Dr. Jeff Taylor/First Baptist, Jefferson
Many in town are aware of my battle with COVID this year. On December 30th, 2020, the doctor called my wife and told her that I wasn’t going to make it.
He recommended “compassionate care,” where she and my daughter could come and say their goodbyes, after which they would take me off the ventilator and allow me to pass away as comfortably as possible. The doctors determined that I was going to die, but God had other plans.
Many of you gathered at my church that evening to pray that God might prolong my life.
That night, God answered! Things began to change, and eventually I got to come home. I got to see my daughter graduate. I got to walk again. Considering there are others in our community that did not survive, I am extremely grateful and humble for God’s grace. At first, it was a bit disturbing knowing that I was expected to die, but after quite a bit of contemplation in the stillness of hospital beds, I was reminded that we all have a “death sentence.” In Romans 6:23, it says; “the wages of sin is death . . .” That applies to all of us. We as humans have all inherited sin; it’s a part of our DNA so to speak.
Yet, there is great hope! The remainder of that verse says, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” It is the blood of Christ that has overturned our death sentence! That is awesome news for all of us.
As certainly as we are born, we shall each die, but we have a choice of where we spend eternity. If you want to know how to receive that free gift, please give me a call; I’d be happy to help you overturn your death sentence.