Pentecost is the day that Jesus promised would come when he was ending his time on earth. Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit came to everyone. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God for each one of us.
Jesus tried to explain what was going to happen in John 16:7-13a (NKJV). Jesus tells us: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth;”
There are moments in our lives that define us. For Peter, it was on the day of Pentecost. Peter was not a very eloquent speaker. In fact, he did not like to speak at all. The people of Jerusalem thought that Peter must be drunk to be speaking so boldly on that day. Peter was not drinking, but instead Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way.
Here’s the story from Acts 2:1-21: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine." But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'
I’ve experienced a day like the one that Peter had on the day of Pentecost. I love to preach in Africa, but it was not always easy for me to preach. I went on my first trip to Africa to listen and learn. I only preached once on that first trip. I’ve learned over the years of preaching on my mission trips that the Holy Spirit will help me if I seek out his help and support.
I want to share my personal testimony. I preached for the first time on my first mission trip to Ghana. It was just me. I didn’t realize that God could help us preach, teach, or serve God. In 2005, I must have written a hundred pages of sermons. I wrote every word that I was going to preach. The next year, Pastor Yaw asked me to trust God to provide the message that I was going to preach. I asked a lot of questions. The key question was “What happens if God doesn’t show up? What if God forgets to send me a message? What do I do if God doesn’t give me the words to preach?”
Those were tough questions. They were questions grounded on doubt instead being grounded in faith. Do you remember the scene in the Last Crusade when Indiana Jones had to cross a bridge that he could not see? He had to take the first step without the assurance that the bridge was there. Indiana Jones had to take the first step on faith. Pastor Yaw was asking me to take the first step toward inviting the Holy Spirit to help me preach. I had never walked on the bridge of faith that connects us to God.
John 15:26b-27 says: "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” The helper described in John 15 will help us bear witness to Jesus Christ and the gospel.
The strength that was found on Pentecost by Peter is available to all of us. We just have to decide whether we will find the bridge of faith. The Holy Spirit on Pentecost also united people with different languages and cultures. I learned that God can unite us regardless of the language that we speak or the background that we had growing up.
Each of us has a soul. I believe our souls are made up of two parts: the physical part and the spiritual part. Most of us rely mainly on our physical mind and body. We don’t explore the spiritual half of our soul. We are more comfortable in our physical body and the strength that we have in our own arms and legs. We have so much more if we use the spiritual part of our soul as well. It takes time to learn about the spiritual half of our soul. Our spiritual part of our soul is the connection that interacts and talks to the Holy Spirit within us. Our spiritual part of our soul is inside each of us. We just have to free our spirit to tap into the full power of the Holy Spirit.
Ok. Let’s get back to the story of how I started to open my soul to the spiritual half of me. I would pray and look at the Bible before I preached, but I didn’t write a sermon to preach. I was very nervous the first time that I had to step off the ledge onto the invisible bridge. God showed me when I trusted God that He would be there.
I started preaching every chance that I could in a new way. At first, it was hard. My instinct was to go back to relying totally on me for the message, but I slowly trusted God to give the words to preach. It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I was trying to preach. Why not let Jesus use his own words?
In the scripture of Romans 8:22-27 it says: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” God and the Holy Spirit will even help us pray if we do not know the words. We have to search our hearts to be tied into the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let me explain what it is like when the Holy Spirit fills me while I am preaching. The first thing is that my voice gets stronger and louder. My voice is able to carry without a microphone. The next thing that happens is God provides the right sermon for his people. I become the messenger of God’s words. It is my voice, but not my words. My skin starts to tingle. I feel a power throughout my body that is not physical.
I began to experience God as I preached God’s words in a whole new way. I learned that God could tell his story much better than I could. The day that reminds me of Pentecost was in a town called Nalarigu in 2006. We had a big mission team that year in Ghana. We asked the local mosque to announce our service. We decided to preach in the middle of town near the marketplace. It wasn’t a real big area to have an outdoor church service, but we thought it would work. We normally preached at night because people were finished with their jobs and work on the farms. That night, I was so concerned about the rain that I didn’t bring a camera or a video camera because I didn’t want the cameras to get wet. Rain clouds were all around town. As we traveled to the place we were going to preach, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. I felt like we were going to be rained out that night. I wasn’t sure many people would come out to hear us preach with the weather turning bad.
Some of the mission team was praying as we were preparing for the service. I remember Pastor Yaw praying on a mound of dirt above our place of worship as we were getting started. We started the service with praise songs to prepare the place for worship. It became time for me to preach. I didn’t have an idea what God would give as the message that night. As I started to preach, the rain began to fall and the wind was circling around us almost like a whirlwind.
At that moment, God gave me the words to preach. I said “It will not rain while we are preaching God’s word.” Immediately, the rain stopped in mid-air and the winds died down. The storm was gone. I continued preaching. The night in Nalarigu would be different for me. This time, God took over the message completely. I don’t remember the sermon because the spiritual part of me connected perfectly with the Holy Spirit. My physical body and mind were overtaken by my spiritual body. I didn’t remember the sermon because it was completely from God. I remember what happened after I said “Amen!” I remember praying for people in need. I also remember anointing a pastor who wanted the power of the Holy Spirit in his ministry and his life. I prayed for him and received the power of the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way that night that he was almost afraid. He did not realize that God was so powerful.
The next day, the people of Nalarigu were talking about the amazing service they experienced the night before. They were Muslim, but they saw the power of God firsthand. I haven’t experienced a day of Pentecost like that again yet. I hope that I will be filled completely with the Holy Spirit again like that night in Nalarigu.
I believe God’s plan for our lives was to have our spiritual half be completely in charge. Our physical half of our soul was supposed to take orders from the spiritual half. Instead, mankind somehow lost connection with the spiritual side of us. We rely solely on our physical body, mind, and strength. We are wasting so much amazing experiences by not inviting the Holy Spirit to take charge of our lives and to give us a power that does not have any limits.
It took a lot of faith to rely only on God to provide a message in West Africa. I had to gradually gain enough faith in God to allow God to deliver the message through me. I have to admit that as a Methodist lay pastor, I haven’t had the nerve to rely on God here at home. Methodists believe in being methodical. That means having the message typed and written ahead of time. I believe the Holy Spirit is working through me as I type, but I miss walking completely on faith to learn what message God wanted his people to hear out of my mouth when it was time preach.
I hope that my personal story of Pentecost will help you to make the Pentecost story in Acts 2 come to life. The story in Acts 2 is so special to me because it talks about the people coming together in one accord. There is a unity from being in one accord. In the Acts 2 story of Pentecost, it was not just Peter who was impacted by the Holy Spirit. All of the people present that day in Jerusalem felt God’s power and presence. God translated the message into the language that the people could understand. God enabled everyone to understand what God wanted them to hear. We can understand today what God wants us to hear if we open our hearts to the power of the Holy Spirit. We must align the spiritual part of us to lead our physical body. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to help and counsel us as we serve God. The first step is to believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a present for all of us today and every day. Amen!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
United in Faith
We are meant to be united in faith. Jesus prayed to God, “Holy Father, keep them and care for them – all those you have given me – so that they will be united just as we are.” There’s a special truth in the Gospel of John 17. We’ll get to the ascension story regarding Jesus later. Right now, let’s talk about “unity of faith.” Jesus wanted God to keep all of God’s children safe. Jesus also wanted them united just as Jesus and God are united. There are two thoughts in this scripture. The first point is that Jesus wants us united in faith. The second point is that the model for unity of faith is Jesus and God.
