What Would You Think?

When God came into the world and He really started something. His kingdom came down and the world has never been the same since.
Over 2,000 years ago Jesus was arrested in the Gethsemane, tried before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate, ridiculed and flogged, nailed to a cross where he died, was buried in a tomb that was intended for someone else, and then when the women or Mary Magdalene, depending on which gospel you read, went there to anoint his body they found the large stone rolled away and the tomb was empty. They were certain that someone, grave robbers probably, had stolen his body and taken it somewhere else.
The first thought that any on them had when they found the tomb empty wasn’t that he had risen from the dead as he said that he would. No, they immediately thought that some unscrupulous scoundrels had over powered the guards or paid them off and then stolen the body from the tomb.
What would you think? If you had been one of Jesus’ disciples and had been there when he told all of them that he would be killed but would rise again in three days would you believe that he had risen from the tomb? If you had been there with the disciples when he told Lazarus to come out of the tomb would you have believed that Jesus would be alive? What would you think?
What would you think if you’d been with the other disciples when Mary came back and told everyone that she’d found the stone rolled away and the tomb completely empty, not one sign of Jesus’ body anywhere, other than the strips of linen cloths Joseph and Nicodemus had used to wrap his body with the spices? What would you think? Would you believe that God could actually raise him from the dead?
Friends, that’s really not the point today is it? The point is what do you think today? What does you faith believe? Do you believe that Jesus defeated death and rose from the tomb, and if you do, why? What evidence do you have that He did rise from the tomb? How do you convince someone that you believe in a risen Savior of the world?
Peter told Cornelius and his family and friends that he was a witness to everything Jesus had done prior to his crucifixion. He said that he and the others were chosen by God to be witnesses to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. They ate and drank with him. We know Thomas was skeptical until he saw for himself the nail holes in his hands and the place in his side where the spear had pierced him. Even Thomas believed then. But we haven’t seen the nail holes or anything.
No one here has actually seen the risen Savior. How do you believe? What do you believe? When someone questions you how do you answer? What do you say when someone questions you about going to church to worship a God who sent his Son to be crucified and suffer for the sins of the whole world? How do you explain that it was because God loved his creation so much that he sent his Son to die for us and suffer beyond anything we can imagine so that we could be assured that we could live for eternity in glory?
In all four gospels Jesus first appeared to women and asked them to tell the others where to go to see Him. They were responsible for getting the message out that Jesus was risen. What a huge responsibility. And did they believe them? No, just like most men they had to go check it out for themselves. These women couldn’t possibly have been seeing things as they really were. They must have missed something. After all they were distraught over Jesus’ death. But friends, the facts, as they are recorded in the gospels written by a man’s hand, was that the women were the first to spread the word about the risen Lord.
And they didn’t do any better than you or I could at convincing them that he really was alive. That is until they saw Him with their own eyes.
So back to my original question, “What do you think?” Instead of coming to me for answers today I would ask you to go to one of our confirmation students and ask them that question. They may not have the answer either but they have been thinking about that same thing for quite a few weeks now.
Every one of them has put some words down about what they do believe and it might be insightful to hear them tell why they believe Jesus is alive.
Friends, I serve a risen Savior. I believe he is in the world today. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Remembering

Many of us were here in this sanctuary this afternoon as we celebrated the life of one of the long time members of this congregation. We gathered here and we remembered Isabelle’s life and how her life touched and interacted with ours.

This evening we are gathered again in this place and I would ask you each to remember the One who sat at the table with his disciples and celebrated his last Passover meal. Remember how he became a servant to them as he dropped his robe and picked up the basin of water and towels and began to wash the dust of the streets from their feet. Remember how he picked up the loaf of bread and the cup of wine and after blessing them offered them to his friends.
Every time they would eat bread and drink wine they would remember that last meal with the Rabbi. It would be like he was there with them again. They would hear his words, “Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you will remember your Lord, until he comes again.”
God instructed Moses what the people needed to do to protect themselves from the Angel of Death that was going to pass over the land of Egypt. That day was to be a day to be remembered, a festival to God to be remembered down through the generations.
A day to be remembered, that’s what we are doing here this evening, we are remembering what God did for the world in His suffering and sacrifice on the cross for us. We remember and we share our memories with our families, our friends, and those other folks God places on the path we walk through this life.

