The Lost Son (or Daughter)

Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

I suppose to many of us it would seem like an un-extraordinary thing when someone new decides to come to church on Sunday. There could be any number of reasons why a person would just up and decide to walk in the door of a church. It may have been a friend or relative who had some influence on their decision. There may have been a Spiritual urging that pushed them out the door of their house into the door of a church. Or perhaps it may have been as simple as the realization what they were doing in their life was not working. Regardless of the cause or reason, there they stand. They are embarking on a new adventure. It can be an adventure that will profoundly change who they are and what they are. It can be an opportunity to start their life anew. For some it is a step of faith they chose to take. For others it is a step taken out of desperation. To you and I the cause or reason does not matter. What is of utmost importance is how they are received.

I have to confess, I have been to a few wild parties. Bachelor parties, toga parties, New Years Eve parties, on-the-beach in Daytona parties, etc. All part of what some would call a ‘misspent youth’. Still, I cannot imagine the joy and the celebration described in Luke 15:10. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  Have you stopped to think what it would be like? I suspect it would boggle our simple human minds. And I suspect it would have no equal to what exists here on earth. Do you think there is one quick party or a continuous celebration?  By that I mean when a person decides to change their life it could be like what we read of the prodigal son in Luke 15:24 ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. And yet we know that each of us is sinful by nature and constantly tempted by sin. We try of our own accord to repent and often fail. We simply do not have within us the ability to standalone. And as believers we know we are not alone in our battle. Our Father in Heaven is there with us always. The Holy Spirit pours faith into our hearts to endure the constant struggle. And Jesus, our Savior has paved the way to forgiveness by His sacrifice. This news is what we share with the person who has walked into the church. There is a party in heaven, and it is a constant party because the lost is found, the sinner has repented. Joy to the World! Let’s all make welcome any who chose to visit our church during Advent, Christmas and any other day of the year. Help the lost to feel welcome into the house with many rooms that our Father has prepared.

PRAYER: Lord we often forget what it is like to step away from our old lives and embrace life with You. Help us every day to remember that joy. Help us to share that joy with others who are taking that same brave step. Help us to remember to share the joy of the Angels with the sinner who repents. We ask this humbly in Jesus name, Amen.

I Bring You Good News

Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Christmas is a time of joy for many people. The whole process of thinking of family and friends we plan to buy and wrap gifts for is part of the joy of Christmas. Consider what you go through in this process of expressing your caring about and love for others. You need to know something about the person the gift is going to. That means you are a part of their life. You have the choice in your gifting something to go the route of a gift card. Now this is a double-edged sword type of gift. It may be perceived as taking the easy way out. Or it may be perceived as a very thoughtful gift that allows the person receiving the card to go out a chose something they would like to have to make their own life a little better. It really means you care enough to share with a friend or family member a part of you. It is a gift from the heart intended to bring joy to the person receiving the gift.

The Angels sharing the good news of the birth of the Christ Child is much like the wrapping paper or gift bag around a gift you and I would give.  When we chose the paper or bag to place around a gift we often have a choice in style, color, and things like bows of papers to stuff in the gift bag.  And we all know that this part of the gift, no matter how carefully it is prepared that is quickly set aside to allow the recipient to gain access to the true gift. It’s the gift we intend to bring joy into their hearts.  And so it is with the Angel’s message. The presentation was no doubt overwhelming to the shepherds. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”  The true gift of joy was found in the form of “a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And this was no ordinary baby they announced the birth of. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” This was the long awaited good news, a Messiah - The Lord had arrived. Each of us knows exactly how it felt to receive this news because each and every one of us has heard that news for the first time in our lives. And we keep hearing the good news. We repeat that message each Advent, and through out the year when we read the Gospel of Jesus Christ or hear a message in Church. Friends, the Gospel is a gift you and I need to share. And we need to find a way to share that good news with those who have not yet heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a gift of joy that outshines any bows, ribbons, gift bag or wrapping paper we can find on this earth.  Pray for an opportunity to share Jesus with someone at Advent.

PRAYER: Father, Your Angels boldly announced to the shepherds to news of the birth of Your Son. This is the news we have heard preached from the pulpit on Sunday. It is the news we read each time we pick up our bibles. Help us to find ways to share that good news with those who have yet to hear of Your love. Help us to also reach out to those who have turned away or believe they are too lost in sin to be saved. These things we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Grace and Peace to You

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The opening of 1 Corinthians  is used by the Apostle Paul to reminds us of a time when the pace was slower, and perhaps more thoughtful in our interactions with one another. Think about it. How do you greet someone you know today? Is it a simple “Hello” or a “How are you doing?”  Or perhaps it is a simple “Hey.”  In all the aforementioned case they are simple greetings and not what was customary long ago. Greetings have evolved, or devolved depending on your perspective. Shakespearean era greeting were flowery and verbose in most cases. If you are a fan of J.R. Tolkien, the Middle Earth greetings usually included a reference to the father of the person being greeted. But today, greetings are certainly not what they once were. Our standard of civility has changed. One might even say it has lessened to a degree.

And when we consider 1 Corinthians 1:3 there is little doubt our modern greetings just do not measure up. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful way to say hello, you are a friend, and remember you are saved. You are saved by the grace of God our Father and the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are words filled with comfort, hope and peace. This greeting is also a reminder that we should be at peace with ourselves because the peace comes from God. Jesus reminds us of the real peace he gives in carry John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  That is the peace He refers to. It is the same peace the Apostle Paul reminds us of in his greeting. Often we hear this same greeting before the message at church. The Pastor will comfort us with this greeting.  It also lets the listener know that the message to follow is to be theologically sound and based solely on the word of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We can be at peace knowing it is not some new revelation. Rather a reminder of what we already know to be true as it comes from the Word of God straight from the Bible.

Let us not also forget to greet others outside of our church family in a warm and compassionate way. Jesus reminds us of that responsibility in Matthew 5:47. “And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”  It’s a daunting task. But if we do not try it, we will never know what opportunities are missed. “Grace and peace to you” is a start. I pray that all of our efforts are well received and bear fruit in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Blessed Father in Heaven, we need Your help in how we live in this world. We all too often are hurried and self-focused. We need Your love to slow down our lives so that we can live as You would have us live in this world that is lost in sin. Help us to share Your love in how we greet and visit with others in our lives. We ask this in the name of Your Son who with the Father and Holy Spirit are one God now and forever, Amen.