Let’s talk about unity of faith. There’s power in being united in faith. Some translations use the term “all together.” The New King James version uses a great phrase “one accord.” If we are of one accord, we can do all things through Jesus Christ. We are united. We belong. We are part of God’s team. We are stronger together.
I was working in the garden on Saturday. The soil was wet and sticking together. I picked up a handful of soil and I realized that the soil is made up of clay, sand, gravel, and organic material like leaves. All of the individual parts of the soil are different, but the parts stick together to hold water and grow beautiful corn and tomatoes. If the clay and the sand did not stick together in one accord, the wind would blow the topsoil away. We would be left with just rocks which could not grow anything to eat.
We are like that topsoil. We are all different, but together we can be used by God to grow. We can accomplish so much more if we stick together in one accord. It is impossible to grow vegetables in hard packed clay. It is also difficult to grow flowers in just sand. It is also hard to grow trees in a pile of leaves or grass clippings. If we mix all of the ingredients together, then we have great conditions for seeds to grow and give life.
The other concept in that Bible verse was that we should be united just as God and Jesus are. I had never thought of being united like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are three in one. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is as close as we can possibly get. God takes over for Jesus when Jesus is ascending into heaven. They are the ultimate example of family. God and Jesus are united in faith, belief, and love.
We need to be united in faith as a family. Our parents, our spouse, our children will be so much stronger if we are united in faith. We won’t doubt their love for us and our neighbor. Our family will be the cornerstone for our neighbors and our church. If our family is called to serve God, we will have a mighty team to serve God.
God meant for us to go out two by two to serve him. In Luke 10:1-2, it says “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into the harvest field.”
There are so many reasons why Jesus sent out the people out into the harvest field two by two. If I am weak from typhoid fever or have doubt that God can use me, then you are probably healthy and strong in your faith. At the point that Satan is attacking you, I am strong at that time. We are never weak at the same time. We need to be willing to go out two by two with people that we know, but we also need to go out with people that we’ve never met before who are vastly different from ourselves. We will grow as a people when we serve God together.
We’ve organized a prayer chain for our church. We update the prayer list for those that are in need of prayers. Did you ever wonder why we have a prayer list? We continue with one accord in prayer and supplication for those that are sick or in need of God’s healing. I’ve seen the power of prayer when we are unified when we are praying in one accord.
Prayer is so powerful. I was moved when Pastor Elwood Pack anointed me and everyone at New Hope United Methodist Church prayed for me. I felt your prayers were united in faith for my recovery. We can also be united in faith when we are separated by distance. The key point is that we must be united in one accord. Our church alter is always open to you, please come for prayer at this alter whenever you feel the need to be united in prayer.
We need to be united in faith as a church. The people of New Hope can do so much more if we are of one accord. We are in turn connected to all of the Methodist Churches in the Danville District and the Virginia Conference. We are part of the United Methodist Church. We are united with other churches in Virginia and in turn around the world.
Satan tries to divide a church from within. Satan must not be allowed into a home or a church to divide and conquer. Today, there are churches in this country that need our prayer because men and women of faith are fighting each other inside the church walls instead of being of one accord and united in faith. Let us pray for those churches, church members, and pastors that they are able to find their way back to being united in faith. As Christians, our duty is to fight evil, not each other. We must love God and our neighbor as ourselves.
We also must be united with other Christians of every denomination with a single purpose to share the love of Jesus Christ and to share the gospel of peace. God did not mean for us to worship alone. God meant for our voices to come together to sing praises to him.
I went to Antioch Church of the Brethren on Wednesday to speak about God’s work in Africa. I felt so bad. The headache was so painful that I couldn’t concentrate while I was driving to church. I prayed to God for help. I asked God to give me the words and to ease my pain so that I could preach that night. As soon as my prayer was over, I felt strong and without any pain. The service was powerful. My personal testimony and story about God using me touched people that night.
Jesus knew that his time in this world was coming to an end. He was about to ascend into heaven. He is talking to God the father in his prayer. These words are also for us. Let’s get back to John 17:1-5.
“1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things; he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life – to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5 And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
Jesus tells us that we can have eternal life if we know the one true God. Jesus Christ gives us eternal life. Jesus also set the example here on earth by doing everything that God told him to do. We also must read God’s word and do everything that we are told to do. We don’t do it to earn our way into heaven. We serve God out of gratitude and thanksgiving that we are God’s people.
John 17:6-10 says “6 I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. 9 "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory!”
Jesus now tells us to keep the word of God. He also tells us that everything that we have is a gift from God. It frees us when we realize that our life, our home, and our family are gifts from God. We cherish everything about our lives more when we realize that God gives us the gift of today’s blue sky and yesterday’s rain. God gives us the breath in our lungs and the strength in our hands. God gives us the words to speak and our eyes to see the glory of God all around us. Let us accept God’s gift freely today.
In Luke 17:11-16 it says, “11 Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them – all those you have given me – so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I have kept them safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. 13 "And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy.14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They are not part of this world any more than I am.”
Okay, we are now getting to the “Ascension Sunday.” Jesus knows that he is leaving the world in his physical form and ascending into heaven. Jesus is not concerned about his journey to heaven. Jesus is concerned about us. He wants God to keep us and care for us. Jesus does not want us to become lost or be threatened by evil. We can choose to be part of this worldly life or we can choose an eternal life where we have a temporary place on this earth.
Jesus is not afraid to leave the physical body and ascend into heaven. Jesus cares more about the family that he is leaving behind. Jesus wants us to be safe. Have you met someone who was dying who was not afraid of death? Their only concern was about the family that they would soon leave behind? Jesus is setting a good example for us about leaving this world and going onto heaven. Jesus is certain about his place in heaven. Jesus knows the way to heaven. Jesus is certain about the journey to heaven. We should not be afraid of death. We should be certain about our journey to heaven.
In Luke 17:17-23 it says, “17 Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours. 20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father – that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. 22 "I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are – 23 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one.”
These final verses from Luke 17 are so powerful. Jesus gave himself entirely to God. He taught the words of truth that we now read in our Bible. Jesus prayed for us that we would believe God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, into this world so that we would have eternal life. Jesus also prayed that we would be one with God just as Jesus and God are one. Jesus wants us to be united in faith with God. Isn’t that wonderful? We don’t have to walk in this world alone. We have friends who are united in faith who will join us along the journey of life. The most special friend of all is Jesus Christ who gave us the gift of salvation.
