Just Another Day

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 29th of December, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, we’re still in the Christmas season, and Epiphany is coming up soon, but we also stand on the doorstep of a new year.  In just three days we’ll boldly stride out into 2025.  Considering the state of the world these days, we may not be so bold, preferring instead the simpler times of yesteryear.

But we can’t go backwards in time, only forward.   So let’s go forward with the idea of making the world a little better, even if only in our little corner of the world.  Instead of making resolutions and promises that we probably can’t keep, let’s consider that the New Year is another new opportunity from God to get things right and do good as we go about the year.  We’ve been given another chance, so let’s make the most of it.

The Apostle Paul often speaks of new things in his letters to the early church – of the new life we have been given, of the new creation we become when we fully believe in and accept Jesus.  And he encourages us to take full advantage of this newness we enjoy.  At the same time, he discourages us from reverting back to our old ways, back to our old selves, back to our sinful lifestyle.

Please listen and follow along as I read the first 17 verses of the 3rd chapter of the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, and I’ll be reading from the Easy-to-Read Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. 3 Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Yes, Christ is now your life, and when He comes again, you will share in His glory.

5 So put everything evil out of your life: sexual sin, doing anything immoral, letting sinful thoughts control you, and wanting things that are wrong. And don’t keep wanting more and more for yourself, which is the same as worshiping a false god. 6 God will show His anger against those who don’t obey Him, because they do these evil things. 7 You also did these things in the past, when you lived like them.

8 But now put these things out of your life: anger, losing your temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and saying shameful things. 9 Don’t lie to each other. You have taken off those old clothes — the person you once were and the bad things you did then. 10 Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the One who made you. You are becoming more and more like Him. 11 In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are a Scythian. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and He is in all of you.

12 God has chosen you and made you His holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful.

16 Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

--Colossians 3:1-17 (ERV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, You raised Your Son from death back to life, to become the firstborn among many.  By this act You showed that we too will be raised to new life once this life is over for us.  And You have already raised us to new life, in this life, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Master.  You made us new again, giving us another chance to get things right while we still walk this earth.  Thank You, Father, for always giving us another chance, for we do tend to mess up often.  Help us to look at the coming New Year as another new opportunity to serve You.  Help us not get distracted and anxious by all the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Please forgive us when it does happen, Father, for we are all too easily distracted and our spirits often grow weak.  Help us see all the opportunities You present for us to spread the Good News of salvation through Your Son Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through the coming days.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Let me share a few interesting facts about New Year's.  The very first known New Year's celebration dates back 4000 years to when Julius Caesar, as emperor of Rome, declared January 1st as a national holiday.  Around 45% of Americans make New Year's resolutions, with losing weight, getting more organized, spending less and saving more money,  getting more fit and healthy, and quitting smoking being at the top of the list.  Sadly, half of them give up on their resolutions by the second week of January.  And of course, there's the New Year's Day meal.  Tradition has it that the more leafy greens a person eats, the more prosperity they will experience.  Beans and peas are also supposed to bring prosperity because they somewhat resemble coins.  Sounds like a pretty good incentive for eating a more healthy meal.  And lastly, the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop came about because of a ban on fireworks.  The first ball, in 1907, weighed 700 pounds and was lit by 100 25-watt light bulbs.  Thanks to advances in technology, and the human desire to always do bigger and better, the current ball is covered in 2688 crystals, is lit by 32,256 LEDs, is 12 feet in diameter, and weighs 11,875 pounds!  How'd you like to use that for a backyard decoration?!?

Like so many of our holidays, New Year’s Day has become a day for entertaining ourselves.  First there’s New Year’s Eve, with all the parties and music and TV shows counting down to midnight.  Then there’s the ball drop and fireworks all over the world – I’ll be enjoying some of those down at the beach.  And come New Year’s Day we get parades and football games, on TV and even in our own backyards.

But we sometimes overlook the aspect of the new beginning the new year brings.  Yes, in a way, it is just another day.  The calendar simply clicks from December 31st to January 1st, even if we do hang a new one on the wall.  And then we have all those resolutions I mentioned.  They’re made with the hope and desire of making ourselves a little batter in one way or another.  But they’re too often broken and forgotten.  Oops…  I didn’t do my exercises today.  Oh well, it’s just another day.  There’s always tomorrow.

In our scripture reading, Paul says we were raised from death with Christ.  Now I mentioned that when we accept Jesus as our Lord, we are made new - in effect, raised from the death of our sin to new life.  But there is another meaning behind Paul’s words, and it also bears on our accepting Jesus.

Our baptism is an external sign of our internal faith.  It is our way to show that we believe in Jesus as the Christ and accept Him as our Lord.  And it is also a symbolic act that reflects the death and resurrection of Jesus.  When we are dunked beneath the water – or have it sprinkled on our head as the case may be – we symbolically die with Jesus, die to our sin.  And then when we are raised from the water, it symbolizes being raised to new life with Jesus, just as He was resurrected to new life.  Listen to how Paul explains this in the 6th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, verses 3 through 5…

3 Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized? In our baptism we shared in His death. 4 So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in His death. And just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father, so we can now live a new life.

5 Christ died, and we have been joined with Him by dying too. So we will also be joined with Him by rising from death as He did.

--Romans 6:3-5 (ERV)

There’s that promise: we will be joined with Jesus by rising from death as He did.  We’ve already been raised from our death in sin to life anew in Jesus.  And someday we will be raised from mortal death to life eternal.

So now maybe we have a little better understanding of what Paul means when he says we have been raised from death with Christ.  And hopefully it will impress us more with the importance of his instructions.

Our old self has died with Jesus.  We’re new creations now, so we must act like it and not go back to how we were.  Part of that is that we should quit worrying so much about what we have or don’t have here on earth, in this mortal life.  Instead, we should focus on what is important to God.  We need to put evil ways, and evil thoughts, out of our minds and our lives.  We must exercise more self-control of our lust and desires, our anger and hatred, our wants and our greed, our telling falsehoods and gossiping, and our chasing after anything other than God.

It’s like taking off our old, ratty, torn and filthy dirty clothes and putting on an entirely new outfit.  And to do that, for at least a moment we will be completely nude, just as we stand stark naked before God who sees everything we are.

