Belonging to Jesus

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 9th of July, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  A recording should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

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

Family, most of us have had doubts, at some time or another in our life.  I guess it’s just human nature to doubt something, to wonder about something that we can’t actually prove or know for sure.  Some may be mundane, like I doubt if this cake is going to be any good.  Some may have a greater impact on our life at the moment, like I doubt I’ll get that promotion at work.  Some may drastically affect our outlook on this life and the next, like I doubt that God could ever love me after what I’ve done.

So yeah, doubts are pretty natural for us.  But this is why God gave us faith, and His word in our Bible.  If we believe in His Son Jesus as the Christ sent to free us from sin, follow His voice and keep our faith strong, then we really should not doubt the security of our salvation or the steadfastness of our heavenly Father’s love.

But sometimes, especially those dark times when nothing is going right, sometimes we still question if our faith is enough.  We cry out, “Where is Jesus, why isn’t He helping me, am I one of those who He’ll say to, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me’”?  Doubts creep in and dampen our spirit, chill our heart.

And if it’s hard for us today, with our Bible and all our modern research tools, imagine what the early church must have gone through.  With only around 500 people having witnessed the risen, resurrected Jesus, the vast majority of those early Christians believed in the Christ based on the testimony of others, and the faith God gave them.  I can only imagine how many doubts they must have had regarding their belief and the impact of their belief.  Chief among these doubts, and one still in many of us today, must have been whether they actually were cleansed by the blood of Jesus and were His.  How could they…  how can we be sure we are one of His sheep, truly one of His flock?

Well, they did have eyewitnesses to help reassure them, and we have the testimony of those eyewitnesses to help us.  Take for instance the Apostle John, one of the first four followers hand-picked and called by Jesus.  In his letters to the early church, and to us today, John tells us how to know when we belong to Jesus.

Please listen and follow along as I read from verses 1 through 11 of the 2nd chapter of the Apostle John’s 1st letter to the early church, and I’ll be reading this from The Living Bible translation of our Holy Bible…

1 My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely. 2 He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon Himself and brought us into fellowship with God; and He is the forgiveness for our sins, and not only ours but all the world’s.

3 And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what He wants us to?

4 Someone may say, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. 5 But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. 6 Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.

7 Dear brothers, I am not writing out a new rule for you to obey, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the start. You have heard it all before. 8 Yet it is always new, and works for you just as it did for Christ; and as we obey this commandment, to love one another, the darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in.

9 Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. 10 But whoever loves his fellow man is “walking in the light” and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin. 11 For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way.

--1 John 2:1-11 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, Thank You for giving us the gift of faith.  With faith in our hearts, we can believe in what can’t be seen, what can’t be proven.  And by our belief, we can be saved.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much.  Sadly, though, Father, sometimes our faith grows weak and the devil can begin to sow seeds of doubt into our minds, clouding our thoughts, further eroding our faith.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us keep our faith strong.  Help us put all our trust in You and in Your word.  Please remind us of our salvation through Your Son Jesus.  And please protect us, Father.  Shield us from those who serve Satan and carry out his evil deeds.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please help us look within ourselves to see if we are truly living as Christ did.  Help us as we strive to do what our Lord wants.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

You all know of Rodney Dangerfield, right?  His tagline was, "I get no respect".  He often didn't even get respect from himself.  One of my favorite stories he told went like this:  "I applied for membership in a very exclusive country club that had a great golf course.  A couple weeks later I received an acceptance letter welcoming me to the club.  I turned them down.  I didn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member."

I can almost relate to that.  If a club would accept someone like me as a member, would I really want to belong to it?  Of course, Rodney was playing it for laughs, but the point is kind of valid.  If there’s an organization that I do not think myself to be worthy enough to be a member of, and they accept me anyway, are their standards really that low, so low that I’d turn down their invitation?

Well, there’s one club where we’ll never be worthy enough to join, but they ask us in anyway.  And we’d be utter fools to turn down the invitation.  The “club” is God’s family, and Jesus offered the invitation when He said, “Follow Me.”  We don’t deserve membership, but Jesus paid our dues already, and they’re good for all eternity.  All we have to do is what He tells us to do: to love one another.  This is a club even Rodney would want to join.

If you were paying attention and remember last week’s scripture reading, here in the beginning of his 2nd chapter of this 1st letter, John is repeating some of what he said in the 1st chapter.  Now this isn’t because John is forgetful or getting senile, although he is quite old at this point.  No, it’s to emphasize what he said earlier, to show us how important this information is.

What I’m talking about is John’s description of Jesus as the light of mankind.  He is again comparing Jesus to a light shining in the darkness, showing us the safe and sure way.  And he makes it clear that he is indeed speaking metaphorically, talking about spiritual darkness, being lost in sin.

No matter what we may say we believe in, no matter what we may call ourselves, if we dislike our fellow man, we are still walking in darkness and not in the light of Christ.  We’re still stumbling around in our sin, blinded by the darkness, with no idea of where we’re actually going.

Yet the solution is so simple.  The light switch is easy to find.  There’s nothing new about this.  It hasn’t been hidden from us.  We’ve been told how to avoid the darkness all along.  All we have to do is as Jesus commanded us and love one another, and then all the darkness in our lives will disappear and the light of life in Christ will shine in us and out from us for all to see.

I began this discussion by saying that John tells us how we can be sure we belong to Jesus.  Well, John poses that very question in verse 3 of our reading: “How can we be sure we belong to Christ?”  And then he answers it: “By looking within ourselves to see if we are really doing what He wants us to do.”

John is calling us to purposeful self-examination, deep introspection - open up all the cupboards and drawers, look through every nook and cranny, and honestly determine if we are living the way Jesus wants us to live.  Are we truly loving our fellow man?  Or do we still harbor hatred and resentment?  Do we curse those who hate us, who wish us harm, or do we pray for them, that they may somehow see the light of truth themselves?  Do we envy what someone else has, or do we rejoice with them for their good fortune?  Are our acts and deeds self-serving, or selfless, unconditional, performed out of love?  Do we stand up to injustice, speak for the silent, uphold the weak, have mercy even on the merciless?

In short, do we try to live as Jesus lived?  None of us are His equals; we’re all sinners.  But we can strive to do as Jesus would have us do, and cast the darkness out of our hearts with the light of life in Christ.

Family, this is all about love.  All we need is love to drive out the darkness.  Love is what Jesus commanded us to do.  Love is what He gave to the world.

In the 15th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 9 through 17, John recorded Jesus saying this to His disciples, including us…

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love. 10 When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me. 16 You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name. 17 This is My command: Love each other.”

