Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. (KJV)

Romans 15:20 “Yea, so I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:”

Romans 8:28 was the verse that Dr. Lee Roberson put beside his signature in the Bible given to me at my ordination into the ministry at Highland Park Baptist Church. At that time I serving as the pastor of one of the Highland Parks chapels which was a small church called Rock of Ages in Richard City Tennessee. It was during the questions and answer section that a minister must go through before his is ordained that I had to give my life verse and explain why I choose this verse.  My verse at that time was Romans 15:20 “Yea, so I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:”.  Before I could give the reason one of the professors ask me what version of Bible I was using.  I told him the King James Version.  He looked it up and stated that in all his studies of Paul he had never recalled this verse.  He asked me the reason I chose this verse and I told him my desire was to preach Christ on the mission field in South America.  Of course at that time I had studied David Livingstone journeys in Africa and want to follow in his footsteps in South America.

Life happens;

As I look back on the pass my life verse has changed several times.  However, I guess the verse that I love now is found in Philippians 1: 21 ” For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”.  I have taken the easy road with this verse unlike many through-out the world.  For in so countries if you live for Christ your live may be taken from you as Paul was referring to in the context of the verses 22-26 that follows verse 21.  I just live day by day with the phase “what a beautiful, wonderful day that the Lord has given us” to preach my love for Christ.  Yes some might disagree with me but my life is never in danger.  However, easy road or hard road the last part of the verse “and to die is gain” is what we are blessed with when our live is over.  As I get older and see so many of my love ones around me pass away, the great the truth of “to die is gain” brings joy to my heart.   Yes, death is just the gateway for believers to enter heaven.

I Corinthians 15:53-58

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.