We remember other meals we have shared here. We remember other friends we have broken bread with here, some who are now gathered with the all the saints in heaven. We remember how two disciples on the road to Emmaus weren’t allowed to recognize Jesus until he took the bread and blessed it and gave it too them. Then their eyes were opened and then they recognized him, then they remembered. They remembered how their hearts burned as he taught them from the scriptures.
As we are served we meet the risen Christ “who becomes the very nourishment and food of our souls.” We remember Jesus sitting at the table and we feel his presence again each time we partake of this feast which he has prepared.
Tonight is a time of remembering Jesus the Christ. It’s a time to celebrate the crucified Jesus who is beside us in all the cross-shaped places. Not only that but we celebrate Christ’s triumph over death, his resurrection and the promise it brings us of eternal life in glory, heaven.
We remember and we celebrate.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Invitation to the Journey
My friends, God has called all of us here to a particular work, a particular calling. You may have felt his call; you may be feeling his call tonight. You may be wondering what it is that he is asking you to do. You may be even questioning what is this thing he is calling you to do. But friends you and I have definitely been called and we are on a journey. For some of us it may end tonight or we may be on our journey for many more years. But no matter Christ’s Spirit has called each of us; that’s why we’re all here. And even if we are still resisting his call we can’t escape it. God is nothing if not persistent and patient. He knows what he is doing. Friends join me on this journey and remember your dying and rising again to Christ symbolized in your baptism.
Reflect and meditate on how God has spoken to you this evening. Where is he calling you to go? What is he calling you to do? Is he asking you to let him into your heart? Do you know who this man Jesus is who loves us all so much he suffered and died for our sins and rose from the grave with the promise of eternal life? Do you know him?
The good news is our sins have been forgiven and we have received the promise of eternal life.
Answer the call and begin your journey.

Passion Palm Sunday Reflection

The worship service this morning began with a reading from Mark’s gospel relating the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We could have stopped there with the scripture readings. But then those who couldn’t make the Thursday and Friday services would have missed hearing the Passion story.
Hearing both the passion and the palms allows us the opportunity to reflect and meditate on the entire narrative. The most important reason for hearing both is to understand the relationship between the death and resurrection of Jesus. To understand the resurrection, we must contemplate the passion of Jesus. We should use each day of this Holy Week to meditate on the mystery of the cross before we hear the glorious Good News on Easter Sunday.
Last week we reflected on what we would say if someone came to us and told us they wanted to see Jesus. And we thought about how we would respond, what would we say, what is the most important message we could give them.
Today I have something more to say about that. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians beginning in chapter fifteen, the first important thing everyone should know. It fits right in with what we are to reflect on this week. The Messiah died for our sins, he was buried, he was raised from the dead on the third day, and he presented himself alive to Peter and then to the Twelve. It’s almost too simple don’t you think?
But that’s it. Jesus was killed, buried, and resurrected. And the part that matters the most is the cross. It’s just a piece of wood but oh, what a piece of wood.
It is precious to some and a stumbling block to others. You either believe in the power of the cross or you don’t. But it’s there and people still talk about it.
Some where a reminder of it around their necks and others keep replicas of the cross in their homes or where they work.
As Max Lucado says in his book, “No Wonder they Call Him the Savior,” “No one can ignore it.” He said, “The bottom line of the cross is sobering: if the account is true, it is history’s hinge. Period. If not, it is history’s hoax.”
Friends, that’s why the cross is what matters. That’s why it’s important for all of us to hear what happened in Jesus’ life in those last days. Not only do we need to hear about Peter’s denial of Jesus, we need to hear how Pilate hesitated, and hear of John’s loyalty. We need to hear what happened in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed and when he was arrested.
This week, along with many people all over the world, let’s re-examine this time in history. Read the account again in each of the gospels. Listen to their voices, get a mental image of their faces. And most important of all look at the One, we call our Savior. See if you can find the part that matters most.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

They Want to See Jesus. Can You Help?

