Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Today's Prayer: Teach Me to Reach Out
You've told me to love others, Jesus. Whether I find that easy or difficult, make me to be a light to those who live near me. Show me how to reach out and connect with those I meet in my community, however briefly, that in some way your name may be glorified. Amen.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Today's Prayer: Thanks for the Word
Your Word is my daily nourishment, Lord. Thank you for the Bread of Life--the very Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. With your Word, feed and nurture my soul. Without your Words I will fade and die spiritually; with them I am vibrant, energized, and alive! Move me, by your Spirit, to ever seek you--not just Your hands and what You give, but also Your face, Lord. Through Your Word, show me who You really are. Amen.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life
By most modern standards, the teaching ministry of Jesus was a disaster. I mean, look at what happens in the Gospel lesson. His audience was mostly offended by what he said; when questioned, he did not backpedal, but continued to force the issue; and worst of all, John reports that “After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” It doesn’t sound like this Jesus is going to make your church explode with growth in numbers. His listeners voted with their feet; they were disturbed by this Bread of Life stuff, by the thought of eating and drinking Jesus; it was just too much, too weird, too unsettling, so they left. Jesus’ sermon had bombed.
Now, just so we’re clear, when I say that Jesus’ sermon bombed, and that his teaching could be construed as a disaster, I’m being just a little sarcastic, and I’m trying to make the point that applying worldly standards of success to the life of the Spirit may not present a full or fair picture of what’s really going on. No Christian would seriously suggest that Jesus’ ministry was a failure; and yet, in an age when a preacher’s significance is judged largely by the size of his church, and a congregation’s vitality is gauged by how many members it has, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the very Son of God Himself did not have a 100% success rate in reaching people with his message. When you really stop to think about that, it’s a little astonishing. There were people who had the benefit of hearing Jesus speak in person who still were not persuaded that he was telling the truth. Why is that?
That’s a question with an answer that could be very complex. But it is also just this simple: sin got in the way. We confess it nearly every time we gather for worship, but do we believe it—that we are by nature sinful and unclean? If that is true, and Holy Scripture says it is, then that means we are naturally, sinfully opposed to God’s truth. We feel no need for it; we don’t pursue it; we make decisions based on what is right for me, and what makes sense to me, and what I stand to gain in a given situation. Jesus’ teaching calls people to stop being self-centered, and to think of life in a whole new way. A way that doesn’t necessarily make much sense. Human minds, shot through with sin, echo the weaker disciples who said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Who can accept it? Who can say “yes” to someone who calls himself “the Bread of Life” and who wants people to feed on his flesh and drink his blood? The sinner says, “Not me.”
The enemy is not Jesus and his teaching; the enemy is us. The fault lies not with Jesus’ preaching skill or vivid illustrations or his truth-telling; the fault is humankind’s, because in sin, we can’t handle the truth. We know if we stop walking with Him, we won’t have to hear it, and if we’re not hearing Him, then maybe we can convince ourselves that we never really needed him anyway. It is the scariest freedom we possess—the freedom to pull away from the real Jesus, to recast Him in an image that is more to our liking, and to ignore the words He has spoken. Then we end up saying things like, “Well, my God would never do…this or that thing,” as if God only does things that I think are right. Do you see how twisted around we can get? Can we begin to understand how someone could listen to Jesus and then walk away? Whenever the true Jesus comes around, He is a threat to the sinner, because there can only be one King. He is a threat to the status quo, because the status quo is about hanging onto things, and Jesus is about changing things—human hearts and minds, in particular. The real Jesus comes around today through His Word, recorded in Holy Scripture, and the Sacraments, such as the Lord’s Supper, where his flesh is given us to eat and his blood is given us to drink. His coming to us is the only hope we’ve got. So consider Jesus’ question today: “Do you want to go away as well?”
When Jesus asked that same question of his closest students, this is how Simon Peter answered: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” And Jesus tells one more bit of truth here: He says, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” The devil he was talking about was Judas Iscariot.