We have been chosen by God and given faith to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the one true Son of God.  We are His holy people, representatives of Jesus, and we need to act and live accordingly.  Just as God loves us, we need to show our love to others.  Just as God is merciful to us, we must extend mercy to others.  Just as God forgives us, let us forgive others.

Focusing on the things of heaven, let us strive everyday to be more like Jesus.  Let His words and His teachings live inside us, as we live for Him.  Let everything we say and do be done for Jesus, giving thanks to God our Father through Jesus our Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior, who came to us once and is coming again.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us so many second chances.  Each new year, and really, each new day, You give us another opportunity to get things right and make ourselves better, ever closer to a likeness of our Lord Jesus.  Thank You for loving us enough to give us so many new chances at serving You.  And thank You for the promise of raising us from the dead when this life is over, just as You raised Your Son Jesus.  Father, sometimes we let the things of this world steal our focus from the things of heaven and what pleases You.  Too often the busyness and turmoil of life swirling around us distracts us from remembering all You do for us.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Please help us remember that each new chance is a gift, an opportunity to do the right thing, to do good.  Let us this year not treat New Year’s Day as just another day, but as another chance to serve You by sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they might be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what comes our way.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave of Yourself to us, even giving up Your mortal life for us.  Even Your death was for our benefit, for You did not stay dead but were raised from the dead by our heavenly Father.  And this became our promise, too, that we would be raised from the dead to new life with You, symbolized by our baptism.  Thank You, Jesus, for washing us clean of our sin.  Thank You for showing us how to love, how to give.   Please help us be more like You in our daily walk, Lord.  Help us love all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.  Make sharing love and joy be the highest priority in our lives.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Leap for Joy!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 22nd of December, 2024, the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Today's service also included the ordination of a Deacon and the installation of officers for the coming term.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today as we enter the fourth and final week of Advent, may our hearts be filled with joy in anticipation of the coming of our Savior, born to us as a little baby.  In the first week, we embraced the hope that God gave the world when He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us of our sin by the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb.  In the second week, we took comfort in the unconditional, undeserved love of God and the sacrificial love of Jesus, all for us – we who are all too often so unlovable.  And last week we looked into just what the angel meant when he proclaimed, “And of earth peace, goodwill toward men”.  Today we take joy in knowing the birth of our Christ, our Savior, will happen soon.

You may have noticed by now that I read from the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account a lot during the Christmas season, and maybe you wondered why.  Well, part of the reason is because Luke gives more emphasis to the human side of Jesus, the fully man side of His duality.  Jesus, while God, was born to us as a man, as a small, vulnerable baby, just like us.  He came to us as a man, the Son of Man, at Christmas.  And Luke just tells the Christmas story so beautifully.  Part of that story is how it all began.

In our scripture reading this morning, Luke relates the beginning to us, telling us about that little baby’s mother and Father.  Please listen and follow along as I read verses 26 through 45 of the 1st chapter of the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

--Luke 1:26-45 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, You sent Your Christ Jesus into the world to offer salvation to all of mankind if we would only truly believe in Him, and in believing, to follow Him.  And You sent Him not as some mighty king or super star celebrity, whose coming would be announced far and wide and with great fanfare.  You sent Him in the most humble manor, as a tiny, vulnerable baby, whose birth was proclaimed only to a lowly group of shepherds watching their flock nearby.  Thank You, Father, for loving the world so much that You would send Your only begotten Son to redeem us of our sin and offer us salvation.  May the joy that Mary and Elizabeth felt fill our hearts as we await Your Son’s birth in just a few days.  Sadly though, Father, too often the hustle and bustle and commercialism of the season overfill us with stress and anxiety.  For so many, our emotional hurts rob us of our joy.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us remember the true reason for the season.  Help us 

spread the news of our Savior’s birth and the joy it brings.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through these trying time.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

George Bernard Shaw once observed that,  “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

We see it all the time, especially in social media: people complaining about all they don't have, rather than being grateful for what they do have.  I think these fit the description of “feverish selfish little” clods, “complaining that the world will not devote itself to making” them happy.

There have been many studies on happiness that concluded with the results that, overall, true Christians are the happiest, most content people of our society.  And I think that is primarily because of two things.  First is our hope in Jesus, our anticipation of His return, His promise of a much better eternal future.  And then there’s the part Mr. Shaw spoke of: our propensity toward giving, giving of ourselves in service to God.  Let’s partake of that true joy in this life that comes from being all used up for this greatest of purposes.

When the angel Gabriel first appeared to Mary, he greeted her with the word, “Rejoice”.  Rejoice, be joyful, be filled with joy and let it sing out from you.  As Gabriel continued and told her what is to come, doubts crept in and she began to fear what all of this truly meant.  But she accepted what the Lord had planned for her.

Now we know there was a bit of confusion and consternation over her becoming pregnant while betrothed, and not by her intended husband Joseph.  So she went to visit her elderly relatives, Zacarias and Elizabeth.  As it turned out, Elizabeth – while well past normal child-bearing years – was also pregnant, and also according to God’s plan.  When Mary came into the house, the baby within Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice, and the babe she herself carried.  Elizabeth’s little one would grow to be John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus.

As an adult, Jesus also spoke of joy.  One time in particular I’d like to mention came during what we often call Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, not to be confused with the Apostle Matthew’s recording of the Sermon on the Mount.

There are many similarities between the two accounts, but Matthew recalls Jesus speaking to more spiritual matters while in Luke’s reporting, Jesus addresses more practical concerns.  And both begin with Jesus blessing certain groups.  Please listen to the Apostle Luke’s version of Jesus’ Beatitudes as I read verses 20 through 23 of chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel account…

20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you poor,

For yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

22 Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”

--Luke 6:20-23 (NKJV)

We are to leap for joy when we’re hated and reviled and persecuted because of our belief in Jesus.  We should be joyful, because our belief will lead to a great reward in heaven.

Now that is hard to do.  It’s hard to be joyful when someone is actively hating us, talking bad about us, wishing us harm.  But the reason we should be joyful is because of why they are hating us and all that bad stuff.  They hate us because we believe in Jesus and the promise He made us!  And that promise is everlasting life in heaven, where our reward awaits us.

So yes, be joyful!  Be joyful when nothing seems to be going your way.  Be joyful when you hurt so much you just want to crawl in bed, pull the covers over your head, and wish that the world would go away.  Be joyful, for great is our reward in heaven.

