Dear beloved: My earthly father, Lyman Rowh, passed on to his heavenly home on November 14, 2012. He had been battling cancer for several years and finally the Lord said, "No more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain." He was 86 years old, had been surrendered to the Lord Jesus for most all of his life here on this earth; he was also a Sunday school teacher and elder of the church most of his adult life. He left as survivors his wife, Georgia, and three sons and daughter with their spouses and families, 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren in all.
The Lord opened the door for me to preach at his memorial service, and Dad had left scripture for me to preach from, the 8th chapter of Romans, no less, the meat and potatoes of the Christian faith. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. If we could ask God for anything and know for sure that He would give us what we ask, wouldn't it be great if we could get God Himself to come and live within us, to indwell us? Well, that is what happens when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; God sends His Spirit, the third person of the Triune God, to take up residence in our Holy Temple. This Spirit then becomes to us our intercessor, our advocate, our helper, our counsel, and our peace. Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, "The Holy Spirit, when He comes, will lead you into the truth in all things, He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come." John 16:13 v14 He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. I was so blessed to be able to share the gospel message with the 300-400 people in attendance, as it was the wish of my father that everyone who attended would have an opportunity to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Beloved, you can know for sure if you are a son or daughter of God, the Holy Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (v16) If you do not have the peace and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and you do not have the confidence that you know for certain if you have eternal life, ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins, repent and turn from your sinful ways, and receive the Savior into your heart this very day. Let Him be the Lord of your life, and you will know for sure that you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you this day as you seek the Lord, in repentance and in thanksgiving for all that He has done for you. God bless you, and may you and yours have a Happy Thanksgiving. in Christ, Jim
No comments:
Post a Comment