Monthly Devotions
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
March 2009
February 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
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March 2010
The Way to Praise Him
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On March 28 we will celebrate “Palm Sunday.” We will recall again the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem a few days before His death. We will focus our attention on Christ as our Lord. When Jesus sent His disciples to get the colt He was to ride, He instructed them to tell its owners, “The Lord has need of it” (Luke 19:31). And when the crowds shouted their praise, they quoted Psalm 118:26, saying “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19: 38).
Jesus is Lord! His is “The name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). As part of Christ’s title, the word Lord refers to His sovereignty. He is the King, and every believer in Him is a member of His kingdom.
We make Jesus the Lord of our lives by bowing to His authority as King. This means that we live in obedience to Him. We can’t be like the man who claimed to be a Christian and yet chose to use illegal substances and live in an illicit relationship. When his minister confronted him, he glibly replied, “Don’t worry, pastor. It’s okay. I am just a bad Christian.”
It is not okay. Not at all! Not for a member of Christ’s kingdom (Luke 6: 43-49).
As we prepare to celebrate this Palm Sunday let us make sure that we are honoring Him with our deeds as well as with our words. Then we can join with others in proclaiming, “Jesus is Lord!”
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February 2010
Lifted from the Depths
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"Celebrate the blessings we share as the assembled people of God!"
A British submarine laid disabled on the ocean floor. Several days passed and the crew lost hope of being rescued. The prospect was especially dim because they had not been able to communicate their exact position to allied ships on the surface. The commanding officer explained to the men that they didn’t have much longer to live, and he suggested that they sing a hymn. So together, they sang these words: “The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.”
As the oxygen supply began to run out, the men gradually weakened. One sailor was affected more quickly than the others and lurched forward, crashing against the vessel’s surfacing equipment. Suddenly the faulty mechanism began to operate, and the vessel slowly rose from the ocean floor. They all made it back to port safely.
Greater than any deliverance from a literal sea is God’s provision for those who are trapped in the ocean of unbelief. Only a miracle of grace can bring them out of the depths of sin and degradation.
Whoever is caught in the grip of sin, Jesus alone can give them a new start. If they will put their trust in the Savior, they will be lifted out of the waters of judgment and into the sunlight of God’s forgiveness.
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Psalm 40:1-2).
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January 2010
Into the Unknown in 2010
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Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called... And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
One of the greatest obstacles we face in following Christ in 2010 is fear of the unknown. We yearn to know in advance the outcome of our obedience and where He is taking us, yet we are given only the assurance that He is with us and that He is in charge. And with that, we venture into the unknown of 2010 with Him.
Abraham modeled the response of a person who is willing to walk with God into an unknown future. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).
Abraham knew that God had called him and had given him a promise and that was enough. He was willing to entrust his future to the Lord.
We may do the same in 2010 by trusting our Lord for the future and stepping out in faith. As we stand on the threshold of a new year, may this prayer of faith and anticipation be an encouragement to us all:
O Lord God, who has called us, Your servants, to ventures of which we cannot see the ending; by paths as yet un-trodden and through perils unknown; Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love is supporting us. Amen.
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December 2009
A Joyous Celebration
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Luke 2:10 "...Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people..."
When God shows His goodness, He loves to see us celebrate and respond with joy. For example, when God brought the Israelites back from captivity, He told them to hold a festival to commemorate the completion of the new temple and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh.8). And celebrate they did!
If God wanted the Israelites to have a good time of feasting and sharing because of His goodness, would He condemn a festive spirit at Christmas time?
Was not the angel’s message to the shepherds one of “good tidings of great joy”?
It is true that the Bible does not tell us to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, and we don’t know the exact date. Then too, much about the season has a pagan background. But this doesn’t make it wrong to celebrate if Christ is kept uppermost in our lives. We don’t think of mistletoe, holly, and evergreens as being pagan any more than we associate Sunday and Monday with the worship of the sun and the moon gods after which these days are named. Just because unbelievers abuse Christmas time doesn’t mean we will.
Keep Christ central. Then enjoy the season. Sing the Christmas hymns. Gather for family fun. Even make shopping a joyous celebration of God’s goodness. When we love Jesus, He blesses our festivities.
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November 2009
A Basket of Thanksgivings
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Psalm 103:2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."
