Justified!

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11, NRSV)

Rarely would a man die for another when he already loves them and adores them.

I think about the events that would make me lay down my life for another. Anything that were to happen to my wife or children would make me lay down my life. I would step in front of a bullet or a knife for them.

Then I think about my friend who is a Secret Service agent, and could have to be on protection detail for the president some day. Here they protect the position and possibly not a person they believe should be in the position. But they detach the person and die for the position.

Maybe that is what happened for us… God disconnected the fact you are His creation a beloved child from your sinful nature and died to protect the child He created. And now He asks us to do the same.

To disconnect the sinful person from the child He loves and love them as He loved us.

Because He knows that our suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because it is the hope of the promise of God!

Sing!

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.’ Therefore in my anger I swore, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ (Psalm 95, NRSV)

Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Come into His presence with thanksgiving and praise His holy name!

Just thinking about all the things God has done for me makes me want to sing! I can’t help but praise Him, even if it seems like everything around me is falling apart, because when I get right down to it, He has done more good things for me than things are going wrong now.

That is what the psalmist is getting at here. If we really just took a moment and did an evaluation of things, we would find more good things from God than things that are going wrong and that is reason to sing!

One of my former pastors always said if you sing well sing loud, because God like to hear you sing, and if you don’t sing well sing even louder to annoy the person next to you, because God really loves hearing a joyfilled noise! And that is what our singing is when we realize all He has done for us, a joyfilled noise!

Shared Reading of John 9, Lent 4A

Great idea!

michaelrinehart's avatarMichaelRinehart.com

The readings for Lent A are long stories. Lent 4A is the entire ninth chapter of John. An interesting way to present this gospel may be through a dramatic reading. Find someone to coordinate this effort. That person will only need to find 12 people and rehearse them. Pick people who can speak up and won’t be too nervous.

Speakers may sit wherever they wish, scattered throughout the congregation. Parents should sit together. Pharisees might sit together. Have each person remain seated unatil their first line comes. When their line comes, they should read it, then remain standing for the rest of the reading. Read through it together 30 minutes before the service.

​E – Evangelist

​1 – Disciple 1

​J – Jesus

​N1 – Neighbor 1

​N2 – Neighbor 2

​N3 – Neighbor 3

​B – Blind man

​P1 – Pharisee 1

​P2 – Pharisee 2

​P3 – Pharisee…

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Brought down the wall!

So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God. (Ephesians 2:11-22, NRSV)

You who were once far off have now been brought in to the fold.

The compound fence has been brought down!

Jesus took the barrier that once kept some out out of the way. No longer is there anything but ourselves keeping us from being a part of the fold.

Jesus took what was two separate entities and made them into one. He took two nationalities and made them one body.

So now we are united in the blood of Christ and that is stronger than anything that could cause hostility between us.

Let’s rejoice that God through Jesus has made a way for all to be a part of this wonderful life giving party!

God Provides!

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?’ And Moses said, ‘When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.’ (Exodus 16:4-8, NRSV)

God provided for the needs of His people wandering in the wilderness. They were complaining because they did not have the food to eat like they did back in Egypt. They focused on their needs and empty bellies now and remembered the good things about where they came from. They completely forgot about the fact they were slaves, they just remembered the good food they had to eat!

So God heard their complaints and gave them manna in the morning and meet in the evenings. God provided for their needs. He made sure His people were given what they need.

Has God ever provided for your needs? By taking care of a bill, providing a car when it was needed, or a job, or anything? God provided for His people in the wilderness and He still provides for us today!

Trust that He will provide for your needs!