Jesus is very clear. We need to be united with each other in our faith and belief in God. Jesus tells us that we can’t be a part of this world. The world tries to tell us that there is no God. The world tries to tell us that there is no hope or love. We need to put our trust in God.
We are not alone in this world. We do not have to be afraid. We do not have to be at risk of attack from the evil one. We are united in faith. We are united in love. We are united in God’s word. We are united in our service to God to share the love of Jesus Christ. We know that God is with us every step that we take, every word that we speak, and every song that we sing. We are one with each other and one with God. Let’s us go out today and remember that God is united with us in our hearts and that we are united together by the love of Jesus Christ!
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:1-4 urges us by saying these words: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose (NKJV) being of one accord, of one mind.” We are one people. We are of one accord. Let us go and serve God together with the knowledge that we are God’s people.
Let’s talk about unity of faith. There’s power in being united in faith. Some translations use the term “all together.” The New King James version uses a great phrase “one accord.” If we are of one accord, we can do all things through Jesus Christ. We are united. We belong. We are part of God’s team. We are stronger together.
I was working in the garden on Saturday. The soil was wet and sticking together. I picked up a handful of soil and I realized that the soil is made up of clay, sand, gravel, and organic material like leaves. All of the individual parts of the soil are different, but the parts stick together to hold water and grow beautiful corn and tomatoes. If the clay and the sand did not stick together in one accord, the wind would blow the topsoil away. We would be left with just rocks which could not grow anything to eat.
We are like that topsoil. We are all different, but together we can be used by God to grow. We can accomplish so much more if we stick together in one accord. It is impossible to grow vegetables in hard packed clay. It is also difficult to grow flowers in just sand. It is also hard to grow trees in a pile of leaves or grass clippings. If we mix all of the ingredients together, then we have great conditions for seeds to grow and give life.
The other concept in that Bible verse was that we should be united just as God and Jesus are. I had never thought of being united like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are three in one. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is as close as we can possibly get. God takes over for Jesus when Jesus is ascending into heaven. They are the ultimate example of family. God and Jesus are united in faith, belief, and love.
We need to be united in faith as a family. Our parents, our spouse, our children will be so much stronger if we are united in faith. We won’t doubt their love for us and our neighbor. Our family will be the cornerstone for our neighbors and our church. If our family is called to serve God, we will have a mighty team to serve God.
God meant for us to go out two by two to serve him. In Luke 10:1-2, it says “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into the harvest field.”
There are so many reasons why Jesus sent out the people out into the harvest field two by two. If I am weak from typhoid fever or have doubt that God can use me, then you are probably healthy and strong in your faith. At the point that Satan is attacking you, I am strong at that time. We are never weak at the same time. We need to be willing to go out two by two with people that we know, but we also need to go out with people that we’ve never met before who are vastly different from ourselves. We will grow as a people when we serve God together.
We’ve organized a prayer chain for our church. We update the prayer list for those that are in need of prayers. Did you ever wonder why we have a prayer list? We continue with one accord in prayer and supplication for those that are sick or in need of God’s healing. I’ve seen the power of prayer when we are unified when we are praying in one accord.
Prayer is so powerful. I was moved when Pastor Elwood Pack anointed me and everyone at New Hope United Methodist Church prayed for me. I felt your prayers were united in faith for my recovery. We can also be united in faith when we are separated by distance. The key point is that we must be united in one accord. Our church alter is always open to you, please come for prayer at this alter whenever you feel the need to be united in prayer.
We need to be united in faith as a church. The people of New Hope can do so much more if we are of one accord. We are in turn connected to all of the Methodist Churches in the Danville District and the Virginia Conference. We are part of the United Methodist Church. We are united with other churches in Virginia and in turn around the world.
Satan tries to divide a church from within. Satan must not be allowed into a home or a church to divide and conquer. Today, there are churches in this country that need our prayer because men and women of faith are fighting each other inside the church walls instead of being of one accord and united in faith. Let us pray for those churches, church members, and pastors that they are able to find their way back to being united in faith. As Christians, our duty is to fight evil, not each other. We must love God and our neighbor as ourselves.
We also must be united with other Christians of every denomination with a single purpose to share the love of Jesus Christ and to share the gospel of peace. God did not mean for us to worship alone. God meant for our voices to come together to sing praises to him.
I went to Antioch Church of the Brethren on Wednesday to speak about God’s work in Africa. I felt so bad. The headache was so painful that I couldn’t concentrate while I was driving to church. I prayed to God for help. I asked God to give me the words and to ease my pain so that I could preach that night. As soon as my prayer was over, I felt strong and without any pain. The service was powerful. My personal testimony and story about God using me touched people that night.
Jesus knew that his time in this world was coming to an end. He was about to ascend into heaven. He is talking to God the father in his prayer. These words are also for us. Let’s get back to John 17:1-5.
“1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things; he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life – to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5 And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
Jesus tells us that we can have eternal life if we know the one true God. Jesus Christ gives us eternal life. Jesus also set the example here on earth by doing everything that God told him to do. We also must read God’s word and do everything that we are told to do. We don’t do it to earn our way into heaven. We serve God out of gratitude and thanksgiving that we are God’s people.
John 17:6-10 says “6 I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. 9 "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory!”
Jesus now tells us to keep the word of God. He also tells us that everything that we have is a gift from God. It frees us when we realize that our life, our home, and our family are gifts from God. We cherish everything about our lives more when we realize that God gives us the gift of today’s blue sky and yesterday’s rain. God gives us the breath in our lungs and the strength in our hands. God gives us the words to speak and our eyes to see the glory of God all around us. Let us accept God’s gift freely today.
In Luke 17:11-16 it says, “11 Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them – all those you have given me – so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I have kept them safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. 13 "And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy.14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They are not part of this world any more than I am.”
Okay, we are now getting to the “Ascension Sunday.” Jesus knows that he is leaving the world in his physical form and ascending into heaven. Jesus is not concerned about his journey to heaven. Jesus is concerned about us. He wants God to keep us and care for us. Jesus does not want us to become lost or be threatened by evil. We can choose to be part of this worldly life or we can choose an eternal life where we have a temporary place on this earth.
Jesus is not afraid to leave the physical body and ascend into heaven. Jesus cares more about the family that he is leaving behind. Jesus wants us to be safe. Have you met someone who was dying who was not afraid of death? Their only concern was about the family that they would soon leave behind? Jesus is setting a good example for us about leaving this world and going onto heaven. Jesus is certain about his place in heaven. Jesus knows the way to heaven. Jesus is certain about the journey to heaven. We should not be afraid of death. We should be certain about our journey to heaven.
In Luke 17:17-23 it says, “17 Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours. 20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father – that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. 22 "I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are – 23 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one.”
These final verses from Luke 17 are so powerful. Jesus gave himself entirely to God. He taught the words of truth that we now read in our Bible. Jesus prayed for us that we would believe God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, into this world so that we would have eternal life. Jesus also prayed that we would be one with God just as Jesus and God are one. Jesus wants us to be united in faith with God. Isn’t that wonderful? We don’t have to walk in this world alone. We have friends who are united in faith who will join us along the journey of life. The most special friend of all is Jesus Christ who gave us the gift of salvation.