The story in Luke 17:11-19 records the terrible sin of ingratitude. In desperation ten lepers cried out to Jesus, and He graciously cleansed them. Only one however returned to offer thanks for his healing.
Such thoughtlessness is disturbing, but what is even more distressing is the fact that the same attitude often characterizes our relationship to God. An old legend tells of two angels sent by the Heavenly Father to earth for the purpose of gathering requests and notes of praise from His children. The one messenger named Prayer carried a large basket, for it would be filled with many petitions. The other whose name was Thanksgiving had only a small basket, since very few expressions of gratitude would be conveyed to Heaven from the hundreds who had been blessed by the Lord.
At this season of the year when we are especially admonished to remember God’s goodness, may we confess our own selfishness and fill a large basket with thanksgivings. Then tomorrow and the days that follow, let us echo the words of the psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
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October 2009
Broken Loaves, Broken Lives
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John 6:12 "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is left."
When I taught Middle School at West Seattle Christian School I passed around a loaf of unsliced bread and I asked each eighth grader in my Bible class to respond to it. One boy squeezed the bread and said, “It is fresh.” Another student commented, “It smells delicious.” One of the girls noted, “It looks nourishing.”
Finally, one of them said, “That’s true, but I’m hungry!” With that, he broke off a piece and ate it. His response said it all: Unbroken bread is useless.
One day Jesus faced 5,000 hungry people. Only by breaking the five loaves and two fish into pieces could He miraculously feed the multitude (John 6:11), and He refused to waste any leftover fragments (v. 12).
Not only did this miracle foreshadow Christ’s giving of his body on the cross but it also speaks of the brokenness that believers must experience if they are to be used by God.
Do you fear a loss of usefulness, broken health, broken hope, or broken promises? Fear not! Although some things lose their usefulness once they are broken, there are two things that become more useful: broken loaves and broken lives.
If we will only yield the fragments of our life to God, He will not waste a crumb of what we are going through.
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September 2009
FIFTY YEARS OF FRIENDLY MINISTRY
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Sunday
September 13, 2009
2:30 P.M.
Mountlake Terrace Christian Church
Fifty Years of Ministry
Speaker: Steve Lyons
Song Leader: Don Green
Reception
A group picture will be taken and a Mountlake Terrace Christian Church Women’s Group Cookbook will be available for purchase
Come help us celebrate the past, present and the future of our church!
Ephesians 4:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Since our beginning in 1959 we have tried to be a friendly church. A friendly church where the welcome has always been unconditional and where people could find a sympathetic ear for their troubles and a strong shoulder to help bear their burdens of life. Today we like to think of our friendly church as the final stop for those in search of a friendly church. We have always tried to live up to our claim and we will continue to strive to meet the goal of being “rich in Christian love.”
The Israelites left Egypt a disorganized ban of more than six hundred thousand people. They carried everything they owned with them, including the gifts of gold, silver, and clothing the Egyptians gave them. In less than three months, they arrived at Mount Sinai. There they would stay for a year. And there they would become a nation, with laws, the priesthood, the tabernacle, and the institution of offerings and feasts.
Israel was not a “perfect” nation. But even in times of their deepest failure, God was able to find some who remained true to Him. Our church, the Mountlake Terrace Christian Church, was not – is not- and will not be “perfect” either. But as we continue to do our part to remain faithful now and into the future then others will follow. What can we do to maintain our claim to be a friendly church? We must follow the advice of Paul and "be completely humble, gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
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July 2009
Protect Us by Thy Might
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Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember...the Lord our God."
Every year on July 4, Americans celebrate Independence Day. Other countries have their own special days for commemorating their nation's birth.
French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"
If any land is to be free, its citizens must acknowledge with the psalmist, "We will remember the name of the Lord our God!" They must not trust in massive armaments, material wealth, or scientific progress. Many nations have done this, only to be destroyed.
History bears silent witness to this truth: No nation can stand that refuses to trust in God.
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June 2009
Joyful Worship
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2 Chronicles 7:3 "....They bowed their faces to the ground..., and worshiped and praised the Lord."
It wasn't a normal, run-of-the-mill morning worship service when Solomon dedicated the temple. There was the sacrifice of countless animals (2 Chron. 5:6). Special music was provided by the Levites on stringed instruments, cymbals, and harps, and by 120 trumpet-playing priests (5:12). There was the thick cloud in which dwelt the glory of the Lord (5:14). There was the prayer of dedication by Solomon (6:12-42).
