Romans 1:8 says...

Today's verse is Romans 1:8 which says,

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world."
 Paul is writing to the church in Rome where the persecution of Christians is very high under the emperor Nero.  Paul also gives a very theological statement by saying "my God through Jesus Christ."  Paul is saying he has a personal relationship with God and that has come through the Son, Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection.  Paul is thankful that others have taken up the cause of Christ and the gospel of Christ to be proclaimed, so he is writing to those who are doing what he is doing.

But what strikes me is the phrase, "throughout the whole world."  I know that Rome was thought to be the center of the known world but they didn't have the internet or YouTube or the evening news.  They didn't have Facebook or Twitter.  They didn't have websites and flashy video presentations of who they are.  They had people walking or riding from place to place carrying the message of the Christians and what they were doing and being.  

We live in a world of promotion and a whole industry is based on "making yourself known to others" but do we focus on being what we are actually promoting before we promote it?  Take away all those channels and would people be talking about us being Christians because we are being Christians?

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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