Peter answered well. His words live on in a familiar part of our liturgy: “Alleluia, Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!” What a strong statement of faith that is, framed by the rhetorical question, “Where else would we go, Lord Jesus?” But take note: Jesus is quick to respond by saying, “Didn’t I choose you?” It was not the other way around. Jesus came around and claimed these men out of their old lives and gave them a completely new sense of what living is about. Jesus found and chose Peter, and only then could Peter make his good confession. If you and I can join Peter in that confession of Jesus as the Holy One of God, the one whose words give the gifts they speak of, it is because Jesus has chosen you to be His own. Jesus has laid claim to you through the adoption of Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts; faith that depends on Jesus’ death and resurrection for our standing with God. That gift of faith also receives Jesus’ words as words of eternal life. Jesus’ words aren’t just talking about something—they deliver something real to you and me. Jesus’ words are the vehicles that bring to us forgiveness of sins, healing, reconciliation, and the certainty of continued existence in His loving presence forever. The gift of faith regards Jesus’ words as describing a reality that the sin-sickened mind cannot grasp: a reality where the weak are made strong, the poor and low are lifted up to places of honor; where the slave is the real nobleman, and where death itself has passed away. Where Jesus, God’s Word-in-the-flesh is, there his kingdom is as well. It is a kingdom characterized by the old order of things being turned on its head, by undeserved kindness and renewal of our hearts and minds that flows from Jesus to us.
In fact, we take Jesus into ourselves in His kingdom. The bread that Jesus gave for the world, his own flesh, he serves to us to eat, that we may know forgiveness. We feed on the body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for you and me, confident in His promise that whoever does so is given eternal life and will be raised up by the Lord on the last day. We take Jesus at His Word on this, and because we do, we approach this feast with reverence and careful preparation, conscious of Jesus’ own words: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” In Holy Communion, the real Jesus comes into us, giving us the benefits of his sacrificial death, and binding us to His never-ending Life.
There will always be those who say, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Blessed with the gift of faith, we can say: “His Word makes it so. His are the words of eternal life.”
Now, just so we’re clear, when I say that Jesus’ sermon bombed, and that his teaching could be construed as a disaster, I’m being just a little sarcastic, and I’m trying to make the point that applying worldly standards of success to the life of the Spirit may not present a full or fair picture of what’s really going on. No Christian would seriously suggest that Jesus’ ministry was a failure; and yet, in an age when a preacher’s significance is judged largely by the size of his church, and a congregation’s vitality is gauged by how many members it has, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the very Son of God Himself did not have a 100% success rate in reaching people with his message. When you really stop to think about that, it’s a little astonishing. There were people who had the benefit of hearing Jesus speak in person who still were not persuaded that he was telling the truth. Why is that?
That’s a question with an answer that could be very complex. But it is also just this simple: sin got in the way. We confess it nearly every time we gather for worship, but do we believe it—that we are by nature sinful and unclean? If that is true, and Holy Scripture says it is, then that means we are naturally, sinfully opposed to God’s truth. We feel no need for it; we don’t pursue it; we make decisions based on what is right for me, and what makes sense to me, and what I stand to gain in a given situation. Jesus’ teaching calls people to stop being self-centered, and to think of life in a whole new way. A way that doesn’t necessarily make much sense. Human minds, shot through with sin, echo the weaker disciples who said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Who can accept it? Who can say “yes” to someone who calls himself “the Bread of Life” and who wants people to feed on his flesh and drink his blood? The sinner says, “Not me.”
The enemy is not Jesus and his teaching; the enemy is us. The fault lies not with Jesus’ preaching skill or vivid illustrations or his truth-telling; the fault is humankind’s, because in sin, we can’t handle the truth. We know if we stop walking with Him, we won’t have to hear it, and if we’re not hearing Him, then maybe we can convince ourselves that we never really needed him anyway. It is the scariest freedom we possess—the freedom to pull away from the real Jesus, to recast Him in an image that is more to our liking, and to ignore the words He has spoken. Then we end up saying things like, “Well, my God would never do…this or that thing,” as if God only does things that I think are right. Do you see how twisted around we can get? Can we begin to understand how someone could listen to Jesus and then walk away? Whenever the true Jesus comes around, He is a threat to the sinner, because there can only be one King. He is a threat to the status quo, because the status quo is about hanging onto things, and Jesus is about changing things—human hearts and minds, in particular. The real Jesus comes around today through His Word, recorded in Holy Scripture, and the Sacraments, such as the Lord’s Supper, where his flesh is given us to eat and his blood is given us to drink. His coming to us is the only hope we’ve got. So consider Jesus’ question today: “Do you want to go away as well?”