--John 15:9-17 (NLT)

This is John’s message to the early church.  This is Jesus’ message to us.  Love one another.  As long as we bear ill will against a brother or sister, as long as we hate an enemy, as long as we wish harm or even damnation on someone else, we are still stumbling around in the darkness of our sin and not living as Jesus wants us to.

“Love one another” was not a suggestion, but a command.  Jesus loves us just as much as the Father loves Him.  He obeyed His Father’s commands, and we must obey His if we are to remain in His love.  To remain in His love we must show our love by loving one another.

You know, family, when it comes right down to it, there is very little going on in the world right now that we can do anything about.  None of us can go and stop the war in eastern Europe.  I dare say most of us aren’t trained or physically able to head off and fight the wildfires in western Canada.  We can’t single-handedly fight world hunger or homelessness.  I can’t even do anything about all the SPAM calls and scam calls I get on a daily basis.

But we can love one another.  We can put all the world’s problems in God’s hands, knowing He is still in control.  We can help provide food for the needy, support those places and organizations that shelter the homeless, things that we are doing as a church family but that we as individuals can do too.  And we can love the unlovable, love those who hate us, love them enough to pray for them that the light might penetrate the darkness of their sin and free them from Satan’s grasp.

We just need to rid ourselves of our little hatreds.  We don’t have to like someone to love them.  We don’t have to like or approve of what they do to pray for them that God’s Holy Spirit will show them how to stop and to walk in the light.  We do have to stop hating them, despising them, wishing them harm.  And we certainly have to stop damning them.  After all, we don’t need to do that.  Jesus says we damn ourselves by our words and our actions, even by our thoughts and our inactions.

Let’s be careful not to damn ourselves.  Instead, let’s keep on walking in the light so we can keep on belonging to Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for loving Your creation enough to send Your Son into the world to shine His light of life into the darkness of our sin.  You took out Your wrath for our disobedience on Your own Son, sparing us the punishment we rightly deserved.   Forgive us those times, please Father, when we step back into the darkness, when we let our pride or hatred overrule what we know to be right in Your eyes.  Forgive us when we fail to do the things we know we should do, and when we do the things we know we shouldn’t.  Please help us live closer to how Jesus lived.  Help us love as He loved so that we might remain in His love.  And Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith and tries to pull us away from You.  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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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 us one simple command: to love one another.  And yet, dear Lord, we struggle so mightily to carry it out.  We let our foolish pride trip us up.  We lash out in anger against our fellow man, and too often for silly reasons.  Thank You, Lord, for showing us the way to righteousness by shining Your light into our darkness.  We pray, dear Lord, to please help us obey Your simple command.  Please, Jesus, help us reach out to those that we hold ill will against and show them our love instead of our spite.  Help us show them Your love.  And help us endure any persecution this may cause us.  Shield our minds and our hearts from the world’s lies and empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Walk In the Light

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Independence Day weekend, Sunday, the 2nd of July, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our service this morning also included the observance of Holy Communion with our Lord.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

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

Family, this morning we’re going to continue reading our way through the letters a few of the apostles wrote to the early church.  We’ll be moving from those the Apostle Peter wrote straight to the Apostle John’s, just as they’re listed in our Bible, though they were authored about 25 years apart.  I like to include timelines and snippets of history because it helps us relate that the events we read about actually did happen over the course of time.  So while Peter penned his letters in the mid 60’s AD, John was an old man when he authored his in around 90 AD.

The “beloved disciple” was most likely in Ephesus at the time, writing to those early Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, just as did the Apostle Paul with his letter to the Ephesians.  The timing of John’s three letters is interesting, too.  The Roman Emperor Nero was now dead, but the persecution of the Christian church continued under the new Emperor, Domitian.  In fact, it was under Domitian’s rule that John would soon be exiled to the prison island of Patmos, where he would write the Book of Revelation, recording the events to come that Jesus revealed to him.

I am going to start at the beginning of John’s epistles, with verse 1 of chapter 1 of the 1st letter, and I think it appropriate to do so since John so often mentions the beginning in his writings.  In verse 1 of chapter 1 of his Gospel account, John proclaims, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  And in verse 1 of chapter 1 of this his 1st letter he adds, “That which was from the beginning… we declare to you”.  So please listen and follow along to the 1st chapter of the Apostle John’s 1st letter to the early church, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

--1 John 1 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, when You began Your great creation, Your ordered, “Let there be light!”, and You brought light into being.  Thank You, Father, for bringing light to the darkness.  And then You sent Your Son Jesus, the Light of men, and again the Light shone in the darkness.  Sadly, though, Father, too many people prefer the darkness, thinking it hides their wickedness.  They shun the Light, refusing to acknowledge Your Christ.  Forgive them, Father.  Please help us speak to them and tell them about Jesus.  Please soften their hearts so that Your Spirit can do His mighty work within them, that they too might be saved.  And please protect us, Father, from those who serve Satan and carry out his evil deeds.  Remind us of what we have been taught from the beginning, so that our joy may be full.  And Father, please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please help us to stay in the light of Your word, to always walk in Your light.  Help us remember what we have been taught, what we have read of the testimonies of those who witnessed first-hand.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the US Senate, once opened a session with this plea:

Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right.

248 years ago, a band of patriots began a long and terrible battle to secure the right for Americans to rule ourselves, to free us from the chains of tyranny.  Not quite 2000 years ago, Christ Jesus defeated death to secure our salvation, to free us from the chains of our sin.

Liberty is not free; it comes at a high cost.  Neither is liberty a license to do whatever we want.  To honor those patriots who fought and died for our freedom, we must not surrender our rights to tyrants.  To honor our Lord who died for our salvation, we must not return to a sinful life.  Let us walk in this life always in the light.

Family, at some point in our life, each of us has received the Gospel, the Good News of salvation through Christ Jesus.  Some of us were taught this long ago as children.  Some newly born again heard it only recently.  John and the rest of the apostles who contributed to our Bible declared this truth to us so that all could learn, all could be taught, all could read or hear.

John assures us that in this shared knowledge, we all have fellowship together, as our true fellowship is with our Father God and with His Son Jesus Christ.  And in this, our joy is full.

The message John wants us to get right off the bat is that God is light.  God is light.  In Him there is no darkness; He’s not trying to hide anything.  We may not be able to see everything, but it’s not because God hides it from us.  The truth is in plain sight, for those who believe and use the faith they’ve been given.  We can see God in the sunrise and the sunset, in the gentle rain and the mighty storm.  We can see Him in His light.

