Father God,
You have prepared a banquet feast for us
through the cross
and you have invited us to the feast
through faith in Jesus.
May we run to the table as we give You thanks and praise.
And as we journey to the table
may we announce with boldness
the invitation given by You;
that all those around us may bring You praise and glory as well.
Through Jesus Christ
our risen Lord and Savior we pray,
Amen.
The Pastor -|—
God of grace and mercy,
through Jesus Christ You paved the way
through the narrow door
and by Your Holy Spirit
You give us access through faith.
Keep us on the straight and narrow
as Satan works to lead us astray.
Grant us boldness of faith
to resist the wide and easy gate
that leads to destruction.
All praise and glory be unto You,
oh God,
through Christ Jesus our Lord,
Amen.
The Pastor -|—
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)
Faith doesn’t make sense, but if it did make sense, it wouldn’t be faith. If faith made sense we wouldn’t need God. Faith is mysterious so that the only thing left to do is to trust God. It’s like being blind, and being OK with it, because you’re being lead rightly and loved abundantly. Faith is being blind and not fearing the darkness because you know the one with you, who sees everything, is for you. Faith is knowing with certainty, in the absence of physical and logical proof, that something is true because the one who says it’s true is infinitely trustworthy.
Faith doesn’t make sense, but that is OK with me because my faith is in Jesus Christ my Lord; my sure foundation, and thus there is nothing to fear. Jesus the Light of the world, has scattered the darkness, and thus Satan’s claim on me is null and void. Jesus the Good Shepherd, will never lead me astray. Jesus the resurrection, rose for me.
Proof?
I don’t need any.
All I need is Jesus.
The Pastor -|—
Father God, may we bask in the joy and glory of our lives being hidden with Christ. But may we not hide from others. May this hidden-ness not be an excuse to keep to ourselves and simply wait for the coming of our Lord. Rather, may the joy of being hidden with Christ lead us to spread the wealth with others so people, through faith, may be rich towards God.
Lord in Your mercy…
Holy God, I pray for an awakening in this country. Send your Holy Spirit to powerfully use us to shine the light of Your love. May we not see people only skin deep, but may we look on people with the eyes of Christ. May we not build walls but open the gates to one another. May we not get defensive but go on the offensive; striving to outdo one another in showing love.
Lord in Your mercy…
Jesus is my treasure.
Jesus is my life.
Jesus is my Savior.
Jesus is always right.
Jesus is mighty.
Jesus is strong.
Jesus is compassion.
All others are wrong.
Cling tightly to him;
trusting in his name.
Cling tightly to Jesus,
and your life won’t be the same.
“Why” you might say
is Jesus so great,
because faith in him
thwarts death as my fate.
And so Jesus is my treasure
and Jesus is the One,
as I trust in his name
I will never be undone.
The Pastor -|—
A prayer of the day I wrote for August 14 that I just felt like sharing today:
Creator God, holy Father, You are awesome and mighty, full of grace and truth. You are power and yet approachable as a child to their father. You are mighty and strong, our great champion who has won the victory over death through Jesus Christ. May we always treasure you as we cling tightly to the promises that cling even more tightly to us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.
The Pastor -|—
God of power and might,
There is much in this life that causes me to be at a loss for words.
At times I feel like hiding in a cave until Jesus returns.
At times is seems easier to just be quiet
and acquiesce to the demands of this world.
At times I wonder,
just wonder
why.
But nothing is a surprise to you.
Jesus still reigns.
The hope of the resurrection is real.
Strengthen us,
Oh God,
and may Your light shine the way in our lives
as we navigate the chaos and evil in this world.
May we be examples;
beacons of hope.
May we bring glory to Your most holy name.
I pray this in the name Jesus Christ our Lord,
who reigns forever and ever,
Amen.
The Pastor -|—
One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. [Psalm 27:4]
Watch the news
Peruse social media
Read the paper…
…and it doesn’t take long to get depressed or angry or worried or concerned about the direction of our nation and society. Culture seems to plummeting faster and faster into the abyss. Satan seems to be setting up his throne for a tyrannical reign.
And then there are those stories of the government reaching farther and farther into the religious liberty camp in order to destroy it. Can the government really legislate what the church teaches? It sure seems like they are trying. Being a Christian is getting more and more uncomfortable in this world.
But thankfully this world is not home.
For the Christian, your focus should not be on worldly comforts but rather on the longing that the psalmist talks about:
Dwelling in the house of the Lord
Gazing upon his beauty
Inquiring in his holy temple.
I reflect on these and suddenly I feel at ease. I feel excited and hopeful. I feel empowered and encouraged as I remember that even though this world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, Jesus still reigns.
For…
…through faith in Jesus Christ the Christian can have the hope of dwelling in God’s house, gazing upon his beauty and inquiring in his temple. And when you reflect on this and ask God for the faith to receive this promise, then and only then, can you put everything in perspective. For you see, it’s not about putting our faith in our leaders to save us and provide for us but rather praising and worshiping God for already saving us and providing for us. And therefore it’s our job and joy to share this Good News with the world in order to give others hope, because it doesn’t take long to see that one can not put their hope in this world.
Don’t long for things and people of this world, but rather long for God.
Don’t worry and get depressed, but rather long for God.
Don’t get scared or concerned about what the world can do to you, but rather long for God.
Ask and seek
Dwell
Gaze
Inquire
And…
…praise God always and forever.
The Pastor -|—
The sun is shining,
Your Son shines.
The breeze is moving,
Your Holy Spirt moves.
Reminders all around me,
drawing my attention to You.
Reminders all around me,
to show me You are true.
The birds are singing;
singing Your praises.
The flowers are blooming;
reflecting Your beauty.
Reminders all around me,
drawing my attention to You.
Reminders all around me,
to show me You are true.
This day is beautiful,
You are glorious.
This day is peaceful,
You are peace.
Reminders all around me,
drawing my attention to You.
Reminders all around me,
to show me You are true.
The Pastor -|—
The Heart of a Pastor 