I planned on preaching from these notes Sunday but didn't. I spoke to the congregation while standing among them in the aisle. I think I hit most of the things I planned but I really let God guide me in what to say. It was basically that our mission field is outside the doors of the church. There are people in our community who want to see Jesus and we may be the only ones they will ever get to meet him through. If we don't show them Jesus who will?

Our lives are one way that they will see Jesus but what if they come to you and want to know more? How will you help them if you haven't been studying God's word. All of us need to spend time in the Word so that we can help others find Jesus when the come seeking him.

Roger Nishioka spoke to the Missouri River Valley Presbytery last Saturday and told us that in a few years the "nones" would have the greatest number of members followed by the Roman Catholic church. These are the folks who say they are spiritual but don't belong to any formal religious group. Think about that.

I pray that if you are reading this and are seeking a church family that you will come and join us on Sunday or any day of the week for that matter. If you are looking for a place where you can find peace and quiet and have time alone with God this is a good place to come. If you want to come in and just talk about this things of the world and how God is in control of it, come in and visit. Who knows maybe together we can come up with something new to talk about on Sunday morning.

Go ahead and read the sermon knowing that it isn't exactly as preached last Sunday.

God loves you and so do I.

Some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover came to Philip asking if they could see Jesus. Since he wasn’t sure how to respond he went to another disciple, Andrew, and told him what they wanted. Together they went to Jesus with the Greek’s request.
If someone came to you and asked you to see Jesus what would you do? Or maybe it’s you who want to see Jesus. Where would you go? Who would you ask for help?
Let’s say someone came to you asking if you could take them to Jesus how do you think you would proceed? Well let’s think about this together and try to figure out how to help them in their quest to find the Savior.
Just the fact that they came to you lets you know that they believe that you know the way to Jesus. It may be because of the way you live your life or it might be how you have reacted to different trials you have experienced. Whatever the reason, they trust that you are the best person to come to for help.
How does that make you feel, a little uncomfortable? First, if you’re like me you probably feel like you are the last person who would be able to answer their questions. What I mean is I’m still trying to understand how God can make anything good come from the mess I’ve made of things in my life. I have faith that he can do anything I just don’t know how he does it.
So, back to the original question, how can we help someone who comes to us looking for Jesus? Where do we start?
I might begin by bringing them into the sanctuary and walking them right up here to the cross. They won’t find him there since the cross is empty but I think I might start by explaining to them that God so loved his whole creation, that includes us by the way, that he came down to earth as a human being. He took the form of a little baby and was born to a couple who weren’t married yet. This very young couple was given the overwhelming responsibility of rearing God’s Son, Jesus, the Anointed One, Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke of in the Hebrew Bible.
At that point I think I’d get my Bible and show them in the gospels where they could find Jesus. Since we’re reading from John that might be a good place to start but really they could find Jesus in any of the gospels. Do you think that might satisfy them, if I showed them they could find Jesus in the gospels? Maybe for about a minute but I’m afraid that they want to really meet Jesus face to face. So then what do we do?
How do we explain to them that he died on a cross, was buried in a tomb that wasn’t originally planned for his use, and then he only was there 3 days. Do you think they’re going to really believe that he was resurrected and was a living, breathing person who ate and drank and walked and talked with the disciples for a period of 40 days? Do you think they’d understand that he continued to teach his disciples more about the kingdom of God and that after he ascended into heaven these disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit, who was one with God and Jesus?
That still might not fully satisfy them. After all they asked to see Jesus. What do you think they would say if I told them that he was inside me, that when they looked at me they could see Jesus? Do you think they’d stick around to hear my explanation of how that works?
If they would then you’d know for certain that God was truly at work in all of it, because there’s no way I could explain all that without the Holy Spirit’s help. What do you think?
After all, the Prophet, Jeremiah, told the people that God was making a New Covenant with them. This time God said that he was going to write his law within their hearts. They wouldn’t have to teach each other about him anymore because they’d know him from the inside out. It wouldn’t matter what their IQ, everyone would understand. Maybe that’s the place to start.
If they come to you and me asking to see Jesus it must be because God has written something on their hearts and he sent them to us to explain everything. So now how does that make you feel?
I don’t know. I still don’t think I’m completely qualified but on the other hand if God brought them to us then he must know that we can show them Jesus.
Friends, just remember that God never does anything like the world would do things. The world would never send someone to us and ask us to show them Jesus because, well, the world doesn’t believe that he was the Messiah. He was just another one of the people who thought he was the Savior of the world. And if he was just a man then he’s no longer here so we couldn’t possibly show them Jesus. Does that make any sense?
But we aren’t influenced by the world are we? We know exactly where Jesus is. He is within us, his beside us, he is behind us, in fact he has us hemmed in all around. We can show them Jesus by taking them to the Word. As John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory. John wrote these things so that we all might come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing we may have life in his name.”
I don’t know if that would completely satisfy someone who came to me looking for Jesus but that’s where I would start. I’d have to trust completely in God’s Holy Spirit to guide me through the whole process.
Friends, what would you do? Could you help them? We are all on a journey and we have to help each other find our way to the Light of God’s salvation.
Friends, God loved us so much he sent his only Son, Jesus, to save us. God loves every one of you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.

