; the object of the Christian’s faith is Jesus Christ. Whenever and wherever Paul is, he is always talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ. How much more should I do likewise? As a Christian living in today’s society, I have resources Paul never had in his time. I have access to means of travel that Paul never oven thought of. However I do lack something Paul had – boldness. There were times I should have taken the opportunity of proclaiming the gospel that I let slip by. These were times I could have been used by God but I was intimidated, not that it is an excuse; I am guilty of letting the opportunity go by. Blessed be YHVH, King of the universe. Blessed be the Son of God, His inheritance is the nations and the ends of the earth is His possession. Blessed be the Holy Spirit of God, nothing exists apart from His presence. Father, without You I am nothing, but through Your grace and mercy You make this nothing into something. Cause me to proclaim Your Name to the housetops, to represent You with boldness. Give me courage so that faced with trials, by Your grace, I will able to give glory to Your Name. Thank You Lord for sending forth Your Salvation, the Salvation that is of the Father and through Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit are all things, to whom be glory forever
