February 8 each year in America is celebrated as part of Valentine’s Week and is called Propose Day or Proposal Day.  This is a day about making bold declarations of love and taking the next step in romantic relationships.  On this day people either pop the question for marriage or simply express their feelings for their loved ones, and is a perfect day for showering them with affection and letting them know how much they mean to you.  In the case of popping the question, a leap of faith is required to get down on the knees and ask for her hand in marriage.

        “Words from Above” tells us in the Bible that God has a question for all people ever born into this world. He “proposes” that people consider whether they will become members of His kingdom and have a personal relationship with Him.  It is important to totally realize that God created the people of the world purely because of His love for them.  This was truly evident from the very beginning, when He created Adam and Eve and placed them in a perfect paradise called the Garden of Eden.  Then every day He walked with them and talked with them in the Garden to cultivate a special relationship with them that He did not have with any other part of His Creation.

        God also proposes that we help His Son Jesus to build what He calls in Matthew 16 His Church.  He told His disciples that it was His plan to build His Church, and the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against it.  This Church consists of all members of His kingdom, and His plan was to involve His disciples in the building of this Church.  Not only did He intend to involve His original twelve disciples in this plan, but also all disciples of all time, so this obviously means His disciples today.

        In Acts 1, Jesus elaborated on His plan when he told His disciples prior to His ascension into heaven that he wanted them to be His witnesses in the city of Jerusalem, in the province of Judea, in a nearby province of Samaria, and all over the known world.  What this meant was that He wanted them to tell others they meet from day to day about His death and resurrection that was meant to provide for them an offer of salvation for their soul and a gift of eternal life in heaven with Him.  As witnesses, they were to tell people of their own experience of salvation and eternal life, and how this experience could belong to them.  Let’s not disappoint Him ever.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.