Pentecost is an amazing day in the life of the Church!
A day we celebrate when Jesus fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit, pouring Him out “on all flesh,” reversing the curse of the Towel of Babel; joining believers in the Holy, united mission of the Gospel.
It is a day when the promise of salvation is promised for “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord” for salvation!
What a wonderful day! What a wonderful celebration!
“Thank, You, Lord, and grant that Your Spirit, poured out on me, flows through me to ‘all flesh!’”
First Peter speaks a lot about suffering; the suffering of Jesus and suffering for the sake of Jesus.
Today is no different.
That doesn’t seem comforting or a reason to rejoice; but that is precisely what God tells us to do, for rejoicing in suffering leads to rejoicing in His glory!
That is the end goal: to share in His glory! To share in the blessedness that is to come. To share in the everlasting joy that is ours in and through faith in Jesus!
Knowing that is the ultimate outcome, it is far easier to endure the trials and sufferings – no matter how bad – for the sake of Jesus!
So we can endure suffering. We can live humbly. We can live sober lives. We can resist the devil. We can do it all, for the revealed glory everlasting!
I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.
Hosea 6:6 (ceb)
Hosea is one of those Bible books that often gets overlooked. There are some difficulties in it and, like most prophets, some of the things he has to say, well, don’t sound nice!
It’s as if what God has to say isn’t what we want to hear!
But it is something we need to hear – and then obey!
Hosea speaks to a people who have been grossly unfaithful to God, “whoring” after other gods and nations; being appallingly unfaithful in every way to the God to loves them.
He also warns Israel of the coming disaster – being conquered and deported to Assyria.
Yet, the story does not end in Assyria, but with the assurance of a coming Messiah, through Whom God’s loving covenant will be renewed – forever!
Our faithlessness as a people and as the Christian Church has plenty to heed from what God says through Hosea. Although we do not fear deportation again, we are called to be faithful in our love and commitment to God and His good, righteous Word and Law!
May we be so faithful!
Thank You, Lord God, for Your faithful and never-ending love for us!
I don’t think we fully grasp the magnitude of being God’s children. Of being able to call, “Abba! Father!” to the creator and sustainer of the Universe!
And not just His children, but the fact that He would choose us, sinful and rebellious as we are, to be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…for His own possession is stupefying beyond all comprehension!
Let us taste this reality and see “that the Lord is good!”
Yet that’s who we are; who God has made us through faith in Jesus!
He has a purpose for us as His people, however. He has made us this, “that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!” He purposes us “to offer spiritual sacrifices” in our lives, because we cannot help it, having experienced the manifold magnificence of it ourselves!
Last week we looked at a faith that’s more precious than gold. Today we see that the cost of our ranson from our sinful ways was paid with something far more precious than gold – the blood of Jesus.
That high cost was necessary because of our high sin.
But it has been paid. Fully. Lovingly. And because it has been, we know that now, when we cry to Him for mercy,He hears us. He listens. He accomplishes because of His love.
So, “what shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits to me?” I will respond in love. In obedience. In joy. I will respond in truth and purity as far as it is in me. I will lift up and share with others this “cup of salvation” and hold onto it as something far more precious than gold; as something I will share, but never give up!
We have great, inexpressible reason to praise God!
For forgiveness, life, and salvationwon for us by Jesus through the cross and empty tomb is more than we deserve or could even fairly imagine!
It is a living hope that is realized and assured through faith in Him!
But that doesn’t mean that everything will always be easy while here on earth. Just because we live in the reality of the resurrection doesn’t mean the reality of a fallen world doesn’t still plague us.
We are assured of trials, heartaches, and persecution. We are guaranteed of persecution and testing of our faith.
That’s not only ok, but we rejoice in those trials, too! Scripture tells us that “the tested genuineness of [our] faith” is “more precious hat gold!”
Trials and testing won’t be pleasant, but through endurancethey cannot change Christ’s victory and our salvation!
[God,] You don’t stay angry forever; You’re glad to have pity and pleased to be merciful.
Micah 7:18c-19a
The enormous love of God gives us the best gifts: freedom from fear forever!
That’s the reality that is our because Jesus is alive and His life means our life, our freedom, the death of all our fears – forever!
What a joyous day!!
CHRIST IS RISEN!! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!! ALLELUIA!!
Scriptures
Mark 16:1-8
“CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED! ALLELUIA!!”
This is the great shout for Easter; the highest day on the Church calendar!
On this day we celebrate the victory of Jesus over sin, death, and the power of the devil. All that He went through and endured is over and exultation and joy remain.
And for all who have faith in Jesus as their savior gain the same victories He won! Our sins are gone and forgiveness takes its place. Death is gone and everlasting life takes its place. Pain and anguish are bound to this life only and joy eternal awaits.
The resurrection of Jesus is the sole event to which all of history hinges. All of the old testament points to its coming and all since draws meaning in the light of it.
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
Without the resurrection everything else would be pointless and moot!
Come and be with us to celebrate this greatest day of the year and see how Jesus, though His resurrection, changes everything – for you!
The resurrection of Jesus is the quintessential pivotal point in all of history. Not just of salvation history or church history or theological history, but of all of history. Why…
EASTER SUNDAY!! The men said to them, “Why do you seek the Living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”Luke 24:5b-6a This Sunday marks the highest, most…
Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus and His victory over sin, death, and the devil. And, those who have faith in Him gain those victories as well! Come celebrate with…
EASTER SUNDAY!! The men said to them, “Why do you seek the Living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”Luke 24:5b-6a This Sunday marks the highest, most…
Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus and His victory over sin, death, and the devil. And, those who have faith in Him gain those victories as well! Come celebrate with…
[God,] You don’t stay angry forever; You’re glad to have pity and pleased to be merciful.Micah 7:18c-19a The enormous love of God gives us the best gifts: freedom from fear…
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:14
On Sunday, April 23, 2023, during worship, we will have a time when those who would like to be anointed with oil may come up, be prayed over, and anointed.
Jesus riding into Jerusalem “triumphantly” on Palm Sunday must have been strange.
Yes, He was entering as King, but He was also entering knowing that before the week’s end, He would be abandoned, denied, suffer ruthlessly, and die horribly.
Of course, He would also share a Last Meal with His disciples, conquer sin, death, and the devil, but the bad coming would still have be endured; and that wasn’t something to look forward to.
Yet He did it.
Willingly. Humbly. Obediently. Lovingly.
His love for us was showing through His obedience to the Father’s will.
That’s just amazing!
“Enter, Lord Jesus, into our hearts and help us love so obediently as You did!”