When Jesus asked that same question of his closest students, this is how Simon Peter answered: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” And Jesus tells one more bit of truth here: He says, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” The devil he was talking about was Judas Iscariot.
Peter answered well. His words live on in a familiar part of our liturgy: “Alleluia, Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!” What a strong statement of faith that is, framed by the rhetorical question, “Where else would we go, Lord Jesus?” But take note: Jesus is quick to respond by saying, “Didn’t I choose you?” It was not the other way around. Jesus came around and claimed these men out of their old lives and gave them a completely new sense of what living is about. Jesus found and chose Peter, and only then could Peter make his good confession. If you and I can join Peter in that confession of Jesus as the Holy One of God, the one whose words give the gifts they speak of, it is because Jesus has chosen you to be His own. Jesus has laid claim to you through the adoption of Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts; faith that depends on Jesus’ death and resurrection for our standing with God. That gift of faith also receives Jesus’ words as words of eternal life. Jesus’ words aren’t just talking about something—they deliver something real to you and me. Jesus’ words are the vehicles that bring to us forgiveness of sins, healing, reconciliation, and the certainty of continued existence in His loving presence forever. The gift of faith regards Jesus’ words as describing a reality that the sin-sickened mind cannot grasp: a reality where the weak are made strong, the poor and low are lifted up to places of honor; where the slave is the real nobleman, and where death itself has passed away. Where Jesus, God’s Word-in-the-flesh is, there his kingdom is as well. It is a kingdom characterized by the old order of things being turned on its head, by undeserved kindness and renewal of our hearts and minds that flows from Jesus to us.
In fact, we take Jesus into ourselves in His kingdom. The bread that Jesus gave for the world, his own flesh, he serves to us to eat, that we may know forgiveness. We feed on the body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for you and me, confident in His promise that whoever does so is given eternal life and will be raised up by the Lord on the last day. We take Jesus at His Word on this, and because we do, we approach this feast with reverence and careful preparation, conscious of Jesus’ own words: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” In Holy Communion, the real Jesus comes into us, giving us the benefits of his sacrificial death, and binding us to His never-ending Life.
There will always be those who say, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Blessed with the gift of faith, we can say: “His Word makes it so. His are the words of eternal life.”
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wondering About Worship
In our Sunday Bible Study, One Christ, Many Creeds, we ran across these questions:
- What can we say about the form of worship?
- Does form matter at all, or is anything permissible so long as we believe the Christian faith rightly?
I'm interested in your repsonse. Please post a comment--
Monday, August 10, 2009
Be Imitators of God
My latest sermon, "Imitating God," is available as an audio file. Listen by clicking this link: http://stpaulslcmsohio.org and going to the sermons page.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Jesus Went Up On the Mountain...to Pray
There is a lot going on in today’s Gospel Lesson (Mark 6: 45--56). You’ve got one of Jesus most well-known miracles—his walking on the water--and there’s a lot that could be said about that. You’ve got the God of creation showing that he still has power over the world he made. But that’s not what I want to focus on today. You’ve got Mark’s brief version of the stilling of the storm, as Jesus steps from the water’s surface into the boat and the wind stops. But that’s not what I want you to notice either, as amazing as it is. You’ve also got a familiar scene: once people realize Jesus is in their area, there’s a mad rush to bring sick people out to see him, in hopes that he will bring healing, and here in Mark we are told that even if people just touched the fringe of his garment, they were made well. Wherever Jesus went, he brought with Him new life. Wherever He went, he brought the Kingdom of God, or the reign of God, with Him. The old order of things was passing away. The demons couldn’t stick around because their conqueror had shown up. Jesus was obviously no ordinary man. He was nothing less than God-in-the-flesh, coming on the scene to reclaim His creation. What an awesome thought. But it’s not really our focus today, either.