Jesus is very clear. We need to be united with each other in our faith and belief in God. Jesus tells us that we can’t be a part of this world. The world tries to tell us that there is no God. The world tries to tell us that there is no hope or love. We need to put our trust in God.
We are not alone in this world. We do not have to be afraid. We do not have to be at risk of attack from the evil one. We are united in faith. We are united in love. We are united in God’s word. We are united in our service to God to share the love of Jesus Christ. We know that God is with us every step that we take, every word that we speak, and every song that we sing. We are one with each other and one with God. Let’s us go out today and remember that God is united with us in our hearts and that we are united together by the love of Jesus Christ!
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:1-4 urges us by saying these words: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose (NKJV) being of one accord, of one mind.” We are one people. We are of one accord. Let us go and serve God together with the knowledge that we are God’s people.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Making Your Joy Complete
The key scripture for today is “I have said these things to you so that God’s joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the results that we see from being used by God in a wonderful way. The other fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We talked about love last week. This week we want celebrate joy.
Joy is not something that we can buy, beg, or borrow. Joy is from God. That one scripture explains that we need the joy of God within us for our joy to be complete. First, we need to feel the love of God and share God’s love. The word “abide” is used a lot in this scripture. Abide means to wait patiently for, to remain in place, to dwell, to continue to be sure or firm, and endure. In the Gospel of John, I think of abide as being sure of God’s love for us. I also love the thought of dwelling in God’s love and waiting patiently for God to love us.
Let me read the context of the scripture from John 15:9-17. “As the Father loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
God is commanding us to love each other. In fact, our love needs to be so big that we are willing to lay down our life for our friends. God is also telling us that he choose us to be his people. God is asking us to spread the gospel and God’s love. God wants us to bear fruit. God wants us to bear fruit that will last. Imagine a tree that bears fruit that doesn’t rot and always tastes good. We can be that tree that bears the fruit of joy. God will give us whatever we ask in the name of Jesus Christ.
We can focus on the pain and the hurt in our lives or we can be fruitful and plant the seeds of joy. Once we plant those seeds of joy we will be surprised when and where those seeds of joy will spread and grow in ways that we did not expect. I love a flower bed when the seeds that have survived the winter come up in new and unexpected places in the garden. Those flowers that were planted by God’s hand and watered by God’s rains are such a special gift.
My mother called those flowers that were planted by God “volunteers.” I love spring when the new seedlings are sprouting to try to guess from just a few leaves the flower that will bring us new joy with each blossom. The volunteer marigolds or zinnias spread their beauty in our garden. We just showed love to a flower last summer that bloomed and died, but the memory of that love is blooming in a new place in a new morning of a summer’s day. We did not anticipate that new day when a flower would bring us joy, but that joy is so special because it was so unexpected.
Life is like that unexpected flower seed. We show love, kindness, and joy to people along the path of our lives. Those people that we touch share their love, kindness, and joy with others along the path. Seasons change and grow. We are touched with new joy in a new spring by the seeds of our fruit that we cherished long ago. God brings us joy when he gives us discernment how the seeds of our joy has touch the lives of other people.
God loves to surprise me. I never expected for God to give one seed of joy for me to plant. I thanked God for that one seed. He told me that you haven’t seen anything yet. God gave me a package of seeds of joy. He told me to go spread those seeds wherever he sent to me to go. I’ve learned that the package of seeds of joy never run out. God refills the package of seeds as often as I plant those seeds of joy. The seed package never runs out of seeds that can be planted, watered, encouraged and celebrated.
I’ve told myself that I wasn’t worthy to be given that package of seeds. In fact, I’m not worthy of even one of God’s seeds of joy. I’ve asked God, “Why me?” God answered in the scriptures in the Gospel of John: “I have called you friend, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.”
I’m so thankful that God choose me. God has shown me so many secrets of the gospel of peace and joy. I never thought that I’d go to Africa. If I did go, it would just be one trip of a lifetime. Instead, God has me doing work there. People have water to drink in wells that will last. People have a place to worship. I don’t even know the names of people who now have hope, peace, and joy because God have me a packet of seeds. I did not know what the leaves of those plants of joy looked like when they sprouted. I did not realize that the life that I was changing was my own. I thought I was going to tell others about God. Instead, God planted the first seed of joy in my heart. I will always be thankful to God that he gave me that seed of joy. That seed of joy was a “volunteer flower.” It continues to come up in my garden in unexpected places.
God continues to surprise me with the way that he uses me. My gift is being able to open my heart and being a willing gardener of the seeds that God gives me. I still can only guess how God’s garden will grow and blossom. I try to imagine the next spring how the garden will look after the winter has set in our lives. It is hard to believe that plants will sprout when snow and ice covers the ground. It is hard to believe that green grass will sprout when the drought or the dry season has burned everything in sight.
We may believe that we are that frozen ground. We may believe that life has burned everything that we touch, but that is a lie that Satan whispers in our ear. God has chosen us to be his people and for us to share his love so that the seeds of joy will grow in the lives of those that we touch. It is amazing that the fruit that grows will be seen in our fruit trees first. We will bear good fruit. We just need to take that seed that God has given and plant it in a special place to see our joy grow. God has given us his joy. If we accept God’s joy, our joy will be complete.
The joy that we need to share must start in our home. The scriptures are so important from Deuteronomy 6:4-9. We need to write the joy of God on our hearts and on our foreheads. We need to plant those seeds of joy in the hearts of our children. Our children must know that we love God and that we love them. We need to bind God’s love in every aspect of our lives.
The scripture from Deuteronomy tells us to “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Stop talking about the faults of your spouse or your children. Start talking about the seeds of love and joy that are present in their lives. Every time you open your mouth you can water those seeds or you can kill those seeds with words that are sharper than any sword. I had conversations with a member of our church that we must speak with the words of faith. We must speak the unseen before it is seen. We must talk about our sons and daughters and the wonderful men and women they will become.
My grandmother Barker was gifted with planting seeds of joy in this way. She spoke words of joy about me that were untrue. She spoke words of joy with faith. I heard her words and wanted to become the man that she described. I wanted to have children that she would say were her great grandchildren with the same kind of words that she spoke about me so long ago. I wanted to marry a woman like she described for me. She described a woman of faith, a woman who worked hard, a woman with love overflowing, and a natural beauty that came from the heart. I realize today, that her words were seeds of joy that sprouted into Susan and my four wonderful children.
I realize that so many people planted seeds of joy on my path. God allows us to see some of the flowers that sprouted from those seeds. God also allows some flowers to sprout after our time on this earth is over. We can’t see those flowers bloom, but we have the promise from God that those flowers will be beautiful and full of joy. We can touch many generations with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We can do things that we can only imagine. We just need to believe that God will use even you and me.
