“Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—
which is your reasonable service.”
(Romans 12:1, NET)
This week I once again read the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the believers in Rome to offer themselves as living sacrifices for God (Rom 12:1). Since 1988 we’ve been trying to do that wherever, whenever, and doing whatever we feel He is asking us to do.
It is all the things we do in our everyday, ordinary life that are to be placed before our Father in heaven as our offering to Him. The Bible Knowledge Commentary provides this explanation:
“[Our] body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The word “bodies,” mindful of the Old Testament sacrifices, represents the totality of one’s life and activities, of which his body is the vehicle of expression. In contrast with Old Testament sacrifices this is a “living” sacrifice.
[This] offering is holy (set apart) and pleasing to God. Furthermore, it is spiritual worship. [Worship] refers to any ministry performed for God, such as that of the priests and the Levites. Christians are believer-priests, identified with the great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. A believer’s offering of his total life as a sacrifice to God is therefore sacred service“ (John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 487).
We like the way Eugene Peterson renders Rom 12:1: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” The Message) This is a helpful way to apply this verse.
Overseas our living sacrifice was equipping through Biblical teaching. Now, it is helping those who are doing the equipping by repairing facilities, fixing plumbing leaks in the ground, or washing windows. We continue to try to do whatever, whenever, and wherever to His glory. And we are thoroughly loving what we are doing! 🤠🤗
This week’s Blessings, Prayer Requests, and Schedule are here.
Lake Lavon The Cottage underground water leak 
Lake Lavon The Cottage exterior finished