No, the thing that I want us to ponder today is almost like an afterthought in today’s Gospel. It is easy to miss, especially when you’ve got miraculous healings and water-walking taking place. Before Jesus proceeds to do any of those things, Mark tells us that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. That’s what I want us to consider, and it’s a simple thing, really, on the surface of it. Jesus routinely made time to pray. He created the time to communicate with His Father. If he needed to, how much more do we need to? We know this, and yet…I think many Christians struggle with prayer. I would be lying if I said that I never had any troubles with prayer. My prayer life seems to go in spurts. Sometimes it is great, and then, there are times that I just…don’t. If you aren’t satisfied with yourself when it comes to prayer, today’s message is for you. May the example of Jesus inspire us to regular prayer and heartfelt communication with Him and our Heavenly Father, guided by the Holy Spirit.
It is worth noting that this passage from the sixth chapter of Mark’s gospel picks up right where last week’s left off. That’s important because last week’s gospel told the story of Jesus’ compassionate reaction to those who were seeking him out. Remember, He had intended a time of rest for Himself and his disciples, just after they had been teaching, casting out demons and healing the sick. But instead, people who desperately wanted the blessings of this new kingdom followed them to their retreat spot, resulting in the miracle known as the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus’ time of prayer is sandwiched between the active service of this miraculous meal and their sailing to the Gennesaret region. If Jesus was not going to get physical rest, he was at least going to get some spiritual rest in quiet prayer to His Father.
Isn’t it intriguing that Jesus, in his humanity, valued prayer so highly? More than a good habit, it was a deep need for him. He was willing to set other things aside for a while, so that he could pray. He literally missed the boat so that he wouldn’t miss out on prayer time.
The implications for you and me are probably obvious. So often we fall into the trap of being “too busy to pray.” We sinfully assume that there are better, more practical ways of using our time. Perhaps part of us doesn’t believe that prayer is going to make any difference, so we don’t do it. Or, we paralyze our prayers by thinking they’ve got to be done in just the right, precise way or they won’t work. Whatever the reason, Jesus’ example puts us to shame. That is, of course, because Jesus’ motives for prayer were pure—perfect, in fact. He simply needed to talk to Dad.
The idea of prayer as an element of a relationship with God can be very helpful once it is understood. For example, everyone knows what it means when one person stops talking to another in any relationship. It means something’s wrong. It is never a good sign. On the other hand, we all have people that we enjoy talking to, because we know they will listen and understand our viewpoint. It is never a good sign when we find ourselves giving God the cold shoulder through a lack of prayer. It is a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem—it is evidence that sin is getting the upper hand. Why else would we refuse to communicate with the God who loves and saves us? We have a standing invitation to get back on speaking terms with God. We have an advocate with the Father—His Son, our Lord Jesus. God’s Word promises that when we can’t think of the words to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us—the Spirit interprets our thoughts and feelings so they come out right before the throne of God. Furthermore, you can talk to a God who understands—a God who has walked the proverbial mile in your shoes—a God who knows what it means to suffer, to hurt, to be lonely, to be scared—a God who’s been there, right where you are now.
Don’t believe it? Let’s go to the garden of Gethsemane, the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. With the events of His passion mere minutes away from unfolding, guess where we find Jesus? That’s right—in prayer with his Father. Mark chapter 14 tells us that Jesus began to be greatly distressed and troubled. He deals with this distress by going to his Father in prayer. And what a prayer it is:
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
This is a wonderful model for prayer. It begins with an indication of relationship: “Abba Father” is the equivalent of saying, “Daddy” or “Papa.” There is intimacy here. There’s also an acknowledgment that Daddy just happens to have all things under his Divine control: “All things are possible for you.” When we pray, we begin from this same belief—that the God who created and preserves and still manages His world—invites us into the closest possible relationship with Him. He is all-powerful, and because He loves us and forgives our sins, we have access to him. In this way, prayer is an act of faith—if we didn’t love God and if we didn’t believe He has the power to change things, we would never pray in the first place.
Jesus continues, “Remove this cup from me.” He is not afraid to be candid with His Father. He can speak his mind to Dad, and is bold to ask for what is in His heart. We, too, can simply be honest with our Heavenly Father, and reveal ourselves to Him without fear. Nothing is too big. Nothing is too small. He can handle whatever is on our minds.