Our strength to keep going comes from the joy of the Lord. In Psalm 19:8 (NIV), it says “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Our eyes show the love and joy of God within our hearts. God’s light will shine in the darkness. God’s lights shines through our eyes and shares joy with others. In Psalm 45:7 (NIV) it says “Therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Isn’t that great? Anointing is so powerful. If I’d never gone to serve God in Africa, I may never have understood the power of anointing. The image of anointing with the oil of joy is so wonderful that it makes my heart jump with joy.
We are able to stand firm against evil and the challenges of this world by faith in God and God works with us for our joy. I am so thankful that God gave me a package of seeds to plant. God also gave you the same package of seeds. We need to plant those seeds of joy in our home gardens and in many unexpected places. Our joy will be complete if we allow the joy of God into our hearts today and speak with a voice of faith before we can see that flower growing in our heart or our garden. God gave us the promise of that flower, we just have to ask God to be our Lord and Savior and ask him into our hearts.
The love of Jesus Christ will water and nourish our lives so that our joy is complete. May the love of Jesus Christ make you joy complete this day! Go out and share the joy of Jesus Christ with everyone that you touch. Amen!
Joy is not something that we can buy, beg, or borrow. Joy is from God. That one scripture explains that we need the joy of God within us for our joy to be complete. First, we need to feel the love of God and share God’s love. The word “abide” is used a lot in this scripture. Abide means to wait patiently for, to remain in place, to dwell, to continue to be sure or firm, and endure. In the Gospel of John, I think of abide as being sure of God’s love for us. I also love the thought of dwelling in God’s love and waiting patiently for God to love us.
Let me read the context of the scripture from John 15:9-17. “As the Father loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
God is commanding us to love each other. In fact, our love needs to be so big that we are willing to lay down our life for our friends. God is also telling us that he choose us to be his people. God is asking us to spread the gospel and God’s love. God wants us to bear fruit. God wants us to bear fruit that will last. Imagine a tree that bears fruit that doesn’t rot and always tastes good. We can be that tree that bears the fruit of joy. God will give us whatever we ask in the name of Jesus Christ.
We can focus on the pain and the hurt in our lives or we can be fruitful and plant the seeds of joy. Once we plant those seeds of joy we will be surprised when and where those seeds of joy will spread and grow in ways that we did not expect. I love a flower bed when the seeds that have survived the winter come up in new and unexpected places in the garden. Those flowers that were planted by God’s hand and watered by God’s rains are such a special gift.
My mother called those flowers that were planted by God “volunteers.” I love spring when the new seedlings are sprouting to try to guess from just a few leaves the flower that will bring us new joy with each blossom. The volunteer marigolds or zinnias spread their beauty in our garden. We just showed love to a flower last summer that bloomed and died, but the memory of that love is blooming in a new place in a new morning of a summer’s day. We did not anticipate that new day when a flower would bring us joy, but that joy is so special because it was so unexpected.
Life is like that unexpected flower seed. We show love, kindness, and joy to people along the path of our lives. Those people that we touch share their love, kindness, and joy with others along the path. Seasons change and grow. We are touched with new joy in a new spring by the seeds of our fruit that we cherished long ago. God brings us joy when he gives us discernment how the seeds of our joy has touch the lives of other people.
God loves to surprise me. I never expected for God to give one seed of joy for me to plant. I thanked God for that one seed. He told me that you haven’t seen anything yet. God gave me a package of seeds of joy. He told me to go spread those seeds wherever he sent to me to go. I’ve learned that the package of seeds of joy never run out. God refills the package of seeds as often as I plant those seeds of joy. The seed package never runs out of seeds that can be planted, watered, encouraged and celebrated.
I’ve told myself that I wasn’t worthy to be given that package of seeds. In fact, I’m not worthy of even one of God’s seeds of joy. I’ve asked God, “Why me?” God answered in the scriptures in the Gospel of John: “I have called you friend, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.”
I’m so thankful that God choose me. God has shown me so many secrets of the gospel of peace and joy. I never thought that I’d go to Africa. If I did go, it would just be one trip of a lifetime. Instead, God has me doing work there. People have water to drink in wells that will last. People have a place to worship. I don’t even know the names of people who now have hope, peace, and joy because God have me a packet of seeds. I did not know what the leaves of those plants of joy looked like when they sprouted. I did not realize that the life that I was changing was my own. I thought I was going to tell others about God. Instead, God planted the first seed of joy in my heart. I will always be thankful to God that he gave me that seed of joy. That seed of joy was a “volunteer flower.” It continues to come up in my garden in unexpected places.
God continues to surprise me with the way that he uses me. My gift is being able to open my heart and being a willing gardener of the seeds that God gives me. I still can only guess how God’s garden will grow and blossom. I try to imagine the next spring how the garden will look after the winter has set in our lives. It is hard to believe that plants will sprout when snow and ice covers the ground. It is hard to believe that green grass will sprout when the drought or the dry season has burned everything in sight.
We may believe that we are that frozen ground. We may believe that life has burned everything that we touch, but that is a lie that Satan whispers in our ear. God has chosen us to be his people and for us to share his love so that the seeds of joy will grow in the lives of those that we touch. It is amazing that the fruit that grows will be seen in our fruit trees first. We will bear good fruit. We just need to take that seed that God has given and plant it in a special place to see our joy grow. God has given us his joy. If we accept God’s joy, our joy will be complete.
The joy that we need to share must start in our home. The scriptures are so important from Deuteronomy 6:4-9. We need to write the joy of God on our hearts and on our foreheads. We need to plant those seeds of joy in the hearts of our children. Our children must know that we love God and that we love them. We need to bind God’s love in every aspect of our lives.
The scripture from Deuteronomy tells us to “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Stop talking about the faults of your spouse or your children. Start talking about the seeds of love and joy that are present in their lives. Every time you open your mouth you can water those seeds or you can kill those seeds with words that are sharper than any sword. I had conversations with a member of our church that we must speak with the words of faith. We must speak the unseen before it is seen. We must talk about our sons and daughters and the wonderful men and women they will become.
My grandmother Barker was gifted with planting seeds of joy in this way. She spoke words of joy about me that were untrue. She spoke words of joy with faith. I heard her words and wanted to become the man that she described. I wanted to have children that she would say were her great grandchildren with the same kind of words that she spoke about me so long ago. I wanted to marry a woman like she described for me. She described a woman of faith, a woman who worked hard, a woman with love overflowing, and a natural beauty that came from the heart. I realize today, that her words were seeds of joy that sprouted into Susan and my four wonderful children.
I realize that so many people planted seeds of joy on my path. God allows us to see some of the flowers that sprouted from those seeds. God also allows some flowers to sprout after our time on this earth is over. We can’t see those flowers bloom, but we have the promise from God that those flowers will be beautiful and full of joy. We can touch many generations with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We can do things that we can only imagine. We just need to believe that God will use even you and me.