So if we want to stay in God’s care and good graces, we need to be careful to stay in His light.  We can’t try to hide some things in the dark while walking in the light.  Let’s face it…  we can’t really hide anything from God.  He shines His light everywhere all the time and knows exactly what we are doing even before we do it.  Sure, we may be able to hide our actions from other people, but God always sees, God always knows.  There’s no hiding from God, no darkness He can’t see through.

God is light.  And since Jesus is not only God’s Son, but also God, then Jesus is light, too.  John comes right out and proclaims this in the 1st five verses of the 1st chapter of his Gospel account, when he writes…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

--John 1:1-5 (NKJV)

In Jesus is the life, and the life is the light of men.  In Jesus is the light for all of mankind, and the darkness of evil cannot overcome it.  Sadly, too many people prefer the darkness, for they can continue their wicked ways under its cover.  They shun the light, scampering away like cockroaches any time it comes near.  They walk in darkness and have no fellowship with God.

If we walk in darkness, if we continue living a sinful life while saying we believe in Jesus, we are deceiving ourselves, for we are not following our Christ, not walking in the light as we should.  We are not in fellowship with God.  But if we return to the light and remain in the light, stay the straight and narrow path, follow Christ and His commands, and confess our sins before God, then the precious blood of His Son Jesus will cleanse us of our sin and we will again be in fellowship with God, with Jesus, and with the family of believers.

There was a time when the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus that they had caught in the act of adultery, asking Him to say whether she should be stoned as according to their law, hoping to trap our Lord.  Jesus responded, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  All the stones dropped harmlessly to the ground; none were thrown.

Jesus knows we sin; it’s our inheritance from Adam and Eve.  But He gives us the chance to get back in the light by telling us just as He told this woman, “Go, and sin no more.”

John recorded the words Jesus spoke next, after the Pharisees all stepped away, in the 12th verse of the 8th chapter of his Gospel account…

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

--John 8:12 (NKJV)

The light of the world; the light of mankind.  If we walk around in the light, we can see anything that might get in our way, that could make us stumble and fall and hurt ourselves.  If we try walking in the dark, even in familiar surroundings, we can get into all kinds of trouble.

Family, we must walk in the light of God, of Jesus, if we are to remain free of our sin, free of the chains of death, free from the tyranny of Satan.  This Tuesday, July the 4th, let us celebrate our hard-fought victory over foreign tyranny.  And let us rejoice in the victory won for us by Jesus, who brought light into the world, to show us the way out of darkness.  This Independence Day, and every day, let us proclaim our freedom and remain in the light of God.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for shining Your light for us to be able to see how we should walk through this life.  When we walk in the light, we remain in fellowship with You and with one another.  When we try to hide in the darkness, we displease You and sadden You.  Forgive us those times, please Father, when we think we can hide our acts from You, hide our sin.  And forgive those who help us sin, who may even encourage us to sin.  Forgive them so that they may find their way to the light.  Please help us reach out to them and help them.  Help us share Your light.  And please help us to not be afraid to shine the light of truth before others, showing Your love, so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and grace.  And Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith and tries to pull us away from You.  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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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, Your Father God brought light into being when You and He created the world.  And then You brought light back into the world when we were stumbling and lost in the darkness of sin.  Thank You, Lord, for shining the light for all mankind to see.  We pray, dear Lord, that others may open their eyes and see the light.  Please, Jesus, help us reach out to them.  Help us show them Your love.  And help us endure any persecution they may cause us.  Shield our minds and our hearts from the world’s lies and empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Jesus Will Return

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 25th of June, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

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

This morning we’re going to finish up with the Apostle Peter’s two letters to the early church.  Peter has mostly written words of encouragement to those Christians that were scattered out over the known world, and to us today.  He shared with them, and us, that our hope is in Christ, that He is the reason for our hope, the foundation of our hope.

The Apostle cautioned us not to return to our old, sinful ways, but instead to strive to live a holy life, to be more righteous in God’s eyes.  He reminded us that we were chosen by God to be the living stones of His Son’s church, with Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone.

He gave us testimony into the three Persons of God and exhorted us to be virtuous, to practice self-control, and to patiently endure all that we are faced with.  And he warned us that false prophets, false teachers and preachers, still abound even to this day, spreading their lies, deceiving good people, leading to their eternal doom.

So I think we can see that Peter’s letters are a mix of flowers and thorns.  He offers great encouragement, followed by dire warnings.  But if we consider his audience, this is exactly what they needed - encouragement to stay the course coupled with warnings about the dangers ahead.

And as he closes his final letter, Peter stays true to form.  Here, though, he looks into the future not for additional warnings, but to a wonderful day yet to come.  Please listen and follow along to the 3rd and final chapter of Peter’s 2nd letter to the early church, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget 2 what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do.

3  But first you must realize that in the last days some people won't think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you 4 and say, “Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit.”

5  They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out of water and was made from water. 6  Later it was destroyed by the waters of a mighty flood. 7 But God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.

8  Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is the same as one day. 9 The Lord isn't slow about keeping His promises, as some people think He is. In fact, God is patient, because He wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

10  The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will go up in flames.

11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should eagerly desire for that day to come. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13  But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to this!

14 My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. 15 Don't forget that the Lord is patient because He wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom God had given him. 16 Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too.

17 My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. 18 Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

--2 Peter 3 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, we know You are patient.  You hold Your wrath in check, giving everyone the chance to turn from their sin and accept Jesus as Lord so that none might be lost.  Thank You, Father, for showing so much love and mercy for Your misbehaving creation.  Sadly, though, Father, not everyone believes.  Many have hearts of stone and will not repent.  Many refuse to believe.  Please, Father, help us help the lost.  Please guide us in ways to reach out to the unbelieving world and show them Jesus by how we live and act.  And please help us resist the temptation to return to our old life.  Please shield us, Father, from those who serve Satan and spread his deceitful lies.  Remind us of what we have been taught about salvation through Jesus and our need for righteous living.  And Father, please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please help us see the red flags Your Spirit raises before we fall into the devil’s trap.  Help us remember that our Lord will return for us, so we must remain washed clean of our sin by the blood of the Spotless Lamb.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

July is just around the corner, and it also happens to be Family Reunion Month.  So I thought I'd push the calendar just a bit with this little story, told by some unknown narrator:

My entire family has come from various parts of the country to a family reunion during the holidays. On a Saturday, we headed to a local museum and outdoor park for the day.

About midday, my niece, age six, is playing with our various children while the adults sit and talk. A few minutes later, she proudly comes to us and says that she has gotten the family reunion photo done.

We are confused and try to understand what is going on. We press her for more information, as we are worried that some stranger was taking photos of random six-year-old girls.

However, it turns out that, when she was out of our direct view, another family had been taking a professional family reunion photo and had accidentally included her in it, thinking she was a member of their families.

