Hail Mary . . . full of grace
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death
Amen.

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Mothers!
Today we examined the Catholic prayer of the rosary and were blessed by the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ – and hence the Mother of God (Trinity)!  We looked at the way in which the Catholic faith venerates/honors Mary in a way that places her at a high station.  Although as Protestant Christians, we do not formally elevate individuals in this same way – we learned that we should recognize and acknowledge many, whose stories have directly impacted on our lives, and whose lives bear mention and honor!  Oh, and what a story Mary has, when we consider that God chose Mary to be the Mother of the one who would be the Savior of the World!

The Bible says that Mary found favor with God and with man. We learned that Mary was humble and obedient and we learned that she praised her way through much of what she had to endure. She was a virgin, and had to answer God’s call to be impregnated with a son – without the benefit of marriage. Not only did Mary have to deal with outside opinion, but I am sure she had to deal with her own doubts and fears, and the doubts and fears of her fiance (bethrothed) Joseph. But Mary -when the angel Gabriel came to her and told her the plan of God – and after expressing her bewilderment as to how a virgin could deliver this child — Mary answered the angel Gabriel by saying…“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be unto me as you have said! – Mary obeyed God without equivocation or hesitation! We could surely learn from Mary’s example!

Mary teaches us that although God determines who God will choose for any great work – there is something to be said for a woman or a man who God can trust with God’s most prized possessions — God’s son — Godself.  God is looking for servants who God can trust – to do God’s work in the world according to God’s plan!

We honor mothers today – ALL mothers – and ALL who have been impregnated with something from God. Just because you may not have physical children, doesn’t mean you haven’t birthed something into the kingdom or that you can’t birth something of substance and value. We want to be used by God – we want to gain favor with God – we want to be obedient to God’s call on our lives — no matter what it is!

Mary was a supreme example of a mother who surrendered to God first, on behalf of her child. Have you surrendered your life to Christ today Mother – if not for your own sake, but for the sake of your child(ren)?

Consider this…ponder this…in your hearts…the same way Mary pondered the word of the Lord in her heart…and God will give you the assurance you need to respond like Mary did – I am your servant…May it be unto me as you have said!

Today we examined the story of Abraham, the father of Isaac, who was commanded by God to sacrifice his young son, his only son for God.  This was the son that he and Sarah his wife, had prayed for – this was the child they never thought they’d have – and didn’t have until Abraham was 100 years old!  Usually this story in scripture is told to demonstrate what true faith and obedience is in the face of the difficult things that may be required of us.  But today this story also speaks to us about the fullness of our “Praise” to our God.  We “Praise” and ”Worship” and  “Bless” God when we OBEY God . . . in all things.  We can boast (praise) in the Lord, when we know who God is, and we believe that God will do what God said God would do.

When we truly KNOW God – we can declare like Abraham did when his son asked him where the lamb was coming from for the sacrifice that – “God will provide the lamb for the sacrifice!”

In our darkest hours, when we don’t understand what God is requiring of us – Abraham, a man who grew in his faith, teaches us to TRUST and OBEY God no matter what  — and when we do – God Will Provide!  Just like God said God would do!

So let’s go ahead and Praise God in advance of our blessing….knowing that our Faithful God Will Always Provide!

Are You Dressed for Success?

Last week we learned about the “New Set of Clothes” that we need to put on displaying Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Forgiveness and Love – all “New Clothes” that can change our entire life and Christian Journey, and this week God instructs us through Ephesians about the Full Armour that we need to “put on” in order to survive in the spiritual warfare that we are faced with everyday!

Are we judged by the “clothes” we wear???

Does what we ”put on” have some power in our lives?  Can it guarantee us some success???

Remember, the enemy roams about, seeking whom he may devour – the adversary doesn’t just want to trip you up, he seeks to kill, steal and destroy your witness for God.

BUT….Ephesians 6 teaches us that…if we put on and pick up our Spiritual Weaponry:

Our “Belt” of Truth
Our “Breastplate” of Righteousness
Our Gospel of Peace “Shoes”
Our “Shield” of Faith
Our “Helmet” of Salvation
Our “Sword” of the Spirit–the Word of God!
…and “Prayer”….then

No weapon formed against us shall be able to prosper – We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ!

Are you Dressed for Success – Clothed inside and outside – prepared for battle?

I don’t know about you – but I’m in it to win it — and I’m getting suited up…how about you?

