ROMANS & I CORINTHIANS

It is Saturday, and I am going to a men's prayer meeting soon.  I will teach a lesson to the men that will help them to be godly men.  Already, they are very fine men and we have a great time together.  Then we pair off in groups of three to pray and then enjoy a wonderful breakfast together.  God has blessed these meetings for many, many years.  I'm reading in Romans and I Corinthians this morning, and I'm on my second cup of coffee.  Here are a few thoughts I checked off this morning:   1) HEART'S DESIRE- I don't know what your heart's desire is, but Paul said in Romans 10:1 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."  This was his heart's desire.... the souls of his people.  Is that our desire?  Do we really care if people die without Christ and go to Hell.  Or, do we think... that is their fault.... I guess that is what they deserve.  Yes, and it is what we deserve as well, but someone told us the Gospel.  All will not respond, but some will and be saved!  In fact,... many will if we tell many.  Let us re-evaluate our Heart's Desire and see that it is conformed to biblical desires.   2) END OF THE LAW- Romans 10:4 says:  "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."  It isn't saying the law is done away with, but it is saying that Christ fulfilled the law and accomplished the righteousness that completed the law for us.  He is our righteousness!  He completed and fulfilled the law completely, and as we trust Christ as our Savior, we have the law completed in us (having Christ in us).  Having the law lead us to Christ, the law has now lost it's purpose.  Now, we are not directed by the law, but by the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit) who lives in us.  We have the law written in our hearts!  By His Spirit! Don't worry about the law, just please Christ!  Certainly God uses His Word, but for instruction, not comdemnation for a believer.   3) OF-THROUGH-TO  It is all about Jesus!  In Romans 11:36, it says:  "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things:  to whom be glory for ever.  Amen."    All things are OF Jesus Christ, go THROUGH Jesus Christ, and are FOR Jesus Christ and His glory!  Let our lives also be of-through & for.    4) SAVE JESUS CHRIST- In I Corinthians 2:2, Paul said:  "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."  Only Jesus was His message!  Here we see the priority of preaching about Jesus, the centrality of the message is all about Jesus, the effectiveness of the message is wrapped up in His person!  We preach Christ, not ourselves.  We magnify Him, not us.  We lift Him up and lower ourselves.  We focus on Christ.  We are to run with patience the race that is before us, looking unto Jesus!  He is our message, our hope, our thoughts, our song, our purpose, our expectation, our experience, our joy, our friend, our guide, our Savior, our sacrifice, our Sovereign, our all in all!  Only in Jesus do we find sufficiency.  Only in Jesus do we know forgiveness.  Only in Jesus is His righteousness made our!  Oh let our thoughts and prayers and lives be surrounded around but one person... Only Jesus!  Let our message be but one thought... Jesus!  Let us not know any earthly wisdom but one thought... Jesus!  Save Jesus Christ!!   Well, I have two more thoughts, but I'm out of time.  It is hard to only pick a few to mention when there are so many rich verses and thoughts.  These are just a few of what God gave me today.  I'm hoping He gives you some too!  May God bless.  Hey... tomorrow is Sunday!!  I love Sundays!  Hope you are in Church.  Blessings on you and yours!  Pastor Mike Mutchler