I have always imagined, somewhere in America, there is a set of grandparents and siblings trying to figure out which of their families this random, not actually related, six-year-old belongs to.

There’s an expression used today known as “photo bombing”.  It’s when one person sneaks into another person’s photograph.  Like if we were out at an event somewhere and I was going to take a picture of Erin and Chad and Steve came and stood behind them smiling and waving.

That little girl was photo bombing some other family’s reunion pictures.  And I can just imagine the puzzlement that family must have felt later on as they looked through all the photos from that day.  “Now, who does this little girl belong to?  Is she Blanche’s granddaughter???”

Well, there’s one family reunion where everyone will belong, and everyone will know each other, because it will be one big family!  I’m talking about the family of God made up of all who believe in His Son Jesus, and the great reunion we will someday have when Jesus comes again to take His church home.  Little girls, old men…  we’ll all become new again and be welcomed with open arms.  And we’ll know one another as children of God.

We all know how often the Apostle Paul was arrested and held prisoner, usually beaten in the process.  Well, Peter was not spared a similar fate.  He was placed under house arrest as the Roman Emperor Nero waged a reign of persecution against the church.  He wrote his first letter while imprisoned in Rome.  And he was martyred, executed by the Roman authorities, shortly after writing this second.

Peter must have foreseen this, for in the 1st chapter of this letter he wrote that “the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent”.  We can hear the urgency in his voice, the need to share extremely important information with us while he still drew breath.  Peter wants… no, Peter needs us to understand that our Lord Jesus will return!  There will be naysayers and scoffers who will ridicule us for our belief, asking when will this magnificent event occur, why hasn’t it happened yet, if we are disobeying this God you speak of, why hasn’t He already done something about it?

Thanks to Peter, we can answer those questions.  When?  Well, we don’t know, and we’re not supposed to.  Jesus has promised to come like a thief in the night, not to steal anything, but to come unannounced and by surprise.  If we knew when He is coming, we could do anything we want, live as sinfully as we pleased, and then repent at the last moment and be spared.  No, He wants us to live righteously, waiting patiently for Him to come and take us home.

Why is God still holding His hand of wrath, rather than melting the whole universe down as He said He would?  Because God is patient.  He loves His creation and wants all people to be saved, so He gives us every possible chance to turn from our sin and seek His face.

But God’s patience will someday run out and the Day of Judgment will be upon the earth and all its inhabitants.  Everything will be destroyed.  The heavens will go up in flames and everything else will melt in the heat, all to be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth where justice will rule forever.

So Peter warns us not to be led astray by wicked people who serve Satan.  And he reminds us of the Apostle Paul’s words along the same lines as these, backing up his writings with another authoritative reference.  “You have been warned ahead of time!”, Peter exclaims.  “So don’t fall victim to deceitful lies.”

But along with all the warnings are words of encouragement for the believer.  The evil ones who persecuted us and lied to us and tried to rob us of our faith will finally get the punishment they deserve.  We will be avenged.  They may have gotten away with their wickedness in this life, but they’ll pay the price in the next.

For the believer, though, a new home awaits, our home with Jesus, where true justice will prevail and rule for all eternity.  Jesus spoke of this new home and his words were recorded by the Apostle John in the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 3…

1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Don't be worried! You have faith in God, so have faith in Me. 2 There are many rooms in My Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with Me. Then we will be together.”

--John 14:1-3 (CEV)

There’s the promise: “I will come back and take you with Me.”  Jesus promises He will come back for us, His church, no matter how far we may be scattered apart.  We don’t know when this will happen, but Paul tells us what it will look like when our Lord returns.  Hear what Paul wrote in his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 4 verses 16 and 17…

16  With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. 17 Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.

--1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (CEV)

That’s the great family reunion I spoke of earlier, when all who have died before us are raised again to life, and they and those who are still alive are taken up into the clouds together, to be with Jesus forever.  This is what we have to look forward to.  This is what we are saved for.

Family, Jesus will return.  Don’t pay any attention to anyone who says otherwise.  Satan, through the wicked people who so willingly do his bidding, will try to convince us that not only will Jesus not return, but that neither Jesus nor God even exist in the first place!

We have been warned.  We have been taught the truth.  Now it’s up to us to stay true, to maintain our belief, to keep maturing and growing in our faith.  We have been given underserved grace and the understanding that comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Let us thank Him and praise Him and give Him all the glory.  And let us share the warning and the truth, that Jesus will return, so that others might be saved.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for the undeserved grace You show us.  Even though we are disobedient children, You love us so much that You keep giving us the chance to turn from our sinful ways and do what is right.  You sent Your Son to offer us salvation, and He died to this earthly life to wash us clean of our sin.  Some sweet day, You will send Him back to earth again, this time to judge all of creation.  Father, thank You for giving us the faith to believe in Jesus as Your Christ, even as others mock us for our faith.  Forgive them, please Father.  Please help us see through their lies and deceitful ways.  And please help us not be afraid to reach out to them, showing them Your love, so that they may be saved by Your mercy and grace.  And Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith and tries to pull us away from You.  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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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 once to save us if we would just listen and believe.  You will come again, this time to judge us whether we listen or not.  Thank You, Lord, for giving of Yourself that we might be saved.  By Your blood we are washed clean to stand before God at our last.  And because we listened and believed, we will spend eternity with You and our heavenly Father.  No greater reward could a person ever ask for or receive.  Please, Jesus, help us be more obedient children.  Help us grow and mature in our faith by following Your example and Your word.  Shield our minds and our hearts from the world’s lies and empty promises.  Guide us around the clever ploys and snares, all the temptations the devil uses to entrap us.

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Prodigal's Father

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Father's Day, Sunday, the 18h of June, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

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

When the Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners, He used the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin to explain how important it is for even one sinner to repent.  Then He told them the parable of the prodigal son as a further example.

This is also sometimes referred to as the parable of the lost son, for the young man had certainly gone astray.  But the New English Translation has a different name for this story, one much more meaningful to us today, and one I feel better reflects the message to us.  The NET titles this passage, “The Parable of the Compassionate Father”.  For while the son and the wasteful lifestyle he first pursued and then repented from forms the basis of the story, the father is the real hero, showing compassion for his son, forgiving him and welcoming him home.