Our strength to keep going comes from the joy of the Lord. In Psalm 19:8 (NIV), it says “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Our eyes show the love and joy of God within our hearts. God’s light will shine in the darkness. God’s lights shines through our eyes and shares joy with others. In Psalm 45:7 (NIV) it says “Therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Isn’t that great? Anointing is so powerful. If I’d never gone to serve God in Africa, I may never have understood the power of anointing. The image of anointing with the oil of joy is so wonderful that it makes my heart jump with joy.
We are able to stand firm against evil and the challenges of this world by faith in God and God works with us for our joy. I am so thankful that God gave me a package of seeds to plant. God also gave you the same package of seeds. We need to plant those seeds of joy in our home gardens and in many unexpected places. Our joy will be complete if we allow the joy of God into our hearts today and speak with a voice of faith before we can see that flower growing in our heart or our garden. God gave us the promise of that flower, we just have to ask God to be our Lord and Savior and ask him into our hearts.
The love of Jesus Christ will water and nourish our lives so that our joy is complete. May the love of Jesus Christ make you joy complete this day! Go out and share the joy of Jesus Christ with everyone that you touch. Amen!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
We Need A Little Love
I’d like to wish all of the mothers and grandmothers a Happy Mother’s Day. This sermon is in honor of you, your mother and your grandmother. There are times in our lives when all we need is a little love. There’s almost nothing better than a mother’s love when you are sick or when you just need a hug.
The Bible spends a lot of time on the subject of love. In fact, love is one of the most important things that we can do while we are on this earth. I think that when we get to Heaven one of the first questions will be about how much we loved and how we showed that love. The Bible has a lot of different words for love in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew.
Many scriptures about love in the Bible show up a lot in wedding ceremonies. The book of Ruth is quoted in marriage ceremonies even though the love shown was from a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law. Read Ruth 1:15-17, "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
We read 1 Corinthians 12 at my wedding to Susan. This chapter is simply referred to as the “love chapter.” 1 Corinthians 12 simply says that you haven’t lived if you haven’t loved. Listen to these words about love and ask yourself if your love is patient and kind.
In 1 Corinthians 12 it says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
There’s so many ways that we can experience love. We first experience the love of a parent for us as a child. We are loved, fed, and clothed without offering anything except love in return to our parents. A baby’s loves back is unconditional. A baby’s love returns the love of their parents. The baby learns to trust and have faith in their parents. The bond between a father or mother and their child is very strong. That bond is love. The child learns about faith, hope, and love through their parents.
In fact, Jesus and God set the example for us about love. This love is the love between God the Father and God the Son. God’s love for Jesus is a good example of parent’s love for a child. In Matthew 3:16-17, it says “As soon as Jesus was baptized, Jesus went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The love God expressed is so special. God claimed Jesus as his son. God told Jesus that he loved him. God also told him that he is well pleased. We need to be told that we are loved and that we love those special ones in our lives. We also need to tell them that we are pleased with them.
There’s the love between two people who are in love for the first time. This love is new, fresh, and unknown. The first thing that happens is the realization that the first love is different from the love that we knew from our parents. It is still love, but it is different. I think this first love helps to teach us and prepare us for the long lasting kind of love.
We have a term for it: puppy love. We are consumed with love at this stage in our lives. We can’t think of anything except this new kind of love that we are experiencing. Our minds stop working and our hearts have total control of our lives. We want to be with the special person as much as possible. Our hands find each other. Touch is an important part of this love. This “first love” is wonderful until that first break up. At that point, we think we will never be able to love again. The first love is special because it is like a spring tulip bulb which grows and blossoms into a beautiful flower and then quickly fades into a beautiful memory.
The Song of Songs scriptures describe many kinds of love and even friendship. Some of the verses are so powerful that it takes our breath away. Some of the verses could go into a greeting card easily. Other verses might make us blush. I’m going to read Songs of Songs 7:1-6 “How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus. Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!”
I wish I could write like King Solomon. I think it is okay to say “I love you” in a simple and special way. It is good to describe how and why we love each other. The book of Psalm also speaks about love.
The next time we fall in love, it is different from the “first love.” It is deeper. Love is giving. Love is devoted. Love is no longer just about “me” and taking. Love is now about “us” and giving more than we receive. Love now has a give and take that wasn’t a part of that first love. We promise not to make the same mistakes again. We start asking more questions and observing others who are in love so that we can experience a deeper love. We learn about love by receiving the love from others and in turn trying to return that love to that special person in our lives.
I remember praying to God one week before I met Susan. I told God that I was lonely. I was grieving over the loss of my Grandmother Barker. I asked God to place someone special into my life. The week after that prayer, I met Susan at a housewarming party. It was love at first sight. I knew that Susan was the right woman for me. She listened. She empathized with my pain for the loss of my grandmother. I went home and called my sister and Granny Hughes that I had met the woman that I would marry. I had no idea at that point how much Susan would change my life. I also had no idea about the depth of love we would experience when I first met Susan. I just knew that she was the one.
If we are lucky at some point in our lives, we will turn to the Bible to better understand love. Our love starts to grow and change with the knowledge that God’s word provides. I’ve just touched the surface about love.
The love for a child starts during the nine months while we wait for the birth of our child. I can’t imagine how it feels to become a mother with that life inside of you for those nine months. The love grows exponentially at the moment we see our new son or daughter for the first time. Susan’s grandmother Baumgarder had a great answer when asked who she loved the most. She said “There’s no limit to love. Love grows. There’s enough love in our hearts for everyone.” My love always grew as Susan and I had our children. It was hard to imagine life without our children after they were born. Our family was not complete without the newest addition to our family.
I can’t describe the love of a grandparent for a grandchild, but I’ve been told that it is even better than the love we have for our children. Grandparents can love and spoil the grandchildren and give them back to their parents when it is time for a break. I’ve experienced the love of a grandparent for me. It is wonderful to have love that is unconditional, full of wisdom, and with the time to give to a child.
Now, we have the love that surpasses all other love. God’s love for us is so much bigger than we can imagine. It has qualities of all of the kinds of love that I’ve described, but in a even more special way. God’s love was first. He loved us when he created the world. God loved us when he claimed us as one of his children. God loved us before we knew how to love God back. God’s love is patient. God’s love is kind. God’s love endures forever. God’s love is so much bigger than I have been able to describe. If we combine all the different kinds of love that I’ve described, I still have not been able to describe the actual size of God’s love. God loves us. I’ll finish with the knowledge that we will never be able to deserve God’s love, but it is by the grace of God that he loves us. In turn, we need to share God’s love with our mothers, our spouses, our brothers, and all of God’s people.
The Bible spends a lot of time on the subject of love. In fact, love is one of the most important things that we can do while we are on this earth. I think that when we get to Heaven one of the first questions will be about how much we loved and how we showed that love. The Bible has a lot of different words for love in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew.
Many scriptures about love in the Bible show up a lot in wedding ceremonies. The book of Ruth is quoted in marriage ceremonies even though the love shown was from a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law. Read Ruth 1:15-17, "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
We read 1 Corinthians 12 at my wedding to Susan. This chapter is simply referred to as the “love chapter.” 1 Corinthians 12 simply says that you haven’t lived if you haven’t loved. Listen to these words about love and ask yourself if your love is patient and kind.
