Hi, brothers and sisters!

Do you sometimes feel like you are running on fumes? There is nothing left in the tank to give?
That’s how I’ve been feeling lately. I get so desperate at times that the only thing that is sustaining me is the word of God. I do not know what I would do if it weren’t for that time alone with Him in His word daily. I would probably be living a very different life if God did not let me have this discipline instilled early on. Perhaps a lot easier life – it’s hard to care for others! – but also a life that would be self-centered and destitute of much meaning if I didn’t live it in God.
Eldie and I decided that we will share our devotional thoughts with you daily. We will alternate. However, in a couple weeks, we’d like other men or women, to join in and share your thoughts as well. Perhaps we can get a rotation going depending on the day of the week. This way, not only we are disciplining ourselves to be in the word, but also to encourage becoming one in the Lord.
3/10/11
Rom 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
– Imagine your own funeral. There you are lying in a coffin, dead. By the way, this already happened to us – it was when we got baptized. Baptism represents funeral. When we went under water, it symbolized our death. And what died with us is not only what we would consider sinful, but also good things. Even our good desires to succeed, to be comfortable, to have peace, etc, died with us. But Jesus gave us a new life, and He has made us His bride. Thus, we had a funeral and a wedding all in one moment!
Now Jesus is our bridegroom, which means, we share everything with Him. There is nothing we own that is ours – remember we died and then got married? Everything is co-owned by Jesus. Our savings. Our house. Our cars. Our gadgets. Even our children. We lost them all when we died. But God brought us back to life and now we live a new life with Him as our bridegroom.
Therefore, now I live not for myself – not my fulfillment, not my success, not my recognition, not my happiness, not my family, but for His kingdom and His will. And I have to be careful that the things that compete with Christ are not bad or sinful things, but good things – like my family, my desire to grow the church, etc.
Please pray for me and the church that we will be about Christ and Christ only. My desire is for us to be so passionate about Christ and His kingdom that we will represent a slice of God’s new future world (kingdom of God) where all nations gather to worship Him and truly be brothers and sisters to one another.
God bless,
PH