So let’s see how all this transpired, according to the Apostle Luke’s research and interviews of those who heard it told that day.  Please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 11 through 32, and I’ll be reading from the New English Translation of our Holy Bible…

11 Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. 21 Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again — he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

--Luke 15:11-32 (NET)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, You sent Your Son Jesus to offer us salvation, and He held out open arms to all people, inviting us in.  Thank You, Father, for being so gracious and compassionate toward us.  And thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin through Your Christ Jesus.  Too many people, though, questioned Him while He still walked among us.  They refused to accept Him for what He was.  This was especially true among the religious leaders of the day, who swayed others against Him, too.  Sadly, all this is still true today, even among our religious and government leaders.  Please, Father, help these people see the truth.  Please have Your Holy Spirit work a little harder on them that their hearts might be softened.  And please help us and give us the right words to say if we have the opportunity to talk to them.  Please shield us, Father, from those who serve Satan by spreading his lies and making empty promises, and who attack the basic family unit itself.  Remind us of our creation and Your grand design.  And Father, please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please help all of us understand the importance and great impact of a father in his child’s life.  Help us remain steadfast in our relationships with one another, that we might glorify You.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

I've used this little illustration before, and I'm sure I'll use it again because I love it so much, it touches me so deeply:

There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged.  The son ran away, and the father set off to find him.  He searched for months to no avail.  Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper.  The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday.  All is forgiven.  I love you.  Your Father.”  On Saturday at noon, 800 Paco’s turned out at that office, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

Can’t you just see that picture?  Hundreds of men crowded together in an already crowded capital city, blocking the street, looking all around, searching… longing to find the face of the one who still loves them, who is willing to forgive them for their rebellious ways.  Can you see the anticipation, the desperation, on their faces as their gaze flashes from one person to the next.  And they all seek the same man – their father.

Family, there are so many people in this world today who are lost.  Many are searching for that one person who loves them no matter what, who will forgive anything they’ve done.  But they don’t know where to look.  They don’t even know who to look for.

We believers don’t have to look.  We’ve already found Him.  We have the very best Father, who loves us, who forgives us of our disobedience toward Him.  And all because we accepted His one true Son as our Lord.  We need to show others the way to our Father in heaven, before it is too late for them.

Let’s look a little more closely at our scripture passage, trying to see the scene as those people gathered around Jesus that day would have envisioned it.  Now we first need to realize that our Lord’s audience would have been mostly, if not all, Jews.  There may have been a few Gentiles scattered around - we don’t know - but it was mainly the Pharisees and scribes and the disciples and others who followed Jesus at that time.

After the younger son blew through his early inheritance, he was forced to work very common labor just to afford something to eat.  To a Jew, being sent into the fields to feed pigs would be an insult, since pigs were seen as unclean by them.  So the Jews listening to the story could relate to just how far this wayward son had fallen.

Eventually the prodigal came to his senses, swallowed his pride, tucked his tail between his legs, and headed home.  When he humbly utters the words, "Father, I have sinned", he shows a penitent attitude, shows that he was indeed lost but is looking for his way back home.

I can’t help but wonder how many people, how many men, would have responded to the boy something like this: “You danged fool idiot!  I tried to warn you.  But noooooo, you knew so much more than me.  And here you come, with your hat in hand, looking for another free lunch.  Boy, will you ever learn!??!”  Seems to me that I got a few well-deserved lectures like that in my younger days.

But that isn’t what happened here, is it.  The father ran out to meet the boy with open arms, not only welcoming him back home but ordering his household staff to prepare a feast to celebrate his return.  From the father’s perspective, his son had been lost but now was found, had been dead but was alive again.

The older son wasn’t quite so happy about all this.  He had stayed behind to work the farm and help his father.  He had asked for nothing extra, and nothing had been given, not even a barbequed goat for a little party with friends.  All this fuss for his wasteful brother angered him and he confronted his father about it.

But again the father was extremely gracious, explaining how all his possessions, everything he had, also belonged to the older son.  And he encouraged his son to rejoice with him at his brother’s return, for he was no longer lost.

Many see the prodigal son as the central character in this story, this parable.  But I see him as the example.  Through him we can see rashness and foolishness and a huge mistake made, followed by a humble, repentant attitude.

No, to me, the major figure of this parable is the father who forgives his son and welcomes him home.  And this forgiving father represents God, our heavenly Father, and His compassionate response when we humbly come to Him, admitting we have sinned against Him and are not worthy to be His child.  But there stands God, always ready with out-stretched arms to welcome the sinner who comes back to Him.  The father shows total acceptance of bringing the prodigal back into the family, just as God fully receives the repentant sinner back into His family.

There’s one other character in the story.  The older son can be seen as the Pharisees and scribes, complaining about the treatment the younger son, the sinner, receives, questioning the father's wisdom.  He has to be reminded that the prodigal is his brother, and part of the family, who was lost but now is found.

So if the compassionate father is God, and the older son stands for the religious leaders of the day, have you figured out who the prodigal represents in this little tale?  We are the prodigal, we who at some point disobeyed God, we who went off on our own, turning our backs on our heavenly Father, we who came back and were shown undeserved love and grace.

Not all fathers are good dads – some never even stayed with their children - and not all good Dads are fathers, still, I would venture to say that most of us here had good fathers.  They took care of us, provided for our needs, taught us how to ride a bike and other important life lessons.

Those of us who are fathers know it’s not all that easy a job, and it carries a ton of responsibility if you try to do it right.  But no matter how good we are at being a loving, providing father, we will never be as good as our Father God.  He’s the best Dad ever!  He took us on when we were nothing but brats.  He adopted us when He didn’t have to.  And He gives us everything we need, and then piles more on so that we can enjoy this life.

Listen to what the Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, has to say about a very generous Father as I read from the 1st chapter of his letter to the early church, verses 16 through 18…

16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. 18 By His sovereign plan He gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.

--James 1:16-18 (NET)

Every perfect gift comes from God.  You know, we try hard to come up with just the right gift for someone, don’t we, no matter the occasion.  Whatever we end up giving, though, is actually imperfect – it won’t last, it will eventually wear out or fall apart or go hopelessly out of style.

But God gives perfect gifts, just what we need when we need it, eternal gifts, including salvation.  Just as God is perfect, with no variation in His manner or love, nor the slightest hint of change in His plan or His word.  He gave us birth, not only into this life, but also into our new life, through the message of truth, the Gospel message.

