Dear friends
Paul's letter to the Romans has as one of its main points
the following:
"I am under obligation
both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am
eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of
the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:14-16
Paul's thrust is the power in the gospel for salvation and
how his, and our, obligation is to preach it to everyone, everywhere. He writes
how he is under obligation, a strong term to tie yourself to the gospel, and
how he doesn't prefer a particular group of people but rather is obligated to
all men and women, of every education, race and background, for the gospel is
that all people may be reconciled to God through Jesus.
As I have relooked at these verses (and I will expound them
in greater detail on Sunday the 22nd of July), and as we have been praying for
a magnified voice into our city and the regions beyond, I am acutely aware of
our responsibility to see, and take hold of, the opportunities around us.
This past week, Jaci had the privilege of being interviewed
on parenting in the 'Dr Mol show' studio and this interview will be screened on
Friday the 6th July to a viewership of 1 million people. As we have walked this
journey, God has seen it appropriate to hold a microphone to Jacs' voice and to
extend its reach as she represents Him, and those of us who live according to
His ways. Let's pray as a community for salvation to sweep through the homes of
the viewers, even though they will listen to talking on parenting.
Friends, I urge you to be under obligation to all men, to
preach the gospel, and as we do this, our prayer is that our Father would magnify
our voices into the lives of those around us.
Please pray for Jacs and me as we spend this week with
Dylan and Tessa Jahnig and Linc Church in Ballito.
Much love
Rich
