PASTOR'S CORNER

  Romans 16:17-20 James Boice said, “Romans is not the longest book in the Bible, or even the New Testament, but it is long for a letter, and Paul has taken a long time ending it.”  And what seems a bit out of place, Paul has one last thing to say because he loves the people in Rome, and that he hopes to see them soon.  But until he returns he wanted to let the church know how important they are to him by alerting them of something destructive that can, and does harm the body of Christ.  Just as Paul warned the church in Philippi, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.” Phil 1:15-17   At the height of the Reformation Martin Luther was challenging the corruption of the medieval church by a rediscovery of sound biblical...

  Romans 15:14-33; 16:1-16 Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, “Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument. I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure; according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talent God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hands of God.  This word awful is not speaking in the negative, but in a positive way.  This word reminds me of the hymn song “How Sweet And Aweful Is This Place.”  “Awful” some interpret it to be “awesome” in more modern day language.  I personally, prefer to leave it as its written when Robert Murray McCheyne and Isaac Watts wrote it.  “awful”  in the context of this quote means “full of awe” .   “…It is not great talent God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an “full of awe” weapon in the hands of God.”   A holy minister who is full of awe towards a G...