I AM READY

The great apostle Paul wrote, “so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to
you that are at Rome also” (Romans 1:15).

When Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, he himself had not arrived to Rome after his
conversion to the gospel. He addresses this letter to many Christians that from different points
of the empire had settled down in the imperial capital city (Romans 16: 3-15).

In this occasion Paul was in Corinth, by the end of his third missionary trip by the year 57 or
58 before Christ. A sister called Phebe (Romans 16:1) was on her way to Rome, and Paul took
advantage of the opportunity to send this letter with her to the brethren who were settled
down in Rome. By this time, the apostle was about 60 years old, nevertheless, he wrote to
them, “so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome
also.”

Around three years after writing this letter, Paul arrived to Rome as a prisoner but he was
always preaching and teaching the gospel. This first imprisonment took place by the years 61
to 62; he was freed from prison because of the lack of evidences against him. A second
imprisonment which took place also in Rome, came to an end with his martyrdom, probably by
the year 67 of the Christian age.

This “I am ready” of the apostle Paul to go to Rome to evangelize was accomplished, because
as we have said, he went to Rome three years later, although prisoner, but with marvelous
results and fruits in his ministry.

And this “I am ready” of the great apostle not only had immediate results and fruits, but all
these glorious fruits, results, and benefits of that “I am ready” have been received and
enjoyed by the whole church throughout its history and nowadays we are still receiving them,
because Paul wrote most of his epistles during his prison in Rome. What a marvelous example
of this great paladin of the gospel that when there are so many who retire themselves at that
age, Paul said, “I am ready!”
Beloved ones, this servant of God who is talking to you, after almost 40 years of being
preaching, and God, in his mercy, having given us a fruitful ministry that everybody knows, is
in the age in which everyone starts organizing everything for their retirement and jubilation.
And when I myself started to think that maybe I could not do that much, to my surprise and
great joy of my heart, once, in the afternoon, being in prayer, the Lord spoke to my spirit and
told me that the most fructiferous time of my ministry is still ahead. Glory to God!

And this servant emulating the apostle, says, “I am ready!” I myself do not know everything
God is going to do, and how He will do it. But, I know that He will do it, because He is faithful,
because He has spoken and He will do it, and because “for as much as in me is, I am ready!”

After He spoke to me in such way, He has been putting in my heart some purposes for me to
fulfill for the greater advance and enlargement of the work in in Puerto Rico, in The United
States, as well as all in the countries where we are working and the other countries where He
will take us soon. For all what God wants to do, with his help, I say, “I am ready!”

And if we all want God to glorify Himself in our lives and grant us the most glorious and
permanent fruits in our ministry, we all have to say, “I am ready!”

“I am ready!” in the abundance, in the scarceness, in the calm, and in the storm. In trials and
in victory, to honor and to dishonor, for good fame or for bad fame; in sadness and in
gladness; applauded or stoned, recognized or ignored, in weariness and painfulness, in
watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold, and in nakedness; in all and for
all we must say, “I am ready!” So be it, that we all may, full of that spirit of abnegation and
sacrifice, say to the Lord, “I am ready!”

Dear listener, you who have not given your life over to Christ, why do not you do it now?
Raise up your hand before your radio receiver and say to Jesus, Lord, I am here! I am ready
to receive you as my great savior.

Brother who are in affliction and in sicknesses, say to the Lord, “I am ready” to receive the
miracle that you wish to give me! Brother to whom God has been calling, say to the Lord
today, I am ready to do your will, to be busy in your vineyard!
Let us pray: Father in the marvelous name of Jesus look at these souls who come to you, look
at the sick, stretch forth your healing hand on each one of them and heal them, look at those
who you are calling so that they say in this moment, “I am ready Lord!” Amen.