The most dramatic event occurred, however, when fire fell from heaven and consumed the offerings (7:1). The people, awed by God's presence, bowed low in worship (7:3). Two weeks later, when Solomon sent them home, they were "joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the Lord had done" (7:10).
Although we cannot duplicate the majesty of such a celebration, from it we can learn about the transforming power of worship. And we can be challenged as believers to seek to worship God more effectively.
As we attend worship, let us review the mighty works God has done in our life and in the lives of our fellow worshipers. Let us bow before the Lord in gratitude for who He is and sing praises to His greatness, power, and glory. In the spirit of the people at the temple, let us joyfully worship the Lord.
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May 2009
A Ruminating Christian
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Psalm 119:97 "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."
This spring or summer as you drive through the countryside, you may see the familiar scene of contented cows chewing their cud. These are known as ruminating animals. They digest their food in this manner because chewing and rechewing is essential for the process of assimilation.
The same is true with the spiritual meat of God's Word. It becomes a part of us as we prayerfully reflect upon it. I read of a devout Christian who had "meditated through the Bible three times." This is quite different from simply reading through it. Now, do not misunderstand me, I'm in favor of that. In fact, it has been my practice for a long time to read the Bible through once a year. But that's not the activity the psalmist is referring to in Psalm 119:97. He had gone beyond merely reading God's Word. He had made it the substance of his thinking all day long. By "chewing and rechewing," he had made it a part of his entire being.
Meditation takes time and concentration. No late-for-work departure in the morning will give sufficient opportunity for this kind of exposure to the Scriptures. If it is to become spiritual bone and marrow, we must follow Paul's admonition to Timothy, "Meditate upon these things; give yourself wholly to them" (1 Tim. 4:15).
In Israel, only the animals that chewed their cud were considered "clean." As believers, we experience the purifying effect of the Word when we "meditate" upon it. The Lord Jesus said, "Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).
Careful meditation on the Scriptures make for a closer walk with the Savior.
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March 2009
Hasty Conclusions
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1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes."
A Persian king wanted to teach his four sons never to make rash judgments. So he told the eldest to go in winter to see a mango tree, the next to go in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest in the fall.
After the last son had returned from his autumn visit, the king called them together to describe what they had observed of the mango tree. "It looks like a burnt old stump," said the eldest son. "No," said the second son, "it is lacy green." The third described it as "beautiful as a rose." The youngest son said, "No, its fruit is like a pear." "Each is right," said the king, "for each of you saw the tree in a different season.
What a lesson this fable holds for Christians. We quickly forget that our brothers and sisters in the faith are at different stages of growth and come from many different backgrounds and cultures. Conversion to Christ is just the beginning of a lifetime of replacing old thoughts, attitudes, habits, and actions with new ones created by the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, who continually works to change us.
We must take the time to understand people, get to know them, learn their backgrounds, and try to discern what season of spiritual development they are in.
God sees the whole picture, and He never draws hasty conclusions. Neither should we.
***
February 2009
Squirrel Feeder
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"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." Psalm 65:11
When we lived in Edmonds we enjoyed feeding the neighborhood squirrels. We put out a simple device- two boards and a nail on which we put a corncob. Each morning a squirrel would come to the feeder to enjoy that day's meal. She was a pretty thing- gray and brown, with a white tummy.
We would sit on our back porch in the morning and watch her eat. She plucks each kernel from the cob, holds it in her paws, turns it around and eats the heart out of the kernel. At the end of the day no kernels remained, only a neat little pile of leftovers.
Despite our care for her, the creature was always afraid of us. When we approached, she would run away, taking refuge in her tree and chattering at us when we got too close. She did not realize that we were the ones providing for her.
Some people are like that with God. They run from Him in fear. They don't know that He loves them and richly provides them with everything for their enjoyment (Ps. 65:11).
Henry Scougal, a 17th century Scottish minister, wrote: "Nothing is more powerful to engage our affection than to find that we are loved by One who is altogether lovely...How must this astonish and delight us; how must it overcome our fear and melt our hearts." God's love is the perfect love that "casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).