Family, God is good… all the time.  And all the time… God is good.  Let us thank Him and praise Him and give Him all the glory.  That’s all He wants from His beloved children on Father’s Day.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of our heavenly Father.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for our earthly fathers.  You gave us the institution of the family unit so that we would have a good safe environment to grow up in.  And good fathers model themselves after You, seeing to our needs, teaching us the ways of life, helping us grow into responsible adults.  Sadly, not all families are safe, or whole.  There are many fathers who refuse to be a part of their child’s life.  Forgive them, please Father.  Please help all fathers be more like You.  And especially please help and uphold those mothers who also have to stand as fathers for their children.  Please forgive us when we shirk our duties.  Forgive us those times, Father, when we could do more, but don’t.  And Father, please shield us from the elements of this world and our society that attack our faith and try to pull us away from You.  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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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 taught us that when we accepted You as our Lord, God adopted us into His holy family.  He calls us His own and wants us to call Him Father, to think of Him as our Daddy, that more personal, more endearing term.  Thank You, Lord, for showing us just how much God loves us.  Please help us be more obedient children.  Help us grow and mature in our faith by following Your example and Your word.  Shield our minds and our hearts from the world’s lies and empties promises.  Guide us around the clever ploys and snares, all the temptations the devil uses to entrap us.

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Do Not Be Fooled

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 11h of June, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

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

Family, today we’re going to finish with the Apostle Peter’s two letters to the early church.  The Christian church was established at Pentecost, shortly after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven.  Peter wrote his first letter when the church was only about 33 years old, and his second three years later, in 66 AD.

Thanks to the Apostle Paul’s missionary trips, and to all the apostles sharing the Gospel everywhere they went, the church quickly spread throughout the known world, all around the Mediterranean region.  These Christians were both Jewish converts and Gentiles who came to believe after hearing the Good News from the apostles.

The church experienced rapid growth and expansion, but it was also scattered all around because of persecution.  The early church suffered at the hands of the Romans and the Jews who refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah, as well as from the Pagans in the lands where they came to live.  So the believers scattered and then met in hiding.  Peter offered them reassurance, reminding them of God’s love and grace.  In fact, the main theme of his first letter is the grace of God in the life of a believer.  His second letter, though, turns to a more serious and spiritually deadly topic.

So we’re going to close out Peter’s second letter by listening to the stern alarm he raises.  We all need to pay close attention to this, because what he warns us about is happening all around us in the world today.  Just to jog your memory, Peter closed the 1st chapter of this 2nd letter by talking about the prophets of the holy Scriptures, those holy men who spoke the word of God for God.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the 2nd and closing chapter of Peter’s 2nd letter, from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their judgment, made long ago, does not linger, and their destruction does not slumber.

4 For if God did not spare the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be kept for judgment; 5 and if He did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, making them an example to those afterward who would live ungodly lives; 7 and if He delivered righteous Lot, who was distressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man lived among them, and what he saw and heard of their lawless deeds tormented his righteous soul day after day); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment, 10 especially those who walk after the flesh in pursuit of unclean desires, and despise authority.

They are presumptuous and arrogant, and are not afraid to slander the angelic beings. 11 Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring slanderous accusations against them before the Lord. 12 But these people are like irrational animals, born to be captured and destroyed. They speak evil of the things that they do not understand, and in their corruption they will be destroyed.

13 They shall receive the wages of unrighteousness. They count it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes who revel in their own deception while they carouse together with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin. They entice unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in greed. They are cursed children! 15 They have forsaken the right way and have gone astray. They follow the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness, 16 but who was rebuked for his iniquity. The mute donkey speaking with a man’s voice constrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These men are wells without water and clouds that are carried by a storm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. 18 For when they speak arrogant words of vanity, they entice by the lusts of the flesh and by depravity those who barely escaped from those who live in error. 19 Although they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by that which a man is overcome, to this he is enslaved. 20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then turn back from the holy commandment that was delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog returns to his own vomit,” and “the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mud.”

--2 Peter 2 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, Your word, spoken by Your prophets, saved for us in our Bibles by holy men and women… Your word is the truth, the only truth.  Your word is eternal and unchanging.  But Father, there are people out there who will say Your word is subject to our interpretation, that it must change with modern times.  There are preachers and teachers who lead believers and potential believers astray.  Thank You, God, for giving us the truth in Your word.  And thank You for giving us the faith to believe in Jesus, Your ultimate Word.  Father, please help us recognize lies when we hear them.  Help us discern the truth in a sea of untruths.  Shield us from those who serve Satan by spreading his lies and making a mockery of the truth, even while calling on the name of Jesus.  Remind us of Peter’s warning and keep us safe and secure in our belief and our knowledge of Your word.  And Father, please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please have Your Spirit warn us when an untruth is being presented to us as truth.  Help us remain steadfast in our faith, that we might better serve You.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Back in 1980, a Reader's Digest article noted that, "If you're planning to vacation in Zambia, beware of the street-corner ‘emerald vendors’.  And if you're driving, be prepared for some confusion in the streets, owing to stolen traffic lights.”  These two warnings were related.  The traffic light thieves were smashing the light lenses and selling the green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who thought they were getting bargain-basement emeralds.

And then in 1991, Bits & Pieces magazine reported that, “Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Well, let's see, how many legs has a cow?’  ‘Four, of course,’ came the reply disgustedly.  ‘That's right,’ agreed Lincoln.  ‘Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?’  ‘Why, five, of course,’ was the confident reply.  ‘Now, that's where you're wrong,’ said Lincoln.  ‘Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.’”

We can be so easily deceived, especially if we want something bad enough.  Our greed and our pride overcome our good sense and rational thinking.  Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg, no more than calling broken chips of a traffic light rare gems make them rare gems.  Not unless that's what we want them to be.  We’re all too willing to believe what we hear when it’s what we want to hear.

So Peter closed the 1st chapter of his 2nd letter saying, “For no prophecy at any time was produced by the will of man, but holy men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21 (MEV))  And then opened the 2nd chapter with, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”  (2 Peter 2:1 (MEV))

The destruction Peter speaks of is not necessarily delivered in this life, but definitely in the next.  Swift destruction simply means the deceivers are condemning themselves quickly with their deceptions.  And for our benefit, to warn us, Peter points out that there are still false prophets among us, even today.

One very troubling point he doesn’t mention is that not only are these false teachers condemning themselves, but they are leading other people to their own condemnation!  There are people who are gullible enough to believe anything a person of some important sounding authority will tell them.  And there are those who will readily accept anything that matches up with what they believe is correct and true, regardless of the actual truth.

There’s a modern saying that too many people fail to heed:  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.  When they don’t listen to that sage advice, they fall victim to the predator hiding behind the smile and fancy title.  If they’re lucky, they’ll only lose their money, and not their spot in heaven. 

Peter goes on to assure us that these false teachers and preachers, these people who spew their own brand of religion, who claim to speak for God but turn His words to their own purposes, they will not escape judgment.  For God did not spare even the angels who sinned against Him, who He cast into hell until the Day of Judgment.  Nor did He spare the ancient world that He washed clean by the great flood, except for Noah, the righteous man, and his family.  The entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and all who dwelt in them, destroying them by fire from heaven, except for Lot – another righteous man - and his children.