In 1 Corinthians 12 it says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
There’s so many ways that we can experience love. We first experience the love of a parent for us as a child. We are loved, fed, and clothed without offering anything except love in return to our parents. A baby’s loves back is unconditional. A baby’s love returns the love of their parents. The baby learns to trust and have faith in their parents. The bond between a father or mother and their child is very strong. That bond is love. The child learns about faith, hope, and love through their parents.
In fact, Jesus and God set the example for us about love. This love is the love between God the Father and God the Son. God’s love for Jesus is a good example of parent’s love for a child. In Matthew 3:16-17, it says “As soon as Jesus was baptized, Jesus went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The love God expressed is so special. God claimed Jesus as his son. God told Jesus that he loved him. God also told him that he is well pleased. We need to be told that we are loved and that we love those special ones in our lives. We also need to tell them that we are pleased with them.
There’s the love between two people who are in love for the first time. This love is new, fresh, and unknown. The first thing that happens is the realization that the first love is different from the love that we knew from our parents. It is still love, but it is different. I think this first love helps to teach us and prepare us for the long lasting kind of love.
We have a term for it: puppy love. We are consumed with love at this stage in our lives. We can’t think of anything except this new kind of love that we are experiencing. Our minds stop working and our hearts have total control of our lives. We want to be with the special person as much as possible. Our hands find each other. Touch is an important part of this love. This “first love” is wonderful until that first break up. At that point, we think we will never be able to love again. The first love is special because it is like a spring tulip bulb which grows and blossoms into a beautiful flower and then quickly fades into a beautiful memory.
The Song of Songs scriptures describe many kinds of love and even friendship. Some of the verses are so powerful that it takes our breath away. Some of the verses could go into a greeting card easily. Other verses might make us blush. I’m going to read Songs of Songs 7:1-6 “How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus. Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!”
I wish I could write like King Solomon. I think it is okay to say “I love you” in a simple and special way. It is good to describe how and why we love each other. The book of Psalm also speaks about love.
The next time we fall in love, it is different from the “first love.” It is deeper. Love is giving. Love is devoted. Love is no longer just about “me” and taking. Love is now about “us” and giving more than we receive. Love now has a give and take that wasn’t a part of that first love. We promise not to make the same mistakes again. We start asking more questions and observing others who are in love so that we can experience a deeper love. We learn about love by receiving the love from others and in turn trying to return that love to that special person in our lives.
I remember praying to God one week before I met Susan. I told God that I was lonely. I was grieving over the loss of my Grandmother Barker. I asked God to place someone special into my life. The week after that prayer, I met Susan at a housewarming party. It was love at first sight. I knew that Susan was the right woman for me. She listened. She empathized with my pain for the loss of my grandmother. I went home and called my sister and Granny Hughes that I had met the woman that I would marry. I had no idea at that point how much Susan would change my life. I also had no idea about the depth of love we would experience when I first met Susan. I just knew that she was the one.
If we are lucky at some point in our lives, we will turn to the Bible to better understand love. Our love starts to grow and change with the knowledge that God’s word provides. I’ve just touched the surface about love.
The love for a child starts during the nine months while we wait for the birth of our child. I can’t imagine how it feels to become a mother with that life inside of you for those nine months. The love grows exponentially at the moment we see our new son or daughter for the first time. Susan’s grandmother Baumgarder had a great answer when asked who she loved the most. She said “There’s no limit to love. Love grows. There’s enough love in our hearts for everyone.” My love always grew as Susan and I had our children. It was hard to imagine life without our children after they were born. Our family was not complete without the newest addition to our family.
I can’t describe the love of a grandparent for a grandchild, but I’ve been told that it is even better than the love we have for our children. Grandparents can love and spoil the grandchildren and give them back to their parents when it is time for a break. I’ve experienced the love of a grandparent for me. It is wonderful to have love that is unconditional, full of wisdom, and with the time to give to a child.
Now, we have the love that surpasses all other love. God’s love for us is so much bigger than we can imagine. It has qualities of all of the kinds of love that I’ve described, but in a even more special way. God’s love was first. He loved us when he created the world. God loved us when he claimed us as one of his children. God loved us before we knew how to love God back. God’s love is patient. God’s love is kind. God’s love endures forever. God’s love is so much bigger than I have been able to describe. If we combine all the different kinds of love that I’ve described, I still have not been able to describe the actual size of God’s love. God loves us. I’ll finish with the knowledge that we will never be able to deserve God’s love, but it is by the grace of God that he loves us. In turn, we need to share God’s love with our mothers, our spouses, our brothers, and all of God’s people.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
In the Name of Jesus
There’s something special when we use the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the name of the one and only son of God. Whatever we do whether it is worshiping, singing, praying, or serving, we need to do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we could live life here on earth and have eternal life.
Who can name some of the Ten Commandments? The easy ones to remember are “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. One of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:13-15) It is easy to understand not killing, not stealing, and not committing adultery. What is so important about not misusing the name of the Lord your God? Why is it one of the Ten Commandments?
I believe it is one of the Ten Commandments because it is so important. The commandment is written in the “thou shalt not do” style. It is telling us not to misuse God’s name. It is dangerous to misuse God’s name. Let’s flip this commandment into a positive demand. “You shall use the name of the Lord your God wisely.”
Acts 4 is an interesting story about the religious leaders being upset that someone was healed. They wanted to find out who did it and how they did it. Acts 4:5-14 says “The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men 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?"
They were asking the key question. “By what power or what name did you do this?” It is so important for us to realize where the power is found. The power is found in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! The rulers, elders, and teachers of the law didn’t realize that their question would be used to teach about the power of Jesus Christ, but that is exactly what this question does for us today. I imagine that it was a little intimidating to be called in front of a bunch of religious and self-righteous people. Sometimes, it is difficult to handle tough situations. In this story, Luke explains how Peter is able to answer the religious leader’s questions and scorn. Luke explains that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit.
So we’ve learned two things so far:
1) We need to know where the power is and in who’s name we work.
2) We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4 continues, “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 cripple and are 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.”
These few verses explain that Peter was able to speak with boldness, strength, and confidence because Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter also explains that it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that this man was healed. Peter explains that it was an act of kindness where Peter showed the cripple the love of Jesus Christ. Peter also prayed for the cripple as a result of having compassion. The prayer used “in the name of Jesus Christ.” That is a key phrase. Praying in the “name of Jesus Christ” is where the power is found.
“Jesus Christ is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved." When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.”
The religious leaders wanted to discredit Peter and John, but there was nothing that the leaders could say to rebuke the amazing testimony by Peter. Peter’s speech was accurate and powerful. In fact, Peter’s speech explained that Jesus is the salvation of this world. We are saved in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross so that we could have eternal life.
