Month: July 2022

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:16-19‬.

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Paul prays for us to be blessed, that our “roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (v. 17). We must be secure and strong in God’s love in order to share it with others. With the knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can take the Good News to the world.

Jesus has given us the assurance that when we come to God in repentance, we are forgiven and restored by His love. We are told “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This blessing is wonderful enough, but God has more for us – we are called to be part of His plan for all to have the gift of salvation.

Repent, return to a relationship with God and be restored. We are promised this when we accept Jesus as our savior. God has made a way for us to be saved. We don’t deserve this gift and we can’t earn it, but God offers us His love and forgiveness just the same.

Heavenly Father, we are thankful for all Your gifts. Bless us to be a blessing to others that all the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:13-18.

“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

We were intended to be one people from the moment of creation. It is by our own selfish desires and urge to be in control that we have become separated from God and each other. We have convinced ourselves that “we” are right and “they” are wrong. How it must pain God to see us do this.

However, God loves us too much to give up on us. Jesus came to show us how much and teach us the way to live together according to God’s plan for us. Paul tells us “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (v. 13). God wants to reunite all His children.

We can be part of this great reconciliation of God’s people, sharing His love with the world. We must understand His will for us and follow the path Jesus called us to walk with Him. It is never easy, but it is the only way for us to be saved.

Gracious God, we are thankful for Your mercy shown to us through the gift of Your son. Teach us to live together in Your love, sharing Your gifts with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:1-7.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Paul writes that God loved us and blessed us even though we were disobedient sinners. Our selfish behavior had separated us from a connection to God, but He loved us too much to let that be the end. His plan of salvation is offered to all of us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. All we need to be saved is to confess and repent, believing in His love.

Confession and repentance are hard things for us. It means admitting we have thought and done wrongly, “following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature” (v. 3). God understands us; He created us in His image. He knows what is best for us but He allows us to make our own choices.

God is calling to each of us every day, wanting us to follow His will and receive eternal life. We are the only ones who can make that decision. Choose God and life, not the temporary and worthless things the world offers!

Loving Lord, we are thankful for Your mercy and blessings, offered to all Your children. Help us to stand in faith against evil and share the Good News with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:19-23.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

In this passage Paul reminds us of the relationship between Christ and the church. He writes “And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (v.23). God sent Jesus to free us from the curse of sin, that we might be His children, dedicated to sharing His love with the world.

We are called into this relationship, not forced. We must choose to follow, not out of fear but in love for Him and our brothers and sisters. Jesus showed us the way to care for one another and live in peace. We still have a lot of work to do!

The world can be a chaotic and frightening place, but that is our fault. It’s not what God intended for us. We must reconnect with Him and each other in order to make a difference. Individual faith, a relationship with God, and working together as the body of Christ will change the world.

Loving Lord, You created us in Your image to be holy, but we have chosen the way of the world and our own desires. Forgive us when we fail, accept our prayer of repentance and restore us to Your intent for us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:3-11‬.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Paul tells us that we were chosen by God from the very beginning. His love for us is eternal, not a new thing. It is also not something we can earn, but a blessing we are given even though we don’t deserve such a gift.

God loves us no matter what. I’m sure it causes Him pain to see us ignore His commandments and not love one another as He intends. God has given us everything to be used for the good of His children. The only way we can show Him our love in return is by loving one another and being obedient to what we have been taught.

In this passage we are told “because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan” (v. 11). God sent Jesus as our teacher and brother to show us what a life fully lived in His love can be. May we demonstrate Christ’s love to others that all the world may come to Him.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful and humbled that You choose to love us and make us part of Your plan for the salvation of the world. Make us strong in faith to carry the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:11-14.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Paul writes that “We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God” (v. 12), a call to evaluate our relationship with our Creator and the example we set here. It is easy to be angry about the inequities we see in this world, but Jesus teaches us to work together to care for all God’s children.