Today we lit the candle of joy.  May our love for Jesus spark the flame of joy within our hearts, and may that flame spread as wildfire among everyone we touch.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, whose birth brings joy to the world.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for sending Your own Son to earth as one of us.  Fully God, yet fully human, He came to set us free from our bonds to sin.  He came that we might know Him and believe, for some have trouble believing what they can’t see.  Thank You for loving us this much, even when we were so disobedient and unlovable.  Thank You for offering us salvation through Your Christ, Your Son, Jesus.  Father, we admit that too often our faith weakens.  Too often the troubles of this world rob us of our joy, replacing it with grief and anger.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Please rekindle the flames of joy in our hearts that we first felt when we gave ourselves to Jesus.  And then help us to share that joy by giving of our love freely, unconditionally, sacrificially, just as Jesus gave of Himself for us.  And please help us share our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what comes our way.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You didn’t necessarily come to bring joy to the world, but we believers are definitely filled with joy when we think of Your coming, of Your birth as a little baby, and of Your return when You will set things right.  You love us, and gave Yourself for us.  And because of Your love, we are not condemned, but are redeemed.  Thank You, Jesus, for washing us clean of our sin.  Thank You for showing us what love looks like.   Please help us, dear Lord - help us be more like You.  Help us love all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.  Make sharing love and joy be the highest priority in our lives.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

And On Earth Peace

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 15th of December, 2024, the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today we celebrate the third week of Advent.  In the first week, we embraced the hope that God gave the world when He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us of our sin by the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb.  Last week, we took comfort in the unconditional, undeserved love of God and the sacrificial love of Jesus, all for us, who are too often so unlovable.  Today we will consider just what the angel meant when he proclaimed, “And of earth peace, goodwill toward men”.

Our scripture reading this morning is a very familiar passage, one we read or hear pretty much every year at this time.  This comes from the Apostle Luke’s first letter to a man named Theophilus, what we now refer to as the Gospel according to Luke, or simply, the Book of Luke.

Now we don’t know much about Theophilus, other than his name means something to the effect of “loved by God” or “friend of God”.  How Luke referred to him in the opening of this first letter, as “most excellent Theophilus”, implies that he may have been of high rank, either in society or in politics, or likely both.  And we know Luke must have thought very highly of him to write two letters to him – the first telling about the life of Jesus and what He did during His ministry, and the second, what we know as the Book of Acts, telling about what the disciples did after Jesus returned to heaven.

Of course, the life of Jesus includes His birth, and that is where we begin today.  So please listen and follow along as the Apostle Luke relates to Theophilus the announcement of the birth of our Savior, in verses 8 through 18 of the 2nd chapter of Luke’s Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

--Luke 2:8-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, You sent Your Christ Jesus into the world to offer salvation to all of mankind if we would only truly believe in Him, and in believing, to follow Him.  And You sent Him not as some mighty king or super star celebrity, whose coming would be announced far and wide and with great fanfare.  You sent Him in the most humble manor, as a tiny, vulnerable baby, whose birth was proclaimed only to a lowly group of shepherds watching their flock nearby.  Thank You, Father, for loving the world so much that You would send Your only begotten Son to redeem us of our sin and offer us salvation.  We believe in Jesus as Your Christ and we do try to follow Him and do as He commands.  But sometimes, Father, the constant stress of life bears down on us and we fail to serve You as we should.  We too often take Your love and mercy for granted, forgetting just how much Jesus gave up for us.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us stand stronger when we face adversity.  

You’ve shown us Your love, now please give us peace as the storm rages around us.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through these trying time.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A lady by the name of Leslie Gould is quoted as saying,  “Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms His child.”  Another wise, but sadly unknown, person once noted that, “The peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.”

That first quote by Ms. Gould brings to mind the time that the Apostle Mark told of when Jesus and His disciples were going across the Sea of Galilee when a fierce storm suddenly arose.  The wind and the waves threatened to overwhelm the small craft.  The disciples were greatly concerned, but Jesus was sound asleep in the rear of the boat.  When they awoke Him out of fear, He rose to His feet and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”, and the wind ceased and the sea calmed.

So, yes, sometimes God does calm the storm.  More often though, He allows the storm to rage around us while calming the storm within us by always being there for us, with us, no matter what we are going through.

This is the peace Jesus offers.  Not like the peace that the world holds forth, fragile and easily broken.  The peace Jesus gives now is the inner peace of His constant presence.  The peace He promises for tomorrow will be eternal. 

But there’s a catch.  Jesus didn’t promise we’d have peace in this life, other than the inner peace that comes with out faith.  According to Him, that’s not why He came.  Listen to what Jesus told His disciples, as recorded by Luke in the 12th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 49 through 53…

49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

--Luke 12:49-53 (NKJV)

Jesus admits part of His purpose is to shake up the existing situation, to bring about change.  He certainly succeeded in that task!  And He indeed caused division, in His day and still all around the world today.  Christians have never experienced much peace from the world.  Believers have been the subjects of persecution from the very beginning of the faith.

And it all goes back to Jesus taking established religion and turning it on its head.  He came to bring fire, not peace.  And yet He blesses those who are peacemakers.  This to me clearly shows that bringing fire is His job, while bringing peace, making peace in this world, is our job.

Peace and goodwill toward men in this life is fragile, ethereal, so very easily broken and utterly destroyed.  We so quickly turn against each other, and often for the silliest, least significant reasons imaginable.  It’s almost like we can’t help ourselves, like there is some outside force at work making us fuss and fight with each other.

Well, there just might be.  We know that Satan is at work tearing us apart and picking away at our faith.  And we know he has big plans in the works when his Antichrist will really have at us.  But is something else in play now, something else we’ve been told about?

In the 6th chapter of his Book of Revelation, verses 3 and 4, the Apostle John reported seeing four horsemen, one of which will bring havoc…

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

--Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV)

Could it be that the red horse rider is out there now?  Peace certainly seems to have been taken from the earth.  Everywhere we look people are squabbling with each other, fussing and fighting over anything and everything.  Angry, violent confrontation seems to be the only form of discourse people know anymore.  You can’t turn on the TV or read the news without learning of more killings somewhere.  Where is our peace?  Where is our Prince of Peace?!?

