Urgency

I have started reading Romans this morning. Sometimes I find it hard to stop reading scripture for the sake of teaching and to allow the scripture to read me for the sake of teaching. When your entire life is about teaching and inspiring people to follow Jesus you can get stuck always reading for the teachable text. Things will jump off the page at you, ideas will formulate and a rough outline just comes together. The sound track kicks in and the images from films, tv shows and magazines start rolling through your head. I usually have some memory from my childhood or highschool days come to the front of my mind, which makes me laugh or want to cry. And within minutes a message is formed. Like watching the progress of a baby develop in the mothers womb over nine months you watch this baby sermon develop in your mind and eventually on paper. You even imagine yourself speaking to a group of people, you can almost see their faces as you test quotes, jokes and powerful spiritual points.

Well, this didn't happen today, I got my book read. I would have preferred the former, but got the latter. As I listened to Paul speaking the church in Rome, two lines caught my heart and I felt the resonance in my soul as the truth cut through.

1. Urgency
⁵Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus.

I have received the generous gift and I am very passionate about passing it on. I do think that occasionally I loose the sense of urgency. This point hit home with me today.

2. Proud Proclamation
¹⁶It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else!

I sense the need. I feel the stirring of urgency. Am I truly proud to proclaim it. I would honestly have to say that right now I deal with contextual proclamation. For so many years I have been deeply embedded in the church. I was asked for a non-believer reference on my application to be a credentialed minister some years ago. It was a lot of work to think of someone who knew me better then casual. This was all my fault!! In my current context of ministry this has quickly been changing. I really have been amazed at how quickly the opportunity to discuss Jesus comes up in my conversations with people who are not following him.


His grace is so amazing. I am so grateful for this incredible gift of life. When Jesus said, "I came to give you more and better life than you ever imagined." he really knew what he was talking about!

Today I pray for that urgency to rise up within my soul, and the boldness and even pride in who Jesus is and what he has done.

I want to be a part of His plan to change this world.