Month: April 2021

Our First Reading this week is Acts 4:5-12.

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

When Jesus is no longer physically with them, the disciples are comforted and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Acts we hear their testimony of the risen Lord and see their work in His name. They have heard the call He has placed on their lives to go to all people.

The religious leaders are threatened by these words and actions, just as they were by the ministry of Jesus. Afraid of losing their power and position, they question Peter and John about these things, hoping to frighten them into silence and compliance. As we hear, it doesn’t work.

Like the disciples, we may also face criticism and resistance to our sharing the Good News. Even the things we do to help others may be seen as a threat by those who control through fear. Don’t let the ways of the world keep you from the kingdom work Jesus expects of us!

Loving Lord, we face challenges every day from those who oppose You. Help us to see the truth and share it with all Your children. Amen.

Our call to worship this week is Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

This well-known Psalm is often used at memorial services to comfort us in our loss, and it gives us a wonderful promise. However, its truth is also a source of strength for daily living, to know that God is with us in every situation we encounter. His everlasting love will never fail or be taken away from us.

God gives us the assurance of His holy presence no matter what we face here on earth. We may endure the valley of the shadow of death by leaning on His strength. He wants us to understand that our suffering here will not last, but that His blessing is eternal.

God provides a way, leading us through the trials of our lives when we place our trust in Him. Our aim is to stay near Him for blessing, security and rest. By this faith we may dwell in His house forever.

Loving Lord, You alone are mighty to save. Help us to see our own strength is never enough, but through Your love we are made whole again. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is Luke 24:36-48, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

This passage echoes the resurrection appearances in the other Gospel accounts, all telling the same story – Christ is risen and visited those closest to Him that they would believe. There are minor differences in the details perhaps but the truth stands out in each. According to God’s plan, Jesus was raised on the third day and showed Himself to His followers.

Just prior to this in Luke’s gospel, Jesus walks on the road to Emmaus with two of His followers (Luke 24:13-35), and we see a familiar pattern. Jesus comes to them, “opens their minds to the Scriptures”, eats with them and departs. We see the same sequence in this week’s lesson and both mirror the events of the Last Supper.

We can have the same experience, meeting Jesus in worship, hearing the Scriptures discussed, celebrating Communion and then departing to serve Him in our world. This enables us to be connected to Him by faith and energizes our discipleship. We are blessed by Him to carry His love to everyone, everywhere.

Gracious God, make us bold in our witness as the disciples were after Christ’s resurrection. Help us to know Your risen Son and to carry the Good News to all the world.

Our Gospel lesson is Luke 24:36-48, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them. Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Jesus told us with every word and showed us with every action what God expects of us. Now He tells us it is our turn to speak and act. He has completed His time on earth and will return to the Father, leaving His ministry here in our hands.

It is an awesome responsibility, and while He may not be physically present to lead us, He promised us God’s Holy Spirit as our guardian and guide. We have each other to lean on and learn from as well. All creation is connected through God’s eternal plan.

Like the disciples, our minds must be open to the scriptures, doing our best to understand and apply the lessons Jesus taught. Each of us must use the gifts God gives to spread His love and truth to all the world. This is our task and our blessing, to announce the coming of His kingdom.

Gracious God, we are grateful to be called as Your children, responsible for Your work here on earth. Make us strong in Your love to share the truth of Your salvation with all the world. Amen.

Our Gospel reading this week is Luke 24:36-48, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

Then he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Jesus came to His disciples that they might see Him risen and know the forgiveness He brings. When they accept that He is really there with them, they are overcome with joy. Jesus has fulfilled the prophecies they have heard all their lives and now He has something for them to do.

“You are witnesses of these things” He tells them. They are called to share what they have seen and heard and learned with everyone, everywhere. It will not be an easy task for them.

Jesus asks them to speak boldly in His name to help others who have not known Him in the flesh accept His love and believe. They will need to give up old traditions and closed thinking. Jesus calls us to do the same, to reach out to a suffering world with His mercy.