He is sitting at the right hand of God, who has sent His own Holy Spirit to live within us, as Jesus requested.  In this way He is with us always.  If we will just give ourselves over to the Spirit, He will console us, comfort us, calm the storms raging within us, and give us peace with the world – an inner peace that the world cannot tear apart.

We light the candle of peace as a prayer for peace.  We pray for peace throughout our nation, even while knowing that may simply be a pipe dream, but also while knowing that God can make anything happen if He wishes it.

But more importantly, we pray for peace within, for that sense of peace that comes from knowing that Jesus is always with us no matter what is going on around us.  We pray for peace within our hearts as we celebrate the coming of that little baby Jesus who will change the world, and as we wait for Him to come again to set all things right.  Come, Lord Jesus; come.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, whose peace has no end.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for sending Your own Son to earth as a ransom for our lost souls.  You did not send Jesus to condemn us, but that through Him we might be saved.  He came to shake things up, to awaken us from our stupor, to show us the truth of Your word.  Thank You for loving us this much, even when we were so disobedient and unlovable.  Thank You for offering us salvation through Your Christ, Your Son, Jesus.  Father, we admit that too often our faith weakens.  Too many times we allow the storms of the world raging around us to sink in and settle in our hearts, causing us grief and even anger.  After a while we can’t even hear the voice of Your Spirit whispering calming words of peace.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Please help us feel Your presence in and around us at all times.  Help us to show our inner peace to others by giving of ourselves, giving of our love freely, unconditionally, sacrificially, just as Jesus gave of Himself for us.  And please help us share our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what comes our way.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to bring fire and division to a world floundering in sin.  You caused unrest while blessing those who sought to make peace.  By this, You showed that our job is not to cause hardship and strife, but to make peace with one another, to love one another.  And because of Your love for us, we are not condemned, but are redeemed.  Thank You, Jesus, for washing us clean of our sin.  Thank You for showing us what love looks like.   Please help us, dear Lord - help us be more like You.  Help us love all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.

And Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Who Loves You?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 8th of December, 2024, the 2nd Sunday of Advent.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today we step into the second week of Advent.  Last week we embraced the hope that God gave the world when He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us of our sin by the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb.

This, my brothers and sisters, is the ultimate act of love – the love of God for the world and all mankind, that we might be reconciled with Him and live in His home in paradise forever, and the love of Jesus for us, that He would suffer a horrible beating for us, allow His mortal life to be ended, His blood to be shed, just for our salvation.  Today we celebrate this love, this wonderful, sacrificial, undeserved love.

The scripture passage I was led to for this morning is part of what I usually read in funeral services because it clearly illustrates the love of God, especially toward His adopted children - we believers.  This comes from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, written during his third missionary journey as a sort of introduction to the church that he hoped to visit and minister to.

It is highly unlikely that Paul himself founded this church, based on the nature of his letter, and since the church was already widely known at the time of his writing to them.  And we can’t really say that Paul’s experiences in Rome were all that pleasant, as he was imprisoned there twice and finally executed there.  But in this somewhat formal letter, Paul gives us his doctrine of justification by faith and its ramifications, with the main theme being the righteousness of God.

What I want to look at today is our relationship to God, or, perhaps more aptly, His relationship to us.  Please listen and follow along to the message the Apostle Paul sent to the church in Rome, and to us, in verses 28 through 39 of the 8th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. 29 For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one — for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For Your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Romans 8:28-39 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, You sent Your Christ Jesus into the world to offer salvation to all of mankind if we would only truly believe in Him, and in believing, to follow Him.  Thank You, Father, for loving the world so much that You would send Your only begotten Son to rescue us from the darkness of our sin.  We believe in Jesus as Your Christ and we do try to follow Him and do as He commands.  But sometimes, Father, the pressures of life overwhelm us and we just slip back into our old ways.  We forget what our life was like before Your freed us from slavery to sin.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us stand stronger in the face of adversity.  You’ve shown us Your love, now please help us show our love by being better servants.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe in the hectic days ahead.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

I've used this little anecdote before, but I love the truth it tells.  “A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on ‘The Love of God’.  As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered.  In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix.  First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns.  Next, the two wounded hands.  And then the marks of the spear wound.  In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel.  There was nothing more to say.”

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  And that is exactly what He did for us.  But He did so much more, He suffered so much more, and just for us!

For three years He bore the brunt of persecution and accusations from the Jewish religious leaders who constantly questioned His every move and motive.  Finally, they drummed up some fake charges and had Him arrested and turned over to the Roman authorities for trial.  He was severely beaten, insulted, spit on, publicly humiliated at their hands.  And then His own people, who had just a week earlier cheered His entry into Jerusalem, cried out for His death.  He was nailed to a rough cross, there to suffer one of the most horrible forms of execution mankind has devised.

All for us.  He went through all this, He suffered all this, not for His own sake, but just for us.  Just for you and for me.  Just for our redemption.  Greater love indeed.

Who loves you?

When I came up with that as a title for this message, I remembered the old TV show “Kojak” and its title character played by Telly Savalas whose catch phrase was, “Who loves ya, baby?”.  And that brought back memories of a 1970’s hit by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, also titled “Who Loves You”.  That one may be a little more appropriate.  The lyrics include, “Who loves you, pretty baby?  Who's gonna help you through the night?  Who's always there to make it right?  When tears are in your eyes and you can't find the way, it's hard to make believe you're happy when you're gray, when you're feelin' like you'll never see the mornin' light…  Come to me.”

Doesn’t that sound like something God would say?  Even when we don’t think we can make it through the night, God is always there to make things right.  All we have to do is come to Him.

Our responsive reading this morning comes from the 4th chapter of the Apostle John’s letter to the early church and speaks of God’s love for us, and also how we should respond to that love by loving others.  This is what Jesus commanded us, that we love one another.  That is not usually very easy to do.  We humans struggle with this, even among family members.  Sadly, not all mothers and fathers love their children like we would think they should.

But we have a Father in heaven who loves all His children.  In that 1st letter John wrote to the early church, the Apostle reassures us of this love in the first three verses of chapter 3, when he writes…

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

--1 John 3:1-3 (NLT)

But the greatest testimony to God’s love comes from Jesus Himself, the One who clearly showed us God’s love through His own life, suffering, death, and resurrection.  Hear those well-known words Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in private one night, as recorded by John in the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 16 and 17…

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”

--John 3:16-17 (NLT)

God loves the world, the whole world, and He wants everyone to be saved.