PastorP

Didn’t our hearts burn today as God opened up the scripture and outfitted us in a New Set of Clothes!  Through the words of Paul we learned that we have some old clothes – but through Jesus Christ we need to “put on” to “clothe” ourselves with some new clothes – like we used to do every Easter Sunday!  But these new clothes are for a lifetime, and not just one special day!  These new clothes are called – Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Ability to bear with one another and forgive one another – all finished off with a healthy dose of LOVE which, as Paul says, “binds it all together in Unity”.

I don’t know about you – but I’m taking off my grave clothes and I plan to put on my new clothes – my garment of praise – my garments that assure me of eternal life — as I walk as God has called me to walk – in the “newness” of a life in Jesus….

Put on Compassion,

Put on Kindness,

Put on Humility,

Put on Patience,

Bear with one another,

Forgive one another…

But most of all, Put on Love,,,

which binds it all together in UNITY!

What about you….

Deacon Harold shared with us a scripture that God has placed before us all week – Luke 9:23-27, where Jesus says that if you want to come after Him, you have to first Deny yourself…then take up your cross daily and then follow Him. What powerful words those are to any Christian who seeks to be a true follower of Christ!

Deacon Harold told us in no uncertain terms that there is a cost to following Christ…there will be difficulty along the way…attacks of the enemy and all kinds of trouble can come our way-but that following Christ…the way Jesus told us to follow-is the only way to true life.

Are you a follower of Christ?

Meditate on this familiar song….

“I want to be, a follower of Christ,
I want to be one of His disciples.
I want to walk in the newness of life,
So let me be a follower of Christ!

What do I have to do…
What do I have to say…
How do I have to walk…
Each and everyday?

Tell me what does it cost,
If I carry the cross…
Oh let me be a follower of Christ!

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
You never gave up on me
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…You gave your life so I could be free…
Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
You never gave up on me

I thank You Jesus,
I thank You Lord!”

pastorP

Resurrection Sunday, April 8, 2012
Today we examined the story of the disciples who were met by the Resurrected Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. Emmaus was a location about 7 miles away from Jerusalem…these disciples left Jerusalem on the 3rd day after Jesus was crucified…feeling dejected let down by Jesus.  And as they said to the stranger who approached them on the Road-Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet who was crucified, was someone that they “had hoped” would be the awaited Messiah…but it turned out that he was just one who was crucified. These men heard about the women and Peter who went to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid and there was no body there. They heard that two “angels” told the women that Jesus was not there-He is Risen…they even asked them “Why do they look for the Living among the Dead”?..and they even knew that Jesus told them on multiple occasions that all of this would happen…But these disciples GAVE UP before they ever gave Jesus (God) a chance to reveal God’s resurrected self to them.

When we give up on God-we learn from this passage that we do at least three (3) things:

1. We abort our mission — We find ourselves headed in the opposite place of our “place of promise” and away from our “place of blessing”.   We leave before God can even show up in our lives!

2. We lose our ability to recognize God — The resurrected Jesus can be walking and talking with us, and because we’ve given up hope, Because we have turned our back on God, we won’t even recognize that the one we desire is right there in front of us;

3. and when God does remove Godself from us–like God did with these disciples after they finally recognized who Jesus was — we find ourselves wondering how things could have been had we recognized God in our lives!  …had we NOT been so quick to turn our back on God!

These disciples used to call Jesus…the Christ, the Son of the living God. They used to believe that he was the Savior of the world…but they gave up when Jesus didn’t come when they wanted him to come , or in the way they expected.

We can learn a lot from these disciples…We as Christians must EXPECT a RESURRECTION in our lives and never…never give up on God! Our deliverance, our healing, our “being set free” is sometimes just on the other side of our patience and trust in God!

God promised never to leave us or forsake us…and in this we can place our trust…Expect your Resurrection and don’t ever give up on God!

Jesus is hanging on a cross, in excruciating pain, both physically, psychologically and emotionally. He has been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit…his closest confidantes have abandoned him for fear of danger to their own lives…people who waved palm branches at the beginning of the week on Palm Sunday, and shouted “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” have now turned and cried out “Crucify Him” at the end of the week…the burden he is carrying for the world is heavy and he has to carry it all on his own…there are roman authorities gambling for his clothing, there is a mocking sign placed above his head saying – This is the King of the Jews…there are jeers and he is being challenged to “Save yourself”…and Jesus cries out to God in one of the most amazing ways known to man — He asks God to forgive those who betrayed, who persecuted and who were in the process of killing him! He interceded on behalf of the ones who were in need of intercession…He laid aside his right to get them back and asked God to pardon their sins…Jesus hung on that cross as both the Shepherd and the Lamb…as bill collector and bill payment…as the sacrifice necessary to set free a sin sick world that needed to be reconciled to a Holy God.