Loving Lord, we are often slow to answer the call You place on our lives. Help us to be strong in our faith and bring the Good News of God’s salvation to all the world. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is Luke 24:36-48, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

In this passage Luke shares his account of the risen Christ appearing to His disciples. Jesus calms their fears and teaches them again that the things written about Him had to happen as part of God’s will. This wasn’t an accident or some disconnected series of events, but God’s plan for our salvation.

Jesus knows this is overwhelming for His followers and He reminds them they have heard it before from “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” (v. 44). As Luke puts it “He opened their minds to the scriptures”. Jesus wants them to understand so they are able to share the truth of the resurrection with the world.

Jesus wants us to understand in the same way for the same purpose. We too are called to continue the work, just as His followers were then. We all must open our minds to the scriptures to learn and share His blessing.

Risen Lord, You came to love and teach and save us. Help us to be the servants You call us to be, spreading the Good News to all in Your name. Amen.

Our Epistle this week is 1 John 3:1‭-‬7.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

In this passage John urges us to follow the model of Christ. Jesus showed us a better way to live and treat each other, blessed by the Father and guided by the Spirit. We are called the children of God, made in His image and intended for His purpose.

We know that “all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (v. 3). When we repent and obey, our sins are forgiven through Jesus and we can live new lives in Him. When we turn from our will to His, we see the world in a different way.

If we follow His example, others may also come to know Him and receive salvation. The real blessing is that Jesus will return for us and “when Christ appears, we shall be like him” (v. 2). This is our promised joy, that by living a life in Him, we can live with Him eternally.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to save us from our sin. Make us strong in Your love to share this wonderful gift with everyone. Amen.

Our First Reading this week is Acts 3:12-19.

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

The Book of Acts tells us that after seeing the risen Lord the disciples were energized and shared bold testimony among the people. These men who were hidden behind locked doors after the crucifixion now gladly tell the story of Jesus to the crowds. Jesus showed them that God’s promise was real and they took up His work with joy.

We often live in fear of the challenges we face -worldwide health and economic issues, divisions between us, concerns for the future. Jesus and the disciples tell us that while these things are real, we can rely on our loving God. Why would He make the effort to save us if there was no hope?

Following in Christ’s footsteps, faithful people have shared the Good News around the world. We are called to the same task, letting others know the joy we have found in our relationship with God. Like the first disciples we must throw off our fear and go in the name of Jesus to make disciples of all nations.

Loving Lord, we are weak and unsure on our own, but You send Your comfort and strength to encourage us. Help us to be the disciples of today, faithful and unafraid to share Your love. Amen.

Our call to worship this week is Psalm 4:1-5.

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

The Psalms tell the story of our relationship with God, our emotional ups and downs and His faithfulness to us even when we fail Him. There are shouts of joy, cries of pain, pleas for rescue. Through every human issue, God is there for us.

God wants to be part of our lives in every situation we face. This is the reason we don’t need to “get it together” before we seek Him – He is waiting for us no matter what. His love and care don’t depend on our current state or our past mistakes.

Go to the Lord always! Don’t wait until you have good news or are out of your depth with a problem. God wants to hear from us and give the blessing we need.

Loving Lord, we are often confused and ashamed, afraid to share what troubles us. Help us to understand that You already know and wait to give us peace when we come to You. Amen.

Our Gospel is John 20:19-31, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas (also known as Didymus ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This passage tells us the disciples were in hiding and we can hardly blame them. Their teacher and friend had been tortured and brutally executed. They were in shock and afraid, not knowing what to do next.

When Jesus appears in their locked room, they are amazed and probably even more afraid. Most of them had scattered when Jesus was arrested and as far as we know, John was the only disciple at the crucifixion. How will the Master treat those who deserted Him?

Rather than anger or recrimination, Jesus says “Peace be with you”. As He forgave those who crucified Him He also forgives those who deserted Him. Jesus understands our fear but He replaces it with His peace. Human weakness is overcome by the strength Christ offers us and we can be forgiven and restored to life through Him.

Loving Lord, we are ashamed that we wander off into sin or flee in fear at the approach of evil. Help us to see the path and the plan God has for each of us and give us the courage to follow. Amen.