I used to do a lot of woodworking, and now do a goodly bit of 3D printing, and I’ve truly loved some of the things I’ve crafted over the years.  And I know some of you have talents and hobbies and together we can make all kinds of things.  But not everything we make comes out right, does it.  Sometimes the saw slips or we measure wrong and the intended jewelry box becomes kindling.  Or the printer filament binds up and messes up the print.  Or we burn the cookies or forget to grease the cake pan.  Some of our creations just don’t come out right and we can’t really bring ourselves to love them.

But God loves all of His creation.  He loves all of us, and He wants all of us to be with Him forever, even though He knows that won’t happen.  There are some people – too many people – who refuse to believe in Jesus, who won’t accept Him as Lord, who turn their head when offered the hand of salvation, even as they sink below the waves of sin.  God still loves them, because He is a good Father.

Who loves us?  God loves us, because God is good.  His love, poured out through Christ Jesus, redeems us of our sin and sets us free.

Let us love our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  And let us love all others as much as we love ourselves, as much as Jesus loves us.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came to us, to redeem us, because God loves us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for having mercy upon us when we are unmerciful.  Thank You for loving us when we are unlovable.  Thank You for the redeeming love You sent in the person of Your Christ, Your Son, Jesus.  Father, we admit that too often we fail to love as we should.  Too many times we allow our biases, our hatreds, our intolerances to get in the way of our love, blocking it from those who may need it the most.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Please show us how to give of ourselves, to give of our love freely, unconditionally, sacrificially, just as Jesus gave of Himself for us.  And please help us share our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what comes our way.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to us as an expression, a sign, of our Father God’s love.  You showed Your love of the Father by doing everything He asked of You.  And because of Your love for us, we are redeemed.  Thank You, Jesus, for washing us clean of our sin.  Thank You for showing us what love looks like.   Please help us, dear Lord - help us be more like You.  Help us love all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.

And Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Prepare the Way

 

[The following is a manuscript of my brief meditation delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 1st of December, 2024 - the first Sunday in Advent.  Today we celebrate Advent with the Hanging of the Greens.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today we celebrate the start of what we consider our Christmas season.  And we’re doing so with this special worship service, for this is a very special day.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke saved for us in verses 1 through 6 of the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account of the life of Jesus - of a slightly later point in time - and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

--Luke 3:1-6 (NKJV)

Today is the first Sunday in Advent.  This is a crucial time for us as we await the coming of our Savior.  This marks the beginning of our watch that will end on Christmas Eve, with the birth of a precious little baby.  Our Lord Jesus entered this world as one of us, lived among us, and died as we all someday will die.  But He didn’t stay dead, for God raised Him from the dead, to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  We who believe will also be raised from the dead to join them in paradise.  So our Lord’s coming is indeed crucial for us.

Another little baby was born just a few months before Jesus, born miraculously to an elderly couple, both well beyond normal child bearing days, born as a gift from God.  This was John, known as the Baptizer, who was given the mission from God to prepare mankind for the coming of the Messiah, our Christ.  Of course, John was not chosen to announce the birth of Jesus, since he was just a baby himself at the time.  His assignment was to prepare men for the Messiah to be known, for the start of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

This is what Advent is all about, this is why we observe it: to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord.  We have the advantage over the people of Luke’s day for we know when Jesus was born, and we know why He was born.  We will celebrate His birth in just a few weeks.  But we still need to get ourselves ready for His coming.

John preached a message of repentance.  He aimed at men’s hearts with his words, as much as their minds, for our hearts can overrule our minds.  And family, it is our hearts that we must prepare.  It is our hearts we need to look into so that we can purge ourselves of our sins, turn from them, and give ourselves fully to our Lord Jesus.

During this Advent season, let us prepare the way of the Lord.  Let us repent of our sin and stay on the straight and narrow path so that we will see and enjoy the salvation of God.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the coming Messiah.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from ourselves.  Guide us through this time of Advent that we may free ourselves of our grasp on the world and focus more on our coming Savior.  Please forgive us, Father, for not bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel.  Help us reach out to others sharing the truth, serving You by serving others, loving You by loving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, more forgiving and merciful in our daily walk, so that we might be more righteous in Your sight.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Giving Thanks to Our King

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 24th of November, 2024, the Sunday before Thanksgiving and Christ the King Sunday.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today is the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and this is also “Christ the King” Sunday on our Christian calendar.  In his 1st letter to Timothy, Paul refers to Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  This accolade is also given to Jesus twice in the Book of Revelation.

So today we celebrate our King over all kings, our Lord over all lords: Christ Jesus.  And we thank Him for all He has done for us.

Speaking of thanking our King, if you were to do a quick search through the New American Standard Bible, you will find that the two words “give thanks” appear 77 times.  While the Psalms contain 42 of those instances, another 13 are in the letters of the Apostle Paul.  One of these should be quite familiar.  In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul encourages us to give thanks in all things, in good times and bad, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us.

Please listen and follow along to what Paul wrote in his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy, from the first 8 verses of the 2nd chapter, and I’ll be reading this from the New American Standard Bible – some other scripture I’ll be quoting comes from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dispute. 

--1 Timothy 2:1-8 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for watching over this church family all these years.  You have blessed us so richly, and continue to bless us in so many ways.  Thank You, Father, for Your undeserved love and mercy.  We try to do that which is pleasing in Your sight.  But the busyness of the world just crashes down on us too often.  Our spirits become wearied by all the evilness around us filling our views, all the people trying to fool us into believing what just isn’t true.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us draw closer to You and Jesus.  Help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Listen to the words of William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony, when he proclaimed a day of giving thanks:  

“To All Ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

That applies to us in a couple of ways.  We are Pilgrims, by name – Pilgrim Reformed Church, the Pilgrim Church family – and also because we are merely pilgrims, on a long journey to heaven, our true home.  We have remained as a vibrant family for nearly 270 years now, and I believe we can attribute that to God’s hand.

And we continue to raise significant funds to keep this church going and to reach out into the greater community offering a helping hand, which we can consider an abundant harvest.  Family, I think it safe to say that God is good, all the time.  And all the time, God is good.