Can you do that?
Can you ask for pardon for those who hurt you?
Are you holding any unforgiveness for those who have persecuted you?
Can we learn from Jesus’ example and come up to a higher place of praise and of prayer?

These questions and more emerge out of Jesus’ story. Jesus forces us to consider “a more excellent way”. Jesus challenges us to bear the cross with him — in a real sense — and not just rest on the blessings that God has already promised us in His Word.

Father, forgive them…for they know not what they do…They don’t know…They couldn’t know…who I am…Please forgive them.

There is true freedom in Forgiveness!

This past Sunday we explored Jesus’ words to the disciples in the Gospel of Mark as he sought to prepare them for things that were to come.  We learned from this parable story that there are basically four (4) ways in which believers/church goers/people who hear the Word, will receive or react to the Word of God.  In this the Parable of the Sower – Jesus taught that there are four (4) responses to the hearing of the Word of God:  (a) The Word falls on the path — and the birds come and eat it up, or (b) The Word falls on rocky ground — and the sun comes and scorches it, or (c) The Word falls among thorns — and the thorns choke out the effect of the Word, or lastly, (d) The Word falls on Good soil — and it brings forth grain, a harvest, increasing thirty, sixty and a hundredfold!  Our question based on this sermon was “Is God’s Word taking root in you?” — What kind of SOIL do you have — is your soil shallow and unfallowed…or is it fertilized and ready to receive the seed that if properly nurtured will be able to grow and sprout a harvest . . .in it’s season?

We’re warned by Jesus not to be taken away by the cares of the world, the quest for riches, and the distraction of other things…we are to keep our focus on receiving God’s Word and living it out in our everyday life.  We all want to develop fertile soil that can receive the Word and sustain its power!  What kind of soil do you have — and if the birds come, or the sun shines, or the cares of this world seek to steal your joy — how strong is your soil and the Word that God has planted in you?

Is God’s Word taking root in you???

My My how the Lord spoke to us today in God’s service! From the Gospel of Luke, the Olivet Discourse, Jesus told us how to deal with Betrayal and Persecution – Jesus first tells us to (a) Bless our Persecutors with our Testimony – hallelujah! Then Jesus instructs that we should (b) Believe in the Awesome Power of God, and then,  right in midst of our painful situation – (c) BE PATIENT….and possess our soul – preserve our life – receive the promise that God made a long time ago – Be still and know…that God is God and is sooooo much bigger than our circumstances and situations! Hallelujah – we’re getting free from that which has bound us for oh so long!

Our song of preparation today: God made me who I am — I am a conqueror, I am victorious, I won’t be stopped, I won’t be blocked! Meditate on this all this week and in the days ahead…and I guarantee you some shackles will be loosed and shaken off!

As the late great Bishop Gilbert Patterson always used to say — Be healed, Be delivered, Be set free!!!

Hallelujah!

What a “delicious meal” we had on Sunday morning!

Dr. Rita Deverell spoke to us about the importance of not having any “other idols before God” – taken from Exodus 20:3-5 – in the 10 Commandments. . . .you shall have no other gods before me…you shall not make for yourselves any images in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below…You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. . .

We also heard about the importance of not making idols out of our misery. . .for that is what makes God angry. God has liberated all of us from something…and it is our Christian responsibility to share that gift of liberation with someone else — from generation to generation. Dr. Deverell stressed the importance of facing our pain – but also transforming it into something useful that sets us free and empowers others to benefit from our testimony.

Many of us have made an “idol” out of the wrong things that have happened to us. Many of us have even failed to look back over our lives and take an account for how far God has brought us – as Dr. Deverell did on Sunday. And yes, even as we take an account, we will find that many things are still unfair, unjust and unrighteous in our lives, and in this world. BUT – our responsibility is to take what we have and do everything we can to empower ourselves and others to overcome the pain of this world, and the injustices that abound.   We should NEVER sit around and worship our misery – we are called to overcome it and use it to God’s glory!

What did you learn from the scrumptuous meal that Dr. Deverell served to our congregation on Sunday?

We’d all love to hear how it spoke to you. . .