While righteous anger can be a catalyst for action, it is rarely productive in and of itself. Being angry takes a lot of energy and may actually distract us from the issue we want to resolve. We must move beyond anger to achieve solutions.

This passage reminds us that through Christ’s sacrifice for us, we have been washed clean, called and empowered to share God’s love in the world. We must not let sin back in through being angry. Breathe in God’s spirit, breathe out His love, and go with renewed hope to spread the Good News.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we let our anger prevent us from accomplishing the tasks You give us. May we be Your people, fueled by the love with which You created us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Galatians 5:13-18.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

(the emphasis above is mine, not from the New Living Translation I have been using recently)

Most of you who are acquainted with me know I am rarely at a loss for words, but on this Independence Day, I am struggling. I am concerned for all of us in our current situation. I don’t remember a time when I have heard public discord at this level.

We are all struggling with our rights as humans. Defining and protecting our rights has always been a problem and we have wrestled with many issues with varying degrees of success over the years. I have opinions on everything, as everyone does, but I am reluctant to discuss them in most online forums because of encountering the very thing Paul warns us of: “But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another” (v. 15).

As a pastor, I feel my call is to share Christ’s love with everyone and encourage them to have a personal relationship with Him. There are social issues in our world to be addressed, but nothing will improve until we are able to treat each other as Jesus did, with love and acceptance. I ask each of you to prayerfully ask for wisdom and patience, and make an honest attempt at discussion with each other. There are raging voices at the extreme ends of every issue and while we all need to vent our frustration, it must not be at the expense of others. I believe there are many more less strident voices available for honest conversation than there are contentious ones. May God help us to listen to each other’s fears and concerns, and express our own in constructive ways.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the way we often treat each other. Bless us to love all Your children, even those with whom we disagree. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26-29.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Paul teaches that the only real division among us is that of believers or non-believers. In Christ’s love for us, He died for everyone for all time. The only way to be left out is to exclude ourselves by not choosing to follow Him.

Many analogies have been used to describe our new lives in Christ. Paul tells us that “all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes” (v. 27) and that we are all one in Him. This faith assures us of being counted as God’s children.

By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become part of the body of Christ, charged with sharing His love throughout the world. Using our gifts together, we become strong in Him. This was God’s plan all along, that our faith would unite us to go in His name, telling everyone the Good News.

Gracious God, thank You for the gift of Jesus and faithful followers who have passed on the faith from generation to generation. Bless us to be part of Your kingdom, loving the world as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:17-23.

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

‬

The Epistle of Jude is one of seven general letters in the New Testament, written to Christians across the world rather than to a specific church or community. Tradition tells us that Jude was the brother of James, that in some passages he is referred to as Thaddeus, and counted as one of the Twelve. His teaching begins with a warning that is still important today.

He writes that there are divisive forces in the world and in the church, people who do not have God’s spirit and do as they please (v. 19). We are taught to keep ourselves safe in God’s love and to “show mercy to those whose faith is wavering” (v. 22). Jesus gave us the example of love for those who do not yet believe when He forgave those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).

We are called to share God’s love with everyone, including those who oppose us. It is not always easy, but it is the commandment Christ gave us. We are to reach out to the world, that all may come to know His truth and love.

Heavenly Father, You have called us to be part of Your plan to redeem all Your children. Make us strong in our faith to go into a dark world with Your light. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:18-21‬.

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

John closes his first letter with confidence in the faith of God’s people. He also warns us “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts” (v. 21). While we have received forgiveness, we still must choose Him over the world every day.

We are told that evil never rests and “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬). We must avoid the attractions and distractions of this world, keeping our minds focused on the eternal promise God offers us. Sharing His love with the world is the best way to keep evil out of our lives.

Since Jesus came to be with us we can “live in fellowship with the true God” (v. 20). Our hearts and minds have been changed and we see the world for what it is. Don’t allow this temporary existence to keep us from everlasting life.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the gift of our savior, who came to teach us what real love and real life can be. Bless us to share this joy with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.