While giving thanks to the Almighty has been practiced by various peoples all over the world for many centuries, Thanksgiving Day as we celebrate it is a purely American tradition.  It was established as a national holiday by numerous presidential proclamations and a joint resolution of Congress.

But did you know that Thanksgiving has its roots in English practices dating from the Protestant Reformation.  So we, the Reformed Church, as a direct offset of the Reformation movement, can stake a claim to Thanksgiving.

Now we all know that, as Paul says, we should give thanks at all times, every day, not just one day a year.  He also tells us that giving thanks and praying for all people is good and acceptable in the sight of God, and that makes it our good and acceptable service.

God wants all people to be saved - all people.  He wants them to know the truth, the real truth, not what the world passes off as truth, not the lies and empty promises Satan makes.  This is why God sent His Son Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.  This was God’s testimony, at the proper time.  When we were lost in our sin, God sent Jesus to shed the light of truth onto this world.

This coming Thursday, or sometime this week, most of us, and folks all over the country, will sit down with family and friends around a table piled high with a Thanksgiving feast.  We’ll offer up our thanks to God for the food, for good health, for family, and for all His many blessings in our lives.  But when we get right down to it, we should give thanks most of all for our greatest blessing: God’s Son.  Christ Jesus is our King, the King above all kings.

Now something happened to Jesus that we don’t usually associate with happening to a king.  He was arrested and tried as a criminal.  The Apostle John recorded the trial for us.  Hear part of the exchange between Jesus and Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, as saved for us by John in the 18th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 33 through 38…

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”

--John 18:33-38 (NKJV)

Now here’s the thing - Pilate knew the truth, and spoke the truth when he said, “I find no fault in Him at all”.  Jesus was without fault, without sin, yet He took our punishment that we might be freed from our sin.  He took our sin upon Himself and carried it to the grave.  If for no other reason, isn't that enough to be thankful for?

Pilate asked if Jesus was the king of the Jews.  Jesus didn’t answer directly, not with a yes or a no.  And we know that He is King of far more than just the Jewish people.  But He did admit to being a King by noting that His kingdom is not of this world.  His is not a worldly kingdom.  His is the kingdom of heaven.  And this is why He was born, this is why He came – to bear witness to this truth.

As we join with family and friends this Thanksgiving, let us remember our King Jesus.  Let’s give thanks to God for sending His Son to offer us salvation and eternal life.  And let’s thank Him for giving us the faith to believe.  Oh, and let’s do this every day, at every meal, even in between meals.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the King above all kings.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for all Your many blessings.  Thank You especially for sending Your Son to redeem us of our sin, to pull us from Satan’s grasp and save us from ourselves.  Please forgive us, Father, for not bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel.  Help us reach out to others sharing the truth.  Forgive us when we let the world tell us what to do and how to act.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others, loving You by loving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are our Lord, You are our King.  We have all our faith in You, and we try to give our all to You.  Sometimes, though, we hold back a little.  We struggle to let go of the world and our worldly things.  We pray, Lord, that You will please help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and less on what the world holds dear.  Please help us tell everyone about You.  Help us be more like You, more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Don't Let Anyone Fool You

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 17th of November, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, we don’t have to look too far to see someone trying to fool us nowadays, do we.  They come in through our mail, our email, our telephone and text messages.  They croon their sweet promises over our TVs and radios.  They even come right up to our front doors.  All these people trying to get something from us, whether it be our money, our personal information, or our vote to keep them or put them in power.

There’s an old saying that, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  If it sounds too good to be true, then it most likely is not true.  Wise folk heed those words and use extreme caution when presented with these false promises.  Be wise, and don’t let anyone fool you.

Our scripture reading this morning comes from the day after Jesus and His disciples made their last trip into Jerusalem together, in what we call His triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.  On that Sunday, Jesus chased all the moneychangers and merchants out of the temple and then He and His disciples left town to spend the night in Bethany, probably with His good friend Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary.  The next day they went back into town and Jesus began teaching in the temple, where He condemned the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses before leaving the temple once more.

Our scripture reading picks up with what comes next.  Now, while both Matthew and Mark report all of this in their individual Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, each has a little something extra to add.  So I am going to be reading from both accounts to get a more complete picture.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostles Mark and Matthew recorded for us in their Gospel accounts, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible this morning.

First from Mark, chapter 13, verses 1 through 8…

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!"

2 Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”

3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4  They asked, "When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

5 Jesus answered:

"Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! 6 Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.

7 "When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 8 Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles."

--Mark 13:1-8 (CEV)

And from Matthew, chapter 24, verses 9 through 14, with Jesus still speaking…

9  "You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. 10 Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. 12 Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. 13  But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. 14 When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come."

--Matthew 24:9-14 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for making sure we would have the words our Lord Jesus spoke and the mighty deeds He performed during His short life as a mortal man.  Thank You for inspiring the men who recorded those words and deeds, and for seeing that they have been preserved throughout the generations.  Sadly though, we don’t always give much time reading and studying these words.  We could better our relationship with Jesus if we would.  But the busyness of the world crashes down on us.  Our spirits are just too often wearied by all the lies and evilness filling our days and our views, all the people trying to fool us into believing what just isn’t true.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us draw closer to You and Jesus.  Help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding. Each show is more fantastic than the last, and is applauded by the audience. Suddenly the manager comes forward. He apologizes for the interruption, but the theater is on fire, and he begs his patrons to leave in an orderly fashion. The audience think this is the most amusing turn of the evening, and cheer thunderously. The manager again implores them to leave the burning building, and he is again applauded vigorously. At last he can do no more. The fire raced through the whole building and the fun-loving audience with it. “And so,” concluded Kierkegaard, “will our age, I sometimes think, go down in fiery destruction to the applause of a crowded house of cheering spectators.”

I believe this brings up two good points.  First, will we realize the end is here when it comes?  Will we recognize the signs Jesus told us to watch for, or will we allow ourselves to be misled by the pundits and talking heads on our TVs that tell us not to worry, this is all normal?

And perhaps more telling of our culture, are we just spectators, watching the events of the world as they unfold, cheering as the curtains come crashing down in flames?  Or are we out there doing the work Jesus assigned us, participating in the spreading of the Gospel?