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December 2008
The Secret of Peace
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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14
A few days ago, while preparing December sermons, I was reading the Christmas story and I made an amazing discovery. Many times I had read the angels’ song of glory to God and peace and goodwill on earth. I thought, “Peace and good will is what we are all looking for.”
This Christmas finds our military committed to fighting two wars, and the economic situation is threatening the stability of households all over the nation. We want peace for our hearts, minds and bodies.
As I read the Christmas story again I discovered the secret to peace. It dawned on me that when we give God glory, He gives us peace. I asked myself three questions: “What is this glory that God must get? What does it look like? And how much does it cost?” Then the answer came to me. Glory means “place.” It means to give God His place. So I realized, maybe for the first time, that when God gets His place in my life, I get peace. When God gets His place in my family, my family gets peace. When God gets His place in our world, our world gets peace.
Christmas tells us that God comes in Jesus Christ to take His place in our lives, giving us the peace we so desperately need and desire.
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November 2008
A Basket of Thanksgivings
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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” Psalm 103:2
The story in Luke 17 portrays the terrible sin of ingratitude. In desperation 10 lepers cried out to Jesus, and He graciously cleansed them. Only one, however, returned to offer thanks for his healing.
These are difficult economic times and the unemployment rate is climbing and getting worse each day. The local news recently reported that “Monster Job. Com helped 2500 Washington State citizens find employment in October”. In their statistics they also reported that only ten people from that large number took the time to express their appreciation for the help they received by Monster Job. Com. What a sad commentary on human nature. So often when a person gets what they want, they neglect to say, “Thank you.”
Such thoughtlessness is disturbing, but what is even more distressing is the fact that the same attitude often characterizes mankind’s relationship with God. An old legend tells of two angels sent by the Heavenly Father to earth for the purpose of gathering requests and notes of praise from His children. The one messenger named “Prayer” carried a large basket, for it would be filled with many petitions. The other whose name was “Thanksgiving” had only a small basket, since very few expressions of gratitude would be conveyed to Heaven from the hundreds who had been blessed by the Lord.
At this season of the year when we are especially admonished to remember God’s goodness, may we confess our own selfishness and fill a large basket with thanksgivings. Then with all the days that follow, let us echo the words of the psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
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October 2008
Prayer and Politics
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In 1787 a convention was called in the United States to revise the Articles of Confederation. For weeks delegates reviewed ancient history and analyzed modern governments, searching for insights. But nothing suited the infant nation.
Finally, a distinguished gentleman named Benjamin Franklin rose and said, “In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth and scarce able to distinguish it when it is presented to us, how has it happened that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings?” Mr. Franklin believed there was a sovereign God who could provide guidance to those who sought it.
If ever there was a time to follow that prayerful example, it is now! Paul said that governments are ordained of God (Romans 13:1), and that we are to pray for those in authority over us (1 Timothy 2: 1-2). This prayer principle also applies to the election of our leaders. We must become informed and vote prayerfully for those who shape our laws.
Because God has instructed us to do so, we can, indeed we must, unashamedly and boldly mix prayer with our politics.
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September 2008
Life is a Puzzle
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“’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11
While visiting with Dan and Esther Burris one day, I sat down at their dining room table on which a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle was half assembled. I tried to determine where several pices would fit. I couldn’t place even one. Then Esther sat down and began placing pieces in rapid succession and details for the “zebra” picture began to emerge. I watched fascinated. “It seems you’ve done this before,” I said to Esther.
“I have a puzzle set up on the dining room table all the time,” she said.
Sometimes life seems like a jigsaw puzzle to me. I don’t know how to assemble the fragments of experiences that are out of synch. My confusion only mounts when I try to impose order on my own.
But when I turn to God and ask for wisdom and insight, I can look at my situation differently. As I allow the “Expert” to rearrange the fragments, I begin to see the picture God plans for my life. And because I trust that the Lord is in charge, I can face and deal with whatever happens, knowing it will ultimately work for my good and God’s glory.
***
August 2008
Busy As a Bee
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One day last week as I was working in my yard getting ready for the progressive dinner I came upon a hive of bees. I took time to stop and admire their work ethic. Do you know that the bee has one of the most highly developed social structures in the animal kingdom? At the heart of the hive, which may house as many as 80,000 bees, is the queen. Without her, the colony has no future. But the 80,000 bees don’t just sit around watching their queen. Each bee has a specialized duty to fulfill.