Finally, Jesus says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus was willing to accept “no” as an answer to his prayer. His prayer to his Father was not “My Will Be Done” but “Thy Will Be Done.” This is one of the secrets of prayer that is hiding in plain sight. Both here in Gethsemane and in the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us that prayer means seeking the Lord’s will. True Christian prayer doesn’t stop with making our requests. It goes an extra step, and says, from the standpoint of faith, “Not what I will, Lord, but what you will.”
In this sense, prayer leads us to surrender. Jesus teaches us that prayer involves letting go of what I want, and learning to become satisfied with what God wants for me. Maybe that’s why we have such a hard time with prayer. The last thing the sinful self wants is to be more concerned with what God wants than what the self wants.
But let’s not forget the reason Jesus prayed that prayer in Gethsemane. He knew the road ahead was leading to the cross, and before He even got there, the suffering would be intense. Prayer kept him in line with His Father’s will, and His Father’s will was that Jesus would suffer and go to that cross so that your sins could be wiped out. The Father’s will was that His one and only Son be punished for the sins of many—indeed, for our sins, so that all trace of sin could be removed from our record. Prayer helped Jesus see the joy set before Him in His Father’s will, so that He could endure the cross to pay off your sin in full. Thanks to Jesus, no sin counts against you; sin does not enslave you or hold you in hell; thanks to Jesus, you are free to live His new life and heaven is your destination. Jesus did all these things for you, and His prayers kept him on target and on mission.
You’ve probably heard stories of people being rescued from injury or death by total strangers—and oftentimes the person who was rescued has a deep desire to meet their rescuer again and talk to them and say “thank you.”
Wouldn’t you like to talk to the person responsible for your freedom? Don’t you have something to say to the One who saved your life for eternity? May the Holy Spirit help us to find our mountain—our regular place of prayer—that we might be refreshed in holy conversation with our loving Father; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
No, the thing that I want us to ponder today is almost like an afterthought in today’s Gospel. It is easy to miss, especially when you’ve got miraculous healings and water-walking taking place. Before Jesus proceeds to do any of those things, Mark tells us that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. That’s what I want us to consider, and it’s a simple thing, really, on the surface of it. Jesus routinely made time to pray. He created the time to communicate with His Father. If he needed to, how much more do we need to? We know this, and yet…I think many Christians struggle with prayer. I would be lying if I said that I never had any troubles with prayer. My prayer life seems to go in spurts. Sometimes it is great, and then, there are times that I just…don’t. If you aren’t satisfied with yourself when it comes to prayer, today’s message is for you. May the example of Jesus inspire us to regular prayer and heartfelt communication with Him and our Heavenly Father, guided by the Holy Spirit.
It is worth noting that this passage from the sixth chapter of Mark’s gospel picks up right where last week’s left off. That’s important because last week’s gospel told the story of Jesus’ compassionate reaction to those who were seeking him out. Remember, He had intended a time of rest for Himself and his disciples, just after they had been teaching, casting out demons and healing the sick. But instead, people who desperately wanted the blessings of this new kingdom followed them to their retreat spot, resulting in the miracle known as the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus’ time of prayer is sandwiched between the active service of this miraculous meal and their sailing to the Gennesaret region. If Jesus was not going to get physical rest, he was at least going to get some spiritual rest in quiet prayer to His Father.
Isn’t it intriguing that Jesus, in his humanity, valued prayer so highly? More than a good habit, it was a deep need for him. He was willing to set other things aside for a while, so that he could pray. He literally missed the boat so that he wouldn’t miss out on prayer time.
The implications for you and me are probably obvious. So often we fall into the trap of being “too busy to pray.” We sinfully assume that there are better, more practical ways of using our time. Perhaps part of us doesn’t believe that prayer is going to make any difference, so we don’t do it. Or, we paralyze our prayers by thinking they’ve got to be done in just the right, precise way or they won’t work. Whatever the reason, Jesus’ example puts us to shame. That is, of course, because Jesus’ motives for prayer were pure—perfect, in fact. He simply needed to talk to Dad.
