John opened his gospel with a pretty astounding statement: Jesus was with God initially. He was God and the one through whom all things were made. Paul wrote essentially the same truths in his letter to the Colossians, calling Jesus the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation. "In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16 NIV). But these staggering declarations are not just New Testament inventions; the Old Testament implies a tri-unity within God in the act of creation—"Let Us make man in Our image" (Genesis 1:26 HCSB)—and talks about wisdom as an agent of creation that was with God when He spoke the world into being (Proverbs 8:27-31). God the Father was not alone in the beginning.

How exactly did this work? That's a mystery to us—we weren't there, and our finite brains wouldn't comprehend everything that happened at creation anyway. But it's clear from Scripture that Jesus is eternal, divine, and has creative power, and the world was made through Him and for Him. In other words, the answer to that question so many human beings have asked—"What is life all about?"—is Jesus. Not a cause, not a principle, not a theory, but a Person. Jesus is present from the very first verse of the Bible.

This truth helped shape the church's early years and eventually developed our understanding of the Trinity. There is only one God, but Scripture speaks of Him in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One essence, three persons and personalities. A fellowship of three in a being of one. A perfect, loving community at the heart of all reality. A way to express love within God's nature. It is an eternal story before human history ever began.
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Suppose we didn't know this about Jesus. In that case, we might consider Him only a great teacher or prophet—a miracle worker empowered by God, but still only a man. But the Bible assures us He is more than a man. He is divine and worthy of worship. He even allowed people to worship Him several times during His earthly ministry. He can intercede for us in heaven, having all power and authority in His hands. When Scripture calls Him Immanuel—" God with us"—it speaks literally.

“Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art.”
“How Great Thou Art” UMH# 77
 
Oh, how I love this hymn. It reminds me of God’s amazing creation. How Great Thou Art is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish hymn written by Carl Boberg in 1885. The English version and title are a loose translation by Stuart K. Hine from 1949. Hine wrote the first three verses after witnessing the beauty of God's creation and the revelation of God's love in the Carpathian Mountains. As Hine and his wife crossed into Sub-Carpathian Russia, the mountain scenery brought back the memory of this song. Stuart Hine and his wife heard the Russian version sung as a vocal duet in Ukraine. The first three stanzas were composed while in the Carpathian Mountains. When war broke out, Hine and his wife were forced to return to England in 1939. They used the first three stanzas in evangelistic endeavors during the “Blitz years.” The fourth stanza was added after the war. Recordings by numerous popular recording artists, you can find different versions of this hymn on YouTube, but perhaps none are as memorable as the rendition by Elvis Presley on his farewell tour in 1977 weeks before his death.
 
I remember the first time I heard Elvis’s version of this beautiful hymn. It brought me to tears. I was never a big Elvis fan till then. My mom would listen to his music every so often and we even talked about his life a few times when I was younger. This hymn comes with a lot of memories for everyone. Some are good but some are bad as well. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard this hymn played at funerals and how it brings comfort in a time of great sorrow. No matter the environment or the reason you listen to this hymn, my hope is that the words of this hymn bring you joy this Easter season.

 “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”
Romans 1:16 New Living Translation
 
Let's start our journey in this blog with a scripture that holds significant meaning for me. This scripture not only guides us in our daily lives as Christians but also emphasizes the importance of embracing our identity in Christ without any shame. It's a powerful reminder of our worth in the kingdom of God.
 
            Paul is writing to the churches in Rome and opens his letter with, “God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Romans 1:2. This promise is the coming of the Messiah, who will set the captive people of Israel and Judah free from the tyranny of Roman rule, or so they thought. The Messiah was coming to set the world free from the bondage of sin at the cost of his life for our eternal souls. By the time Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, Christ had already risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now came to Paul to show him the truth about his way of thinking and his actions towards Christ's people. This change in Paul sets him on the pathway to becoming one of the most well-known writers of New Testament scripture.
 
            So, with all this in mind, Paul is announcing the letter’s theme in this passage of scripture. Unashamed of the message of Christ, that of which is: forgiveness, hope, peace, mercy, and reconciliation with God. Paul spends the rest of his life preaching and spreading this message. However, some people today seem to think that being unashamed of the gospel of Christ is to be boastful and arrogant. This line of thought is wrong. To be unashamed is humbly proud of who you are in Christ, for Christ gave of his life so that we may be set free from the punishment of our sins. 
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            This is why I preach the way I do. I am not ashamed of what Christ has done for me, nor of my role as his follower. I will continue to preach the message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, for it is a message for all of God’s creation. I pray that all who hear it will come to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. As I conclude, I leave you, the reader, with this: If you feel God's call to share the message of Christ, then do it. God calls all his people to spread the message of Christ Jesus, to love as he has loved us, and to have no other God but our Father in heaven.