What's Poisoning You?

Some of you may have heard this question, “What’s your poison?” You were probably being asked what you wanted to drink, usually. Today I want to ask you a little different question, “What’s Poisoning You?”
The people who were following Moses in their trek through the wilderness began complaining about not having things as comfy as they had them in Egypt. They wondered why God had brought them out here to die. God sent poisonous snakes to bite them. Many died before they realized they had sinned when they talked against God. And so they asked Moses to intercede for them before God to take the snakes away.
God told Moses to make a snake of copper and hoist it up on pole. Anyone who looked up at the snake would be cured of the snake bite and they would live.
In the same way all mankind has sinned against God and complained about the mess God has gotten them into. Everyone who has complained and sinned against God has been bitten by the poisonous snakes of the world. Some have died.
And so we come to Jesus and ask him to intercede for us before God. And our benevolent God already has the answer. Look up at the One on the cross. Look up and be saved!
How is it possible that the people were saved by looking at the fiery copper snake on the pole? How could looking at an image of the thing that had made them deathly ill in the first place make them well? It’s not logical.
By the same token how can looking at this cruel instrument of Roman torture save us from the poisonous sin in our lives? It’s not logical. It doesn’t make any sense. How could a cross save us?
Friends, it’s not the cross but the One who went to the cross for us who saves us. And it’s a free gift from God. We’ve done nothing to earn this salvation. Paul says in Ephesians all we have to do is trust. It’s grace through faith. And even faith is a gift from God.
How could anyone believe that they could be saved by one person dying for them on a cross? How could anyone believe that anyone could be killed on a cross, buried in a tomb, and rise again? It’s just not logical.
But friends, it did happen. It’s real. God came into the world not to condemn the world but to save it. And he came not just for his own chosen people but for all his creation.
So what’s poisoning you? Have you figured out what you need to do? This is the hard part to understand. There’s nothing we can do. God wants all of us to be cured of the poison in our lives. He wants all of his children to be in an intimate relationship with him.
But God doesn’t force himself on anyone. He leaves it up to us to find the light. And some just can’t believe that there can be a God who loves them so much that he will accept them just the way they are with all their sins, with all the darkness in their lives, with all the evil poison that is coursing through their brain. God will take us, any of us, just the way we are. All we really have to do is turn to the light. Come out of the darkness. Look up at the cross. This is a symbol of foolishness to some but it is the only thing that will save us.
God has prepared the way. We have all messed it up. We have all been poisoned by the things of the world. God came into the world to save us. Look up and gaze into the eyes of Jesus. Let him cleanse your soul with his gracious love light.
It’s so easy but it’s so hard to admit that we can’t fix ourselves. Jesus is the way. God has prepared the way. Are you ready to trust in the crucified Christ who rose again to save us from death? Come to the cross and look up at the One who will save you.
Friends, God loves you and so do I.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Law, The Temple, and the Cross