If God would perform these mighty acts to punish the wicked and keep them bound in punishment until the day of reckoning, then these ungodly false prophets will also be held for eternal death and condemnation.  These will receive the wages of their unrighteousness.  The worldly pleasures they now get from their deceit and lustful living will vanish in a heartbeat when they face judgment from God and suffer forever in the lake of fire.

Peter uses a very colorful phrase to describe these people: wells without water.  What good is a well if it has no water?  Can it serve a purpose for anything more than anguish and disappointment?

Compare that to Jesus.  Remember the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well?  Jesus said, “I am the Living Water.  All who come to Me will never thirst again.”  An endless supply, or a well without water… which would you rather have?

But then Peter closes out this chapter and his letter with a dire warning.  These false prophets are doomed by their own words and actions.  And the people they sway with their clever lies may be eternally doomed too.  

Even believers, even those who know Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior, even they can be condemned if they allow these liars to turn them away from Christ Jesus and back to the ways of the world.  If we know the truth, but then turn our back on it and accept the false doctrines because they just sound better to us or make more sense to us, then it will be worse for us than if we’d never known Jesus in the first place.

We must not return to our sinful ways once we have been washed clean of our sin by the precious blood of Jesus!  The Apostle Paul confirms this in the 6th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, in verses 1 through 14, when he says…

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may increase? 2 God forbid! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Do you not know that we who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For the one who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no further dominion over Him. 10 For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God.

11 Likewise, you also consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but yield yourselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead, and your bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.

--Romans 6:1-14 (MEV)

There are false teachers and preachers that will try to convince us that good is evil and evil good.  We see this every day, don’t we, on our TVs, in the movies and magazines?  Some have even gone so far as to call Christianity a fringe extremist group, labeling Christians as domestic terrorists.

There are many who will try to get us to serve them instead of God.  They don't care about us, only themselves.  The only concern they have for us is in what we can do for them.

We must not let them fool us.  We must not follow them down the road to perdition, to destruction, to eternal doom.  For we have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus.  And we must not return to our old sinful life and become soiled again, for then the dirt will not wash off.

Be wary, be cautious, do not be fooled.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Living Water, our only salvation.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for breathing Your truth into holy men and women who saved Your word for us in our Bible.  Your word is true, infallible, unchanging, eternal.  There are some who will try to convince us that You didn’t really mean what You said, or that what You said only applies to a time long ago, that we must look at things in a more modern way now, reinterpreting what You told us.  Please help us recognize these false prophets, who claim to speak for You but certainly don’t.  Help us see through their cleverly devised plans and schemes, for they have nothing good for us.  They follow only their own agenda.  Please forgive us when we are fooled by them, start listening to them, or even give them credit for having a valid argument against Your word.  We know better, for we know Jesus.  But Father, we are sinners and sometimes we just get swept away by the flood of fast talking and reasonable sounding lies.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Shield us from the false preachers.  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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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 allowed Your own precious blood to be spilled that we might be washed clean of our sin and reconciled with God.  Thank You, Lord, for making so great a sacrifice on our behalf!  Please help us stay clean.  Help us discern the truth from the lies that others try to pass off on us.  Shield our minds and our hearts from words of deceit and untrue promises.  

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Three In One

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Trinity Sunday, the 4th of June, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

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

Family, today is Trinity Sunday.  This is a joyous day on our Christian Calendar when we celebrate the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All three are God, and all three have existed forever, since before time began and will continue long after time ends.

A lot of people have trouble grasping this concept, even Christians.  But I think it helps to think about our own situations in life, and how we can easily be three – or more – persons in one.  For example, I am a father, I am a son, and I am a pastor.  Each “role”, each “person”, has different responsibilities, different duties, different priorities.

Now granted, my role as “son” pretty much ended once I got my parents’ estate all settled, but I will always be Ray and Yvonne’s baby boy Richard.  And my role as “father” isn’t anywhere near as complex and confusing as it used to be, but I still am one, and I have a ton of birthday and Christmas and Father’s Day cards to prove it.  And then there’s the pastor, called by God, confirmed to that calling by you, my Pilgrim family, where I do my best to minister to you and the greater community.

I do wear other hats and have other responsibilities in the community, as most of us do, but most of us can easily find three roles we fill, with each being a little different from one another.

So today we celebrate the three Persons of God.  At the same time, I also want to continue our look at Peter’s letters to the early church.  The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by our good physician Luke, provides us with information on the early church, how it was formed, how it spread, how its belief system matured.  But the letters written by those Apostles to the churches that were spread all over the known world, these give us great insight into the thinking of the people, and of our Lord’s disciples, in these early days.  These form the basis for our own beliefs today, our own views into Jesus and our heavenly Father and His most Holy Spirit.  Case in point: The opening to Peter’s 2nd letter to the far-flung early church provides us with evidence of the three Persons of God.

So please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 1 of Peter’s 2nd letter, from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and excellence, 4 by which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these things you might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 For this reason make every effort to add virtue to your faith; and to your virtue, knowledge; 6 and to your knowledge, self-control; and to your self-control, patient endurance; and to your patient endurance, godliness; 7 and to your godliness, brotherly kindness; and to your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these things reside in you and abound, they ensure that you will neither be useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But the one who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted because he has forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

10 Therefore, brothers, diligently make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided for you.

12 Therefore I will not be negligent to always remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I live in this body, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that soon I will take off this body, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me. 15 And I will also be diligent to make sure that after my death you will always remember these things.

16 For we have not followed cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to Him from the majestic glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we ourselves heard this voice, which came from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And we have a more reliable word of prophecy, which you would do well to follow, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of the Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy at any time was produced by the will of man, but holy men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

--2 Peter 1 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Almighty God, today we celebrate Your three Persons.  You are our heavenly Father, watching over us, protecting us, providing for our needs.  You are our Christ, our Lord Jesus who allowed Yourself to be sacrificed so that we could be washed clean of our sin by Your blood.  And You are the most Holy Spirit, living within us, our ever-present Guide and Companion.  Thank You, God, for choosing us to believe in Jesus, for adopting us into Your family, for giving us Your Holy Spirit.  Sadly, though, Father, we don’t always behave like good children.  We can be stubborn, disobedient little brats at times.  Please forgive us our lapses, Father, those times when we just can’t seem to stop ourselves from doing or saying something we know will displease You.  Forgive us when we inadvertently open the door to Satan and let him rule over us, even if for only a few minutes.  Remind us that we are Yours, bought at a great price.  And Father, please protect us from Satan, who deceives us and tries to pull us 

away from You.  Please shield us from those who are so willing to follow his commands.  Free us from his traps and temptations.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Please have Your Spirit show us how to be more virtuous, more righteous in Your eyes.  Help us grow and mature in our faith, that we might become partakers of Your divine nature and escape the corruption in this world.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In our belief system here at Pilgrim, and many other churches, we call that third Person of God the Holy Spirit.  Evangelist Francis Chan calls Him the forgotten God.  Some folks still use the older term.