The idea of prayer as an element of a relationship with God can be very helpful once it is understood. For example, everyone knows what it means when one person stops talking to another in any relationship. It means something’s wrong. It is never a good sign. On the other hand, we all have people that we enjoy talking to, because we know they will listen and understand our viewpoint. It is never a good sign when we find ourselves giving God the cold shoulder through a lack of prayer. It is a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem—it is evidence that sin is getting the upper hand. Why else would we refuse to communicate with the God who loves and saves us? We have a standing invitation to get back on speaking terms with God. We have an advocate with the Father—His Son, our Lord Jesus. God’s Word promises that when we can’t think of the words to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us—the Spirit interprets our thoughts and feelings so they come out right before the throne of God. Furthermore, you can talk to a God who understands—a God who has walked the proverbial mile in your shoes—a God who knows what it means to suffer, to hurt, to be lonely, to be scared—a God who’s been there, right where you are now.
Don’t believe it? Let’s go to the garden of Gethsemane, the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. With the events of His passion mere minutes away from unfolding, guess where we find Jesus? That’s right—in prayer with his Father. Mark chapter 14 tells us that Jesus began to be greatly distressed and troubled. He deals with this distress by going to his Father in prayer. And what a prayer it is:
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
This is a wonderful model for prayer. It begins with an indication of relationship: “Abba Father” is the equivalent of saying, “Daddy” or “Papa.” There is intimacy here. There’s also an acknowledgment that Daddy just happens to have all things under his Divine control: “All things are possible for you.” When we pray, we begin from this same belief—that the God who created and preserves and still manages His world—invites us into the closest possible relationship with Him. He is all-powerful, and because He loves us and forgives our sins, we have access to him. In this way, prayer is an act of faith—if we didn’t love God and if we didn’t believe He has the power to change things, we would never pray in the first place.
Jesus continues, “Remove this cup from me.” He is not afraid to be candid with His Father. He can speak his mind to Dad, and is bold to ask for what is in His heart. We, too, can simply be honest with our Heavenly Father, and reveal ourselves to Him without fear. Nothing is too big. Nothing is too small. He can handle whatever is on our minds.
Finally, Jesus says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus was willing to accept “no” as an answer to his prayer. His prayer to his Father was not “My Will Be Done” but “Thy Will Be Done.” This is one of the secrets of prayer that is hiding in plain sight. Both here in Gethsemane and in the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us that prayer means seeking the Lord’s will. True Christian prayer doesn’t stop with making our requests. It goes an extra step, and says, from the standpoint of faith, “Not what I will, Lord, but what you will.”
In this sense, prayer leads us to surrender. Jesus teaches us that prayer involves letting go of what I want, and learning to become satisfied with what God wants for me. Maybe that’s why we have such a hard time with prayer. The last thing the sinful self wants is to be more concerned with what God wants than what the self wants.
But let’s not forget the reason Jesus prayed that prayer in Gethsemane. He knew the road ahead was leading to the cross, and before He even got there, the suffering would be intense. Prayer kept him in line with His Father’s will, and His Father’s will was that Jesus would suffer and go to that cross so that your sins could be wiped out. The Father’s will was that His one and only Son be punished for the sins of many—indeed, for our sins, so that all trace of sin could be removed from our record. Prayer helped Jesus see the joy set before Him in His Father’s will, so that He could endure the cross to pay off your sin in full. Thanks to Jesus, no sin counts against you; sin does not enslave you or hold you in hell; thanks to Jesus, you are free to live His new life and heaven is your destination. Jesus did all these things for you, and His prayers kept him on target and on mission.
You’ve probably heard stories of people being rescued from injury or death by total strangers—and oftentimes the person who was rescued has a deep desire to meet their rescuer again and talk to them and say “thank you.”
Wouldn’t you like to talk to the person responsible for your freedom? Don’t you have something to say to the One who saved your life for eternity? May the Holy Spirit help us to find our mountain—our regular place of prayer—that we might be refreshed in holy conversation with our loving Father; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Gadget's Garage Vacation Bible School--What A Blessing!
What do you do with 131 children? You thank God for them! And try to find a place for them all to hear the Word of God, do crafts, sing, and play (on a rainy day, no less).GADGET stands for God's Always Doing Great Exciting Things through Jesus, and He really is doing them here at St. Paul's. Please continue to pray that the Word of God would be heard and believed by the children and young people gathered here.
Thanks to ALL our exceptional volunteers for actively sharing the love of Christ so well!
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