Romans 6:5-7
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Friends,
What did you spend your last year doing? On Facebook they have a feature that gives you a page of summary of your activities for that past year. When I opened mine, I was pleased to see that most all of my FB was centered on Jesus, His Gospel, getting that published and my family!
https://www.facebook.com/yearinreview/john.mcglone.777
This new year as I contemplate how God has so drastically changed my life, heart, mind and soul for Him in the last sixteen I am amazed. I want to run with more fervor and endurance in the next, then next, and next, if the Lord wills until my physical body is completely poured out for Him.
Rom 12:1-3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
In light of that thought, as my family is spiritually and physically preparing themselves to go out for about four hours of driving and four hours of preaching in 30 degree weather. I am so thankful for the work the Lord has done in our children in preparing them to count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. They will endure the hardness of this environment as a demonstration of love to all the sin loving God hating multitudes that will swarm in the downtown area of Nashville, to party, lust, drink booze, fight, and generally whoop it up for the devil.
The irony is that of the seven children that went out yesterday in the same kind of weather yesterday, they all wanted to go back out today. They were threatened, cursed at, called names, and generally despised for Jesus while I preached at the Music City Bowl. All they were doing was standing there handing out tracts, ,holding signs, and wearing gospel hoodies from www.preachinggear.com. Not only were they despised by the sinners, but they brought their children out to the ball game and made them endure the weather for their parents lust of football, beer, and fun. The sinners tried to get our children to repent of their repentance! You don’t have to come out here! He can’t make you do this! Is your daddy forcing you to do this? Someone should call the police! I turned to our youth and calmly asked, “Children, did I make you come out here, or did you choose? They resoundingly spoke up, we choose! Why do my children care so much for the lost? Because they were once lost themselves and know the weight of sin and the freedom Christ has brought them by the Holy Spirit! Hallelujah! Pray for us saint as we make our final preparations to head back into the fray for souls, where the naysayers will preach: 1. You’re doing it wrong 2. This isn’t the Gospel 3. You’re sinners too! 4. No one obeys God. While we preach verse upon verse, line upon line that the blind may grope after Christ and be found in Him on that Great and Terrible Day of JUDGMENT.