What makes a good relationship? Think about what needs to happen in a relationship in order for it to last forever. Are there rules that should be followed?
I believe God wanted a relationship with his people, the ones he led on the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. So at Mount Horeb “Ten Words” were engraved in stone for Moses to take down the mountain to the people. It was a covenant between God and his people.
God made a commitment to the people that if they would keep his commandments he would be with them a long, long time but if they didn’t keep his commandments he would punish them through many generations. The people made a passive commitment to keep these commandments.
You see they feared God, this God who made the top of the mountain tremble and boil over with black clouds. They feared this God who no one could look at without forfeiting their life.
So when Moses brought down the “Ten Words” of course they agreed to keep them. What was the alternative? God would forsake them and then they’d be on their own out there in the wilderness. Even though they often complained against God and Moses they knew they needed both of them in order to reach the Promised Land.
Then they arrived. They had everything God had promised they would have. They were in the lap of luxury. And what happened, they forgot the “Ten Words”. They drifted away from this relationship they had with God.
Oh, he gave them many opportunities to come back. There were prophets, judges, and kings. And they’d be reminded of the covenant. They would make their sacrifices and beg for forgiveness. They would remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. But again and again they would drift away.
The chosen ones did this so many times that it’s a wonder God stayed with them. It’s a wonder they weren’t destroyed. Why didn’t he start over again? Have you ever wondered that?
Things kept getting worse for God’s chosen people. One nation after another came in and conquered them. The Prophet promised a Messiah, someone who would save them and lead them in battle to rule the world. They waited and waited. And they kept the story alive of the Anointed One who would come from the family of David.
And then Jesus arrived in Bethlehem and grew to be a man in the little town of Nazareth. Through this Lenten season we have followed Jesus from the river Jordan into the wilderness where he was tempted by satan. We have been with the disciples as they listened to him teach them with parables. We have heard him talk about his suffering and death and resurrection. And like the disciples we can’t quite understand it all.
He talked about taking up our crosses and following him. He said that we should embrace suffering. How can we be saved by someone who allows themselves to be crucified on a cross? We have been waiting for a Savior who would lead us triumphantly in battle against our oppressors.
We have listened to him talk about the Temple. It is such a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. But he says if they destroy the temple he will rebuild it in 3 days. Impossible! It’s taken 20 years to get it this far and it’s still not complete. How can he do it in 3 days?
In John’s gospel we hear about Jesus coming into the temple. He’d been there before. He healed people, told them to pick up their mats and go home and sin no more. He’d made blind people see in the Temple. He’d taught people in the Temple. Today he turned everything upside down, literally.
I don’t think he did it on the spur of the moment either. I think this had been simmering for a while. It may have been the final act that pushed the religious leaders to over the edge. They were afraid that Jesus would destroy their temple.
They wanted to know who gave him the authority to do what he did? Who did he think he was? His answer was almost like he was daring them to do something. Tear down this temple and I’ll build it up in three days. Preposterous! No one could do that.
They didn’t understand that he was talking about his own body. That is, not until after his resurrection. Then it all made sense. Well, kind of made sense. The Jews don’t believe it yet and there are others who just don’t believe in any God or any Power.
It’s like Paul said, to some it’s just sheer silliness. The Jews were looking for a warrior Savior and the Greeks were looking for the ultimate source of Wisdom. What are we looking for? Will we find it here? Where will we find it?
Will we find it in the Law? Will we find it in the Temple? Or will we find it as we kneel at the foot of the Cross? Where will we find our Savior? Where will we find Wisdom?
If you have come looking for a Savior, if you have come looking for Wisdom, then according to Paul you have probably come to right place. Because he said, “God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.”
The Law, the Temple, the Cross, and now preachers, you know it must be a God thing because only He could make all this work for good.
Friends, Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the law rests on these two sentences.
We are told that our bodies are temples of God. When we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives they are made new and cleansed better than they ever were by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.
Relationships depend on the Law, the Temple, and the Cross. Love God, love your neighbor, keep your temple pure and clean, and lay all your burdens at the cross.
How does this all work? Friends, that is one of God’s great mysteries. It’s only by God’s grace through faith that we are forgiven and saved from our sins. Thanks be to God for his grace. Amen.

