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Last night I had the song, ``What's love got to with it" running through my head for some reason. Drives me nuts when this happens. especially since I only know that one line. However, as I do often I let my mind drift to God and my life.
What's love got to with it? Everything I thought. The two greatest commands;{Matthew 22} what God did for us; (John 3:16} the letter to the church in Ephesus, (1st Corinthians 13} to name a few. As I continued to think about love in Christ John 13: 34-35 crept in. "A new commandment I give to you, that you must love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." In other words, love actually represented a nonnegotiable part of discipleship. It was a vital instruction Jesus gave the night before His crucifixion. Love certainly for Jesus a second hand emotion. It was a first hand necessity. The Apostle Paul would say, this love was essential to the new birth. Love first, question second. Good morning. I am blessed this morning to be able to look out and see two lighthouses, Owls Head and Rockland Harbor. The sky is absolutely beautiful this morning as it was yesterday. I pray everyone is able to enjoy this warmth. The days are getting shorter quickly so let us enjoy the moments we have.
As I looked out this morning my heart felt full in the perfection of God. A God who knows me, cares for me and wants me for His own. I sat there knowing I am forgiven and this is a new day to live into the perfection of Jesus. Overwhelming peace takes hold when this happens, when I take time to sit with God. Folks, I know the days are busy and we have things to do but take time today to sit with God in His perfection. Pray for this country, your home and our church family. Know that this God who created all we have heard your prayer and knows your heart. Sit quietly and feel God. God has blessed us as a people let us live fully in these blessings. Make today about God and see what happens. With much love I share this short post with you all. Matthew 6:1-4 1 “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4 so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.
The image from the passage above must make you smile. Imagine a pompous person hiring a trumpeter to sound a fanfare just before he put his big gift (“for the poor”) into one of the offering boxes at the Temple. Jesus was likely using hyperbole (exaggeration for effect) in that image, as he certainly was when he said not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. His warning was clear though: you can do a good thing for wrong reasons. Our God can always tell the difference, whether other people can or not. In truth, generous giving to help others is good. (In fact, it’s one of the five essential practices of the Christian life.*) What Jesus said, though, is that if you give to impress others, then whatever good impression you make on others is all the reward you’re going to get. As we grow in our faith and extend Jesus' call for inner honesty, may we look honestly at the giving we do. Almighty God, my Lord Jesus, help me to learn from your model of self-giving generosity. Teach me how to do my giving, not for my ego’s sake, but for the sake of those who need what I am able to give. Help me to see and hear your call to give. Father, I ask you to forgive me as I forgive others. I ask you to bless my church family and the communities we are in. May I give abundantly of myself and financially to glorify Your name forever and ever. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The other day I was talking to a person who felt alone and having a difficult time spiritually. During our conversation the Holy Spirit came into question. Where is the Holy Spirit? The4 question was asked. So we went to Romans and I want to share some of our thoughts.
Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. There is nothing worse than feeling alone at this time. Like no one's got our back. And some things will help like solid Christian and secular relationships. But what if we had someone who was always with us, who always sought our best interest, and knew how to intercede on our behalf when we could not find the words? Well, that's the Holy Spirit Paul tells us. In moments of loneliness, he's there. When we don't know what to pray or say, the Spirit does. He speaks on our behalf to God interceding in a way that we cannot. When you are speechless—he speaks. He is someone who defends you when you feel defenseless and someone who comes to aid when you need him the most. And while you may feel alone and vulnerable at times, that is fabricated in your mind (it's a lie). You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I myself have felt alone, like being on an island. However, an extraordinary thing often happens. I feel the presence of God. A comfort and peace is in my mind and thoughts. Sometimes clarity seems to happen and renewal in the moment takes place. This is the Holy Spirit as Paul would say working when we may feel exhausted or left out. Praise God for His mercy. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Giving thanks or living in gratitude goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. Gratitude as a discipline, involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. Gratitude can be lived even in pandemics and chaos. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. . . . The choice for gratitude can take effort but each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier, a little freer, a little less self-conscious. . . . There is an Estonian proverb that says: “Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” Acts of gratitude make one grateful because, step by step, they reveal that all is grace. See you a little later as we look deeper into the abundance of God's gifts. Almighty God may all glory and honor be yours. Help me Lord in these times of trials to bring hope to others through seeing the blessings of today. Lord forgive me of my sinfulness. Forgive me of falling into the trap of complaining and focusing on the negatives. May I be, with your help, a voice of unity and hope. Father, give me this strength. In Jesus' name I pray. "You . . . are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).