The elders also realized that Peter and John did not go to seminary. Peter and John were unschooled. The elders noticed that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Do people know that we’ve been with Jesus? Will someone see the love of Jesus Christ on our face when a person needs lives?
I went in front of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry before my last mission trip. The religious leaders were just trying to get to know me and learn about my faith journey. I was not on trial, but it was intimidating anyway. Can you imagine how scary it was for Peter and John?
There’s times in our lives when we need to overcome our fear with the faith that comes from knowing and loving God in our hearts. Peter’s boldness happened because he had the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke in the name of Jesus Christ. It is useful to understand Jesus Christ.
READ IT IN THE BIBLE. In John 10:11-18,25-30 (NIV), Jesus says "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
I love this scripture where Jesus says “I know my sheep and my sheep know me. They will listen to my voice and they will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus knows us. Jesus takes care of us. He is our shepherd. Jesus will be there for us. We just need to listen to his voice and follow Jesus Christ wherever he wants to take us.
Read John 10:25-30
Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most remembered Psalm. It has so much power. The scripture reads: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God will restore our soul. We don’t have to fear evil because we know that God is always with us. Goodness and love will always follow us and God will anoint us. We will be God’s children forever. God is with us regardless of our challenges in life. I felt such a peace while I was in the hospital because I knew that God was with me and that God protected me from the harshness of disease and from evil.
In Acts 2:38, Peter said “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts 3:6, “TheN Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, walk.” We must have faith in the name of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:4 says “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present.”
These verses tells us some key facts: 1) We must have faith in Jesus Christ’s name, 2) The power of Jesus Christ is present when we are assembled in the name of Jesus Christ, and 3) the name of Jesus Christ is more powerful than silver and gold because it can heal.
In Colossians 3:17, it says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 2Thessalonians 1:12 “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Okay, we believe in the father, the son, and Holy Spirit. Now, I’m asking you to believe “in the name of Jesus Christ.” There’s so much power in using God’s name wisely. We can pray in the name of Jesus and amazing things will happen. We can meet in the name of Jesus Christ and we can have a worship service filled with power and might. We can serve God in the name of Jesus Christ and we do things that we can only imagine.
Jesus is a name that invokes God. Jesus is a name that we can use in our hour of need. Jesus is the name above all other names. If we call on the name of Jesus Christ, we will never be alone. Let us go out today speaking the name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us worship in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us serve in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us be blessed in the name of Jesus Christ. Today, we must use the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth with wisdom and knowledge. We know that whenever we use the name of Jesus Christ, we invoke the power of God.
Who can name some of the Ten Commandments? The easy ones to remember are “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. One of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:13-15) It is easy to understand not killing, not stealing, and not committing adultery. What is so important about not misusing the name of the Lord your God? Why is it one of the Ten Commandments?
I believe it is one of the Ten Commandments because it is so important. The commandment is written in the “thou shalt not do” style. It is telling us not to misuse God’s name. It is dangerous to misuse God’s name. Let’s flip this commandment into a positive demand. “You shall use the name of the Lord your God wisely.”
Acts 4 is an interesting story about the religious leaders being upset that someone was healed. They wanted to find out who did it and how they did it. Acts 4:5-14 says “The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men 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?"
They were asking the key question. “By what power or what name did you do this?” It is so important for us to realize where the power is found. The power is found in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! The rulers, elders, and teachers of the law didn’t realize that their question would be used to teach about the power of Jesus Christ, but that is exactly what this question does for us today. I imagine that it was a little intimidating to be called in front of a bunch of religious and self-righteous people. Sometimes, it is difficult to handle tough situations. In this story, Luke explains how Peter is able to answer the religious leader’s questions and scorn. Luke explains that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit.
So we’ve learned two things so far:
1) We need to know where the power is and in who’s name we work.
2) We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4 continues, “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 cripple and are 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.”
These few verses explain that Peter was able to speak with boldness, strength, and confidence because Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter also explains that it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that this man was healed. Peter explains that it was an act of kindness where Peter showed the cripple the love of Jesus Christ. Peter also prayed for the cripple as a result of having compassion. The prayer used “in the name of Jesus Christ.” That is a key phrase. Praying in the “name of Jesus Christ” is where the power is found.
“Jesus Christ is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved." When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.”
The religious leaders wanted to discredit Peter and John, but there was nothing that the leaders could say to rebuke the amazing testimony by Peter. Peter’s speech was accurate and powerful. In fact, Peter’s speech explained that Jesus is the salvation of this world. We are saved in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross so that we could have eternal life.
The elders also realized that Peter and John did not go to seminary. Peter and John were unschooled. The elders noticed that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Do people know that we’ve been with Jesus? Will someone see the love of Jesus Christ on our face when a person needs lives?
I went in front of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry before my last mission trip. The religious leaders were just trying to get to know me and learn about my faith journey. I was not on trial, but it was intimidating anyway. Can you imagine how scary it was for Peter and John?
There’s times in our lives when we need to overcome our fear with the faith that comes from knowing and loving God in our hearts. Peter’s boldness happened because he had the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke in the name of Jesus Christ. It is useful to understand Jesus Christ.
READ IT IN THE BIBLE. In John 10:11-18,25-30 (NIV), Jesus says "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
I love this scripture where Jesus says “I know my sheep and my sheep know me. They will listen to my voice and they will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus knows us. Jesus takes care of us. He is our shepherd. Jesus will be there for us. We just need to listen to his voice and follow Jesus Christ wherever he wants to take us.
Read John 10:25-30
Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most remembered Psalm. It has so much power. The scripture reads: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God will restore our soul. We don’t have to fear evil because we know that God is always with us. Goodness and love will always follow us and God will anoint us. We will be God’s children forever. God is with us regardless of our challenges in life. I felt such a peace while I was in the hospital because I knew that God was with me and that God protected me from the harshness of disease and from evil.
In Acts 2:38, Peter said “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In Acts 3:6, “TheN Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, walk.” We must have faith in the name of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:4 says “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present.”
These verses tells us some key facts: 1) We must have faith in Jesus Christ’s name, 2) The power of Jesus Christ is present when we are assembled in the name of Jesus Christ, and 3) the name of Jesus Christ is more powerful than silver and gold because it can heal.
In Colossians 3:17, it says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 2Thessalonians 1:12 “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Okay, we believe in the father, the son, and Holy Spirit. Now, I’m asking you to believe “in the name of Jesus Christ.” There’s so much power in using God’s name wisely. We can pray in the name of Jesus and amazing things will happen. We can meet in the name of Jesus Christ and we can have a worship service filled with power and might. We can serve God in the name of Jesus Christ and we do things that we can only imagine.
Jesus is a name that invokes God. Jesus is a name that we can use in our hour of need. Jesus is the name above all other names. If we call on the name of Jesus Christ, we will never be alone. Let us go out today speaking the name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us worship in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us serve in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us be blessed in the name of Jesus Christ. Today, we must use the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth with wisdom and knowledge. We know that whenever we use the name of Jesus Christ, we invoke the power of God.
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