“Watch out and don't let anyone fool you!”, Jesus said.  “They will use My name and fool many people.”  I think we’ve seen that they don’t even have to claim to be the Christ or use the name of Jesus to fool many people.  All they have to do is offer a lot for a little, or pull on the heart strings, or bring up safety or security concerns.  People are fooled all the time, and they end up doing things they really didn’t want to do, maybe end up losing their life’s savings.

In this case, though, Jesus is talking about the end of times.  He’s saying that many will come forward claiming to be the returned Christ, here to judge the world.  Some of them may even offer salvation… for a price. 

And many people will be fooled.  We’d like to think that the fooled people would be non-believers, but some will likely be Christians, for we don’t all understand what to expect.

Wars and threats of wars?  Check – got those all around the world, with the talking heads all warning about a coming world war.  Nations and kingdoms fighting against each other?  Check – in Eastern Europe, in Asia, and in the Middle East.  The fights that have a greater impact on most of us, though, are those between gangs and between groups with conflicting ideologies.  We’ve had a war on drugs, a war on poverty, a war of words – seems like some folks are always fighting somewhere, even in our neighborhoods.

Earthquakes?  Check – and floods and hurricanes and tornados and wildfires and all manner of natural disasters.  People starving to death?  Check – especially in certain areas of the world, but even here in the US some folks struggle to find enough to eat.

But is all this a sign of the end?  No, not yet, Jesus says.  This is just the beginning.  Which means it’s going to get worse before it gets better.  It’s going to get much worse before Jesus returns.

Jesus goes on to say that Christians will be arrested, punished, even executed for their belief.  We see that in certain countries, and even the beginnings of similar persecutions here in the US.  People will hate us, not only from here but from all over the world.

In the Apostle John’s Book of Revelation, we’re told that we will not be able to engage in normal commerce unless we accept the Antichrist as lord and get his mark on our hand or forehead.  We won’t even be able to buy food for our families if we don’t renounce Jesus.  Many good believers won’t be able to take it.  They’ll give up, turn against us, even betray us.

False prophets will make false promises and fool many.  Evil will spread and brotherly love will become scarce.  It will be a struggle, but if we remain faithful to Jesus, we will be saved.

And then Jesus gives us one more sign to watch for.  The Gospel message, the good news about the kingdom of God, will be preached all over the world and told to all people.  Has this happened yet?  No, for there are still millions who have never heard the good news, never been told, never even heard the name Jesus.  So we’re not quite there yet, no matter what someone may tell you.

There is one more sign to watch for, one more event that has not yet occurred.  In the 25th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 15 through 22, Matthew recorded Jesus again warning us saying…

15  "Someday you will see that 'Horrible Thing' in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! 16 If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 17  If you are on the roof of your house, don't go inside to get anything. 18 If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 19 It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 20 And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. 21  This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. 22 If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter."

--Matthew 24:15-22 (CEV)

The "horrible thing" Jesus names is what Daniel refers to as the "abomination of desolation", that which defiles the temple.  This is the Antichrist, standing in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem, preaching his false gospel.  When this happens, it’s time to seek higher, safer ground.  It may be wise to keep a "bug-out bag" ready and at hand.

This may very well be referring to the start of the seven year Tribulation that we read about in Revelation.  And it will be a terrible time to be alive.  But Jesus says God will cut the time short for the sake of His chosen ones, His elect – those who believe in and accepted His Son Jesus as Lord.  This is the verse that primarily leads me to believe that Jesus will return to call His church home before the Tribulation begins.

I pray this has helped you better understand that the end is not yet here.  There are still indicators that have not made an appearance, signs that have not yet come to pass.  Mainly, the entire world has not yet heard the Good News of salvation through Jesus – everyone has not yet had the chance to be saved – and the Antichrist has not yet made himself known, nor entered the Temple’s most holy place.

And of course, Jesus Himself said it is not quite time, not yet.  So don’t be afraid, don’t worry, and definitely don’t let anyone fool you.  The end my be getting closer, but it isn’t here yet.

Be strong, be brave, stay faithful.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for insight into what is yet to come so that we can be better prepared.  By studying our bible, we can be aware of the signs that must first appear indicating the end is near.  Thank You for preparing those signs for our benefit.  Please forgive us for not spending more time in study of Your word, Father.  Help us set aside our concerns for what is going on in the world and seek the truth from Your word.  Forgive us when we let the world tell us what to do and how to act.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others, loving You by loving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You told us not to be afraid, for the end is not yet here.  And You gave us signs to watch for, the harbingers of the end.  Now, Lord, please help us give of our lives in service to You and our Father God.  Please help us be prepared for the end by remaining faithful and true to You and our Father God.  Help us be more like You, more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Our Sacrifice for Sin

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 10th of November, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

With tomorrow being Veterans Day, we should truly be thankful for all those who have served, are serving, and will serve in our nation’s armed forces, giving of their time and efforts, and for some their lives, to keep our nation free and to ensure our liberties.  And as we’re coming up on Thanksgiving, we should be most thankful for our Lord Jesus, who gave up His life so that we might be freed from our sin, freed from the bonds of eternal death.

Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed; His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sin. This is God’s love: that we might not die in our sin, but be washed clean by the blood of the Spotless Lamb.

Throughout the Old Testament of our Holy Bible, we can see where the blood of certain animals was used to purify and sanctify objects to make them holy.  Very specific sacrifices are described for the forgiveness of all manner of sins.  But why was a blood sacrifice necessary?  In the Book of Leviticus, God spoke through Moses when He explained, “This is because the life of the body is in the blood.  I have told you that you must pour the blood on the altar to purify yourselves.  It is the blood that makes a person pure.”

All this speaks to the first agreement God made with His people, the first covenant through Abraham.  But then Jesus came along and brought with Him a new agreement, a new covenant with God.

Please listen and follow along to what the unknown author of the letter to the Hebrew believers wrote in the 9th chapter of the Book of Hebrews, verses 15 through 28, and I’ll be reading from the Easy-to-Read Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

15 Christ brings a new agreement from God to His people. He brings this agreement so that those who are chosen by God can have the blessings God promised, blessings that last forever. This can happen only because Christ died to free people from sins committed against the commands of the first agreement.