In the stages of the Hebrews walk with God the primary mission of a Hebrew priest was to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. That's why God gave detailed instructions (Leviticus) regarding the kinds of sacrifices He required. For example, if a lamb was offered, it had to be perfect—without deformity or blemish. Then it had to be sacrificed in a prescribed manner. It was a serious offense to offer sacrifices in an unacceptable manner—a mistake that cost Aaron's sons their lives (Lev. 10:1-2). The Old Testament sacrificial system pictured the supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross. When He died, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple split in two, signifying personal access to God through Christ. From that moment on, the Old Testament sacrifices ceased to have meaning. As the writer of Hebrews said, "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. . . . For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Heb. 10:10-14). Remember, Christ's sacrifice was complete. Nothing further is needed for salvation. The spiritual sacrifices that believers are to offer aren't sacrifices for sin, but acts of praise and worship that flow from a redeemed life. They're the fruit of salvation and are acceptable to God because they're offered through His Son. Since Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, your access to God is through Him alone. Anything that pleases Him is acceptable to the Father. Seeking His will, His plans, and His kingdom all are aspects of offering up acceptable spiritual sacrifices. In effect, your entire life is to be one continuous sacrifice of love and praise to God. May it be so! God bless and let us keep each other in prayer and lift this country up to God today. Matthew 11: 16-30
16: But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling one another. 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn." I remember my father saying to me many times to relax and enjoy the trip to the destination. Look around, listen and take it in. We're people who are so busy looking around for something that we miss the sound of the flute calling us to dance or the sound of those wailing calling us to mourn. We can get so caught up in our desire to make right the workings of church, the doctrines and by laws of the Church that we ignore that music of God's calling to come and rejoice in the presence of Christ, to find joy in the reality of Jesus' unfailing love. We can be so obsessed with right thinking that we grow deaf to the cries of our neighbors in despair; we can be so fixated on whatever sin we find hideous that we don't see the number we lock out of the church while God mourns for them and us. How often do we get so fixated on something that we miss what God has placed directly in front of us. When we do this, in a way, we put blinders on; we become short sighted and paint ourselves into a corner. We build walls without realizing it. Walls that close us in a box that we don't belong in. This is what I think Jesus is telling the people in these cities, They have become so narrow focused, individualized, that they are missing the gift of each other and the Son. What are your blinders? I am realizing that I have many, you could say one for each outfit I wear. Maybe it's time to clean them out and see what I have been missing in my relationship with Christ. Hey come to think of it, join me. Gracious Father, I know I have blinders on at times. I find life easier. Yet, as I read Your Word I am told to remove them and see where I can serve, or hear the calls of Your people. Father, thank you for the reminders of who I am to be. Forgive my shortcomings, my sins and help me move forward as I believe I am ready. Lord, I ask you to bless my multiple families, my neighbors and my enemies. May we become one in Your Son. Father, I pray this in Jesus' name . Amen Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. – Nehemiah 1:5-6
Nehemiah’s concern about the vulnerable state of Jerusalem and the people of Israel led him to call out to God. He identified with God’s people, confessing their sin as well as his own family’s sin. His prayer reflects his sorrow and deep concern for God’s people and his deep trust in God. What concerns cause you to call out to God? Prayer: Almighty and Holy Lord, like Nehemiah, I come to You, trusting that You are “for” Your people. Hear my heartfelt prayer and lament and deliver us as I call out to You Lord God, Father, I pray that you keep your people safe. May we not get discouraged and give up but instead reach out in new ways to bring the good news to others in our communities. Lord Jesus, I pray for the many who are struggling during this virus. I pray for those who are controlled by addictions and the world around them. May we remain focused on the coming of Your Son and continue to prepare and love knowing You will return. In Jesus’ name, amen Have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. – Phil 4:13
Have you ever faced something really difficult? For me this virus has been difficult in many ways, but it is not the only difficulty we face today. Maybe a separation has just happened, a job lost or any type of struggle. How do you deal with life’s difficult situations? How do you keep going when you just want to curl up in your bed, pull the covers over your head, and never come out? The good news is in the moments where you feel the most helpless Jesus is there to give you strength. If you will spend time with Him, and get close to Him, He will give you the strength you need to keep going in difficult circumstances. Joel 2:12-13
12 Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; 13 tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive. Joel is an interesting book. It mentions no kings or external events to help scholars date its writing, and we know nothing about the prophet “Joel, Pethuel’s son” (Joel 1:1) or about his father. Yet Joel’s profound, heartfelt appeal for repentance echoes for every generation of God’s people. Our God, the prophet said, is “very patient,” “ready to forgive.” God’s mercy is always there, but we can only claim it honestly when we truly turn away from what is wrong in our lives. “Tear your hearts and not your clothing” may sound odd. But “in the ancient world people would tear their clothing to show that they were sorry and wanted a change of circumstances…. Joel urges people to make sincere and lasting changes and not simply outward signs.”* That was also a key to the message Jesus, John the Baptist and the apostles preached. In your own life, what’s the difference between simply trying to look sorry and genuinely choosing to change? Have a great week. |
Meet the pastorRev. Pastor Carl Schreiber has been serving East Orrington Congregational Church (EOCC) since March 12, 2006 Archives
July 2020
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