The forager bees encounter the perils of the outside world to collect food. The guard bees protect the hive entrance from intruders. The undertakes are responsible for removing dead bodies from the hive. The water collectors bring in moisture to regulate humidity. The plasterers make a kind of cement to repair the hive. And then there are the fanner bees that station themselves at the entrance and fan the scent outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety and specialization of the worker bees seem endless.
In a similar way, the Lord has given special gifts and tasks to all the people in the church. Paul writes, “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Corinthians 12:18).
Someone has written: “Christ builds His church and makes it strong by using you and me; and if we all will do our part the world His love will see.”
No one has been called into the church to merely sit around. Everyone can do something. The work of the church will not get done unless all of us do what God has called us to do.
***
July 2008
Celebrate Freedom
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After being kidnapped, held hostage for 13 days, and released, New Zealand news cameraman Olaf Wiig, with a broad smile on his face, announced, “I feel more alive now than I have in my entire life.”
For reasons difficult to understand, being freed is more exhilarating than being free.
For those who enjoy freedom every day, Olaf’s joy was a good reminder of how easily we forget how blessed we are. This is also true spiritually. Those of us who have been Christians for a long time often forget what it’s like to be held hostage by sin. We can become complacent and even ungrateful. But then God sends a reminder in the form of a new believer who gives an exuberant testimony of what God has done in his or her life, and once again we see the joy that is ours when we are “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
If freedom has become boring to us, or if we tend to focus on what we can’t do, consider this: Not only are we no longer a slave to sin, but we are freed to be holy and to enjoy eternal life with Christ Jesus! (Romans 6:22).
Everyday let us celebrate our freedom in Christ by taking the time to thank God for the things we are able and free to do as His servant.
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June 2008
Good Dads
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Columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. grew up with a father he describes as physically present but emotionally absent. In his first book on parenting, Pitts openly chronicles his struggle to come to terms with his alcoholic father and the climate of fear he had created in their home. Pitts challenges all men to resolve the resentment toward their absent or abusive fathers instead of passing it on to the next generation.
There is a passage in Hebrews 12 that applies to all Christians, but it has special relevance to dads. It reads: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (vv. 14-15)
Think of what could happen in our families if we emptied our hearts of bitterness and made peaceful relationships our goal! If we have been blessed with a wise and loving father, we should be grateful and follow his example. But if our father has failed us, we must rely on God’s grace, resolve our anger toward him, and strive to be the kind of dad we never had. It won’t be easy, but with our heavenly Father as a perfect example, we can learn to be good dads.
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May 2008
David's Hiding Place
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Psalm 31: 2
“Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me.”
Protection comes in many forms:
A rabbit dives for the safety of his hole
A deer runs for the dense cover of the forest
A two year old runs to the arms of their parent
A soldier digs in under cover of supportive artillery
But what does a Christian do? Where does a Christian hide when surrounded by danger?
I have been teaching a Sunday morning Bible class on the Book of Psalms and the primary author of the Psalms, David. David knew where to find protection from danger. When he wrote Psalm 31, things were not going well for him. He was tired, weak, and hurting. His mind was distressed. His heart was broken. His enemies were chasing him, and his friends had let him down. He was in a vulnerable position- but he was not defenseless. He knew that God is the best possible source of safety, and that a right relationship with God is the wisest defense strategy. That’s where David found safety.
Just as a small child finds confidence in calling out for their older brother when threatened by a bully, David called on the name of the Lord. Because he was living in fellowship with Him, he hid himself in the security of the One who had helped him so many times in the past, and who loved him with an unfailing love.
We must ask ourselves, “Are we as quick to seek that same security?” God can be trusted! He was a sure hiding place for David (Psalm 31:20 “In the shelter of your presence you hide them…”), and He is also the One we should cling to for our protection.
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April 2008
Wounded for Me
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“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” Isaiah 53:5
If we were to study the painting of the crucifixion by the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt, out attention will first be drawn to the cross and to Jesus. Then, as we look at the crowd around the cross, we are drawn to the faces of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. Finally, our eyes drift to the edge of the picture and catch sight of another figure—almost hidden in the shadows. This, we are told, was a self-portrait of Rembrandt, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus there.