I love this little story from Reader's Digest and have used it before, and will probably use it again sometime.  It points out how cultural differences play a huge role in our view of things, even religious things.  The unknown author writes:

While our friends from India traveled around California on business, they left their 11 year-old daughter with us.  Curious about my going to church one Sunday morning, she decided to come along.  When we returned home, my husband asked her what she thought of the service. 

“I don't understand why the West Coast isn't included too,” she replied.  When we inquired what she meant, she added, “You know, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the whole East Coast.”

“Whole east coast” – “Holy Ghost”.  While that is a humorous little misunderstanding, it does show how cultural differences can have an impact in perception and in practice.  The child was from India, where Christianity is not very well known or practiced, and even shunned by many.  She may never have been told of the one true God, let alone His three Persons.  To me, it is tragic to think that a person may not ever hear the Gospel message just because of where they were born and raised.

This is why it is so important that we help spread the Good News to all the earth, in any way we can.  We can’t assume, even in this age of instant communications, that every person on earth has had the opportunity to learn about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We need to spread the Gospel everywhere we can, and not just the whole East Coast.

In our scripture reading, Peter opens his 2nd letter much as he did the 1st: by introducing himself as an apostle of Jesus and then recognizing the intended recipients of the letter.  Of course, we Christians are all recipients of his letters, we who have received that precious faith through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now in this opening chapter, Peter tells us all about the things our Father God and Jesus have done for us, but I said he gives us evidence of all three Persons.  Where is the Holy Spirit, you may ask.  As is usually the case, the Holy Spirit is there in the background, doing His job quietly, without a lot of fanfare, often times not even mentioned by name.  We can see His hand in verses 5 through 8 - shoring up our faith, helping us be more virtuous, adding to our knowledge of Jesus, giving us more self-control, patience, and endurance so that we might be more godly in our behavior, kinder toward one another, more loving of all.  He resides within us, ensuring we will be neither useless nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Jesus or in our service to our Lord.  And then, in the very last verse of our reading, Peter mentions the Spirit by name, acknowledging His role in the making of all prophecy, moving holy men to speak for God.  Prophesy is just that – speaking for God.  And that is what the Holy Spirit does within us.  He speaks to us for God, and He speaks to God for us.

And notice that Peter cautions that no prophecy in our scripture, nothing God said in our Bible, is subject to our interpretation.  What God said through the prophets is true and as stated.  There are many people, especially today, who call themselves teachers and preachers, who will try to tell you that what God said is not really what He meant.  Paul warned us about this, that people will hire preachers that will only tell them what they want to hear.  They’ll put their own spin on God’s word, twisting it around to fit their own agenda.  The Holy Spirit moved all the authors in our Bible to speak and record what God said and what God meant.  Don’t let anyone else fool you.

Peter also mentions something we’ve talked about a good bit recently, when God spoke from heaven at Jesus’ transfiguration and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Here, Peter is giving witness to what he saw and heard there on the mountainside.

The other time that God the Father spoke to us about Jesus His Son came as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and filled Him when Jesus rose from the waters of the River Jordan after being baptized by John.  Listen to how the Apostle Matthew recorded this in verses 13 through 17 of the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account…

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 But John prohibited Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.

16 And when Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water. And suddenly the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending on Him like a dove. 17 And a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

--Matthew 3:13-17 (MEV)

Now in our scripture reading, Peter instructs us on how to grow and mature in our faith.  He gives us a progression that we should strive to attain to, encouraging us to be diligent to make our calling and our election by God sure and firm.  God has called us to be His, to be holy, and He has chosen us to believe in Christ Jesus, so we need to be sure to keep our faith strong, so that we do not stumble, to keep our door to heaven open.

It won’t be easy.  There will be problems and pitfalls along the way.  Back in his 1st letter, in verses 12 through 16 of chapter 4, Peter says…

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad — for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.

14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glory of God, which is His Spirit, rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His name!

--1 Peter 4:12-16 (NLT)

Even here, as he’s warning us about what could very well happen to us, Peter still encourages us to keep our faith strong by invoking the three Persons of God.  “If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glory of God, which is His Spirit, rests upon you.”  God’s glory is His Holy Spirit, who dwells within us because Jesus the Son asked God to send Him to us.  And through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can glorify God and help bring the lost to Jesus, if we’ll just listen and obey the Spirit.

There’s one last point I’d like to make in our celebration of God’s three Persons.  And this comes from the words our Lord Jesus spoke right before He left this earth to return to His Father in heaven.  Matthew recorded these words, in the 28th chapter of his Gospel account, the second part of verse 18 through verse 20…

18b “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

--Matthew 28:18b-20 (MEV)

This is our assignment, our mission in this life, to go into the world making disciples.  We are to baptize them with water, anointing them in the names of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  And then the Holy Spirit can baptize them with fire.  In this we show our love: helping the lost learn about Jesus so that the Holy Spirit can work on their hearts, granting them salvation by the grace of our merciful Father.

Family, we are truly blessed by our three in One.  Let us indeed celebrate the Holy Trinity, today and every day.  In the blessed name of God our heavenly Father, of Christ Jesus His Son and our Lord, and of His most Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You choosing us to believe in Your Son Jesus, Your Christ sent to save us from ourselves.  Thank You for sending Your own Spirit to live within us, filling all the holes in our life.  Thank You for being a loving Father.  Please help us be more holy in Your eyes.  Help us constantly strive to mature in our faith and our service.  Please forgive us when we displease You.  Forgive us those times when we hesitate to do what we know we should do, and those times when the things we should do are left undone.  Please, loving Father, help us be better servants.  Help us always glorify You 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 the world throws at us or holds out before us.

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 God’s only Son, conceived by God’s Holy Spirit though born of a woman, just like we were born.  God’s Spirit lives within us and guides us and sometimes we can feel Him and hear Him.  But it is You, dear Jesus, that we know and love best of all.  You washed us clean with Your own precious blood, spilled just so that we might be reconciled with God.  You showed us how to live by how You lived, and how to love by how You loved.  And You had our Father send His Spirit to live in us.  Thank You, Jesus, for such wonderful gifts.  Thank You for doing it all just for our benefit.  Please help us bring others to You.  Send some lost soul to us that we can tell the sweet, sweet story to, the story of Your love.

And Jesus, please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.