16 When someone dies and leaves a will, there must be proof that the one who wrote the will is dead. 17 A will means nothing while the one who wrote it is still living. It can be used only after that person’s death. 18 That is why blood was needed to begin the first agreement between God and His people. 19 First, Moses told the people every command in the law. Then he took the blood of young bulls and mixed it with water. He used red wool and a branch of hyssop to sprinkle the blood and water on the book of the law and on all the people. 20 Then he said, “This is the blood that makes the agreement good — the agreement that God commanded you to follow.” 21 In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the Holy Tent. He sprinkled the blood over everything used in worship. 22 The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice.

23 These things are copies of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven must have much better sacrifices. 24 Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and He is there now before God to help us.

25 The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer Himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again. 26 If Christ had offered Himself many times, He would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But He came to offer Himself only once. And that once is enough for all time. He came at a time when the world is nearing an end. He came to take away all sin by offering Himself as a sacrifice.

27 Everyone must die once. Then they are judged. 28 So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And He will come a second time, but not to offer Himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

--Hebrews 9:15-28 (ERV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You would send Your only Son to be the last blood sacrifice needed for the forgiveness of our sin.  He died once, for all time, that we might be freed from sin.  And now, Father, we no longer need to make blood sacrifices.  Sadly though, too many of us have stopped making any kind of sacrifice.  We follow the ways of the world and let it have too great an influence in our daily life.  We are just too often beaten down and wearied by all the lies and evilness filling our days and our views that it robs us of our desire to serve.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us give of ourselves in Your service.  Help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Dr. David Livingstone, the great missionary who is most famous for his work in Africa, once wrote, “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa.  Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply acknowledging a great debt we owe to our God, which we can never repay?  Is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny?  It is emphatically no sacrifice.  Rather it is a privilege.  Anxiety, sickness, suffering, danger, foregoing the common conveniences of this life - these may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment.  All these are nothing compared with the glory which shall later be revealed in and through us.  I never made a sacrifice.  Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father's throne on high to give Himself for us.”

How many celebrities do you know of that are this humble?  Yes, there are some who will give God the glory, but they still accept and welcome the accolades of the people, the praise of their peers.  Dr. Livingstone scoffs at the praise from others who speak of his accomplishments and sacrifice.

It is not a sacrifice, he asserts, when we acknowledge by our labors the debt we owe God, a debt we can never repay.  A sacrifice does not bring its own rewards, or peace of mind, or even a bright hope for a glorious future.  No, this is a privilege, not a sacrifice.  We have the privilege to serve our God and His Son Jesus, who made the greatest sacrifice to leave His Father’s throne in heaven to give Himself for us.

Still, from a worldview, we do see Dr. Livingstone’s actions as a sacrifice, since he gave up so much to serve God’s people, and thus to serve God.  I say “from a worldview” because what he gave up are things important to the world, important to this life.  What he did, though - his actions, his service – are things important to the next life, important to God.

But it does beg the question…  Do we need to make sacrifices now?  Since Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sin, once for all time, do we still need to make sacrifices too?  In the 6th verse of his 40th Psalm, King David sees a subtle truth…

6 Lord, you made me understand this:

    You don’t really want sacrifices and grain offerings.

    You don’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings.

--Psalm 40:6 (ERV)

All those sacrifices Moses enumerated for the people, all the different offerings of grain and flesh and blood, are not really what God desires of us.  But earlier, in the 5th verse of his 4th Psalm, David proclaims that we should still make sacrifices when he says…

5 Give the right sacrifices to the Lord,

and put your trust in Him!

--Psalm 4:5 (ERV)

Give the right sacrifices, the correct sacrifices, the sacrifices God really wants us to give.  So if it’s not the blood sacrifices or the grain or burnt offerings, just what is it that will please God?  The prophet Micah answered this question for us in verses 6 through 8 of the 6th chapter of his Book…

6 What must I bring when I come to meet with the Lord?

What must I do when I bow down to God above?

Should I come to Him with burnt offerings

and a year-old calf?

7 Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand rams

or with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I offer Him my first child to pay for my wrongs?

Should I sacrifice my very own child for my sins?

8 Human, the Lord has told you what goodness is.

This is what He wants from you:

Be fair to other people.

Love kindness and loyalty,

and humbly obey your God.

--Micah 6:6-8 (ERV)

God just wants us to be fair to others, to treat everyone fairly.  He wants us to love kindness and loyalty – not just to be kind but to love being kind, not just to be loyal but to love being loyal.  And God want us to obey Him, being humble in our obedience, not making a big show of it.  He wants us to be more like Dr. Livingstone.

Now I know I’ve thrown a lot of scripture at you this morning, and it’s because I truly think that the Bible speaks far better than I can.  But I have one more passage for you, one that should clarify this whole issue of sacrifices.  This comes from the Apostle Paul, who tells us what our sacrifice should be when he wrote to the church in Rome.  Hear what Paul told the believers living there, in the 1st verse of the 12th chapter of his Letter to the Romans…

1 I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him — an offering that is only for God and pleasing to Him. Considering what He has done, it is only right that you should worship Him in this way.

--Romans 12:1 (ERV)

We are to make of ourselves a living sacrifice to God.  Jesus gave of His life as a blood sacrifice to atone for our sin.  We’re asked to give of our life as a living sacrifice, to acknowledge our debt to God.  This is our duty, our acceptable service.  This is pleasing to God, to give of ourselves in service to Him by serving others.  Nothing would please Him more than if we could bring just one lost soul to Jesus.

Our sacrifice should be of our time, of our resources.  We must give up our pride and what the world considers important to do the work God sees as important.  And family, it’s not a sacrifice if it doesn’t hurt.  So let’s give our lives to God as a sacrifice for our sin.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for loving us all so much that You sent Your only Son into this world for the forgiveness of our sin.  You could have stopped the brutality we showed Him at any time, yet You knew that only the greatest sacrifice, the blood of the Spotless Lamb, could redeem us.  Thank You for having mercy upon us.  Sadly, too many people just refuse to accept this truth.  Sometimes even we struggle with the worldview.  Sometimes we just have trouble letting go of the world and worldly things.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Forgive us when we let the world tell us what to do and how to act.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others, loving You by loving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You came into this world knowing full well the cruel fate You would suffer, yet You came anyway.  You came to allow Your blood to be shed on our behalf, as a sacrifice to redeem us of our sin.  Now, Lord, please help us give of our lives in service to You and our Father God.  Please help us sacrifice what the world see as important that we might save souls and broaden God’s kingdom, maybe even make a difference in this world.  Help us be more like You, more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.