Someone has said, ”It is a simple thing to say that Christ died for the sin of the world. It is quite another thing to say that Christ died for my sin!” It may be an interesting pastime to point fingers at those who crucified Jesus, but it is a shocking thought that I can be as indifferent as Pilate, as scheming as Caiaphas, as calloused as the soldiers, as ruthless as the mob, or as cowardly as the disciples. It isn’t just what they did—it was I who nailed Him to the tree. I crucified Christ. I joined the mockery.
Think again of Rembrandt’s painting. If you look closely, you will see that in the shadows you too are standing with bloodied hands, for Christ bore the penalty of your sin! And you will say, “He was wounded for me.”
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March 2008
Christ In Our Midst
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“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them…” Luke 24:36
The Easter event did not happen only to a small group of grieving women one Sunday morning. It is our event, too. It continues to happen.
Let us imagine that first Easter evening. We sit behind closed doors for fear we too will be arrested. We grieve for our dead Master. Our hearts ache as we recall how we deserted Him. Suddenly Jesus stands in our midst. “Peace be with you”, He says. He shows us the nail prints in His hands and the wound in His side. This is no apparition. This is really happening! The “defeated”, crucified Savior is alive and in our midst! We sense a strange peace. We feel a joy we have never known before. The risen Christ breathes into us the Holy Spirit and we are never the same again.
Christ came to the first disciples over and over during the weeks from Easter to the Ascension. Although we do not “see” Him, His presence can be ours too. We can sense that presence in fellowship with other Christians, through scripture read and preached, in the Lord’s Supper, as we serve others in Christ’s name, and in countless other ways.
We affirm with the disciples the good news that,
“Christ Is Risen!”
***
February 2008
Love Letters
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“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us.” Ephesians 5:2
To “walk in love” means that we continually do the little acts of kindness that can make life bearable and better for another person.
One practical way to express our love costs only the price of a postage stamp- plus paper, ink, and a little thought.
All of us have felt the nudge to write a letter- an unexpected note that could brighten another person’s day. Perhaps it is a note of appreciation, an expression of concern, or a compliment for a task well done. Too often the letter goes unwritten and the impulse is unexpressed. We convince ourselves that we don’t have time, or that our letter won’t matter.
A young minister cherished a note he received from a busy architect in his congregation. The letter said simply, “Your sermon met me where I was on Sunday- at the crossroads of confusion and hurt. Thanks for preaching it!” Those words met the young pastor where he lived- at the intersection of discouragement and pain- and encouraged him to keep on in the ministry. The note took less than five minutes to write.
Can you think of someone in the congregation who needs encouragement, thanks, or a reminder that you are praying for him or her? Someone once wrote: “It was only a brief little note, or a word that was prayerfully spoken, yet not in vain, for it soothed the pain of a heart that was nearly broken.” Today, “walk in love” to the mailbox.
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January 2008
A New Year’s Resolution: Attend Church in 2008
Teed Nail
According to our records there are 57 people who identify with our congregation as members. Of that number 46 are active members (attending church at least twice a month) yet our average weekly attendance is 45.
Hebrews 10:22-25: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Let us examine the context of this one New Testament command for assembly.
The primary exhortation (v.22) is, “Draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” Verse 23 exhorts us to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” Verse 24 reads, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Verse 25 is not a command for a passive audience. It emphasizes a community in which each member contributes to the spiritual growth of the others. The purpose, as suggested by verse 24, is to develop an active community, performing good deeds.
Why do some people come to church?
Some people come to church for entertainment.
Some people attend worship from a sense of duty.
Some go to church for fellowship.
A few attend church to be encouraged and to encourage others.
Why do some people not come to church?
Some may not come because of indifference; they feel they do not benefit from the service. Some may stay home out of stubbornness- “No preacher is going to tell me I have to be in church!”
Others may miss church because they have higher priorities: sports, recreation, and travel- maybe just sleeping in.
Some people are physically unable to attend. Some are not available because they work on Sunday.
The New Testament congregation was a community with a sense of common nurture.
A true “assembly of the saints” should aim for mutual edification. The purpose of our assembly is to encourage one another to live a holy life.
Let our resolution for 2008 be to “meet together”; and together, “let us draw near to God”; “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess”; and let us “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
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