Living with Jesus

Jesus covered quite a lot of ground by foot. In fact it seems that wherever he was going he was walking. As he was walking he used that time to teach and instruct his disciples and the rest of the crowd that followed them.
The verses that preceded our gospel lesson were about Jesus asking the disciples who people were saying that he was. They gave various answers to his question. Then he asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter gets the answer right when he says, “You are the Christ.”
Yet in the very next paragraph Peter gets it wrong. Jesus confronted Peter, told him to get out of his way, called him satan, told him to get lost, and basically told him he didn’t have a clue about how God works. He was on top one minute and lower than the dirt on his sandals the next. Yet Peter is who he is going to ask to lead his church.
Jesus saw this as a good teaching opportunity. He called the crowd that was following them to come close enough to hear what he had to tell them.
He said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I'm leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you'll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels."
Jesus had just told them the Son of Man would have to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He would be killed and after three days would rise again.
The leader they were following had just said that he was going to die. So if they followed him and let him lead then they would most likely suffer the same fate. It wasn’t about them any more it was about Jesus. He was asking them to give up all the things in their lives that the world thought was necessary to their survival. They weren’t to depend on themselves any longer. He was asking them to make hard personal sacrifices for the good of their souls.
What is the Message for us today? What do you think it means when Jesus asks us to follow him and let him lead? What does it mean to us to not run from suffering, but to embrace it? It sounds as if whoever chooses to follow Jesus will have to put a lot of trust in the One they have never seen. Whoever makes the decision to follow Jesus will have to put a lot of faith in the Word.
These are tough questions for all of us in these times in which we live. Give up worrying about our 401k’s, our pensions, our CD’s, and our savings accounts that keep getting smaller everyday. Jesus lays it all out on the line when he asks, “What could you ever trade your soul for?”
What is your soul worth? Is it worth spending all our time trying to figure out how we can build more monetary wealth in our retirement accounts?
Everything Jesus is teaching in this gospel reading requires trust and faith in the One who spoke these words over 2,000 years ago. The lesson from Genesis and Romans was about the faith that Abraham had in the covenant God made with him to make him the Father of a great nation. Abraham had faith even though he was well past the prime years for fathering children. Yet he believed that if God said it, it would be as he said. That’s a whole lot of faith. And he waited another year before God kept his part of the covenant and they were blessed with Isaac.
Jesus is calling us today to be his disciples and to use the gifts he has given us to go out into the world and make more disciples of all nations. Do we have the faith and trust necessary to be disciples for Jesus?
What is it that scares us the most about being a disciple for Jesus? Will we have to leave our comfortable homes? Will we have to travel to far off lands teach people who are way different from the people in Iowa and Nebraska about Jesus and the Way? What scares us, what keeps us from making the commitment to be Jesus’ disciples?
What would it mean to spend our lives living with Jesus? What did it mean for Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, and the others He called to follow him? They were able to learn from the Rabbi who had all the answers. They were tested beyond everything they ever imagined and so would you and I be tested when we chose to live with Jesus. They made mistakes and were rebuked and so would we. No one ever gets it right all the time.
Friends, the question in our hearts today is the same question the disciples had in their hearts. How could Jesus make anyone’s like better by having his own like end? It just doesn’t sound right to our ears.
But Jesus was always doing things in the opposite way from the world. And he still does.
Who does he invite to be members of his body, perfect people? I don’t think so. There aren’t any perfect people. We all have flaws. We all make mistakes. Many that we don’t want anyone to ever find out about. But still Jesus calls us to drop everything, all our pretenses, and come and live our lives with him.
God asked Abraham to walk before him and be blameless. Jesus says, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s all about faith and God’s grace.
Friends, look deep into your hearts. Spend some quiet time with God during this Lenten season and pray that he will give you the faith to come and live with him. Trust in his Word and believe in his Son who has gone before us and will live within us enabling us to do much more than we can even imagine.
Jesus says, Let me lead. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Give your all to him and let him show you the Way.
If you haven’t made the commitment to live with Jesus today is as good a time as any. Ask him to come into your heart. Ask him to give you the faith you need to let him be your leader. Confess your weakness and your sins and let him carry the load. Trust in the One who has gone on before us to know the Way.
Thanks be to God for his marvelous grace. Amen.