Pretty Simple Message

Hi.  Peace.  May the Lord God who has created this Anchorage-Spring in Syracuse, New York bless each of you in a very special way today.

 

Today’s First Reading from Acts 10 so clearly shows that salvation is available and offered to all human beings.  Peter and most of the Apostles, all being Jews, were stuck in their backgrounds.  To become a follower of Christ, to receive the Holy Spirit, surely you must fist adopt Judaism and then be baptized with water and the Spirit.  But, God made it clear to Peter when He descended upon Cornelius and his household that the gift of Salvation is to be offered to everyone.

 

Then in the reading from First John 4 and in the Gospel of John chapter 15, we are told in no uncertain terms that (1) to be a follower of Christ is to love all and (2) to be a friend of Christ is to obey His commands.  The fallacy that once we have accepted the gift of Salvation we are guaranteed eternal life in heaven is destroying our country.  This philosophy of non-accountability has created a people who believe that God will welcome them into heaven regardless of how they live their lives.  This is not true and Jesus never said it.

 

Let me pose the question this way.  What does it mean to love your Mom and Dad?  I think most of us would say it has little to do with presents and kisses but has everything to do with honoring and obeying them.  Jesus says in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  The reciprocal of that would be, “You are my enemies if you do not do as I command you.”

 

So, let’s get real.  The words of Jesus call us to speak His Name to the world and to live as He commands.  To speak His name but to live in sin is to lie to the world and to ourselves.  Heaven will not be open to those who do not live according to the Word of God.

 

 

Please pray for each other, for our sick, for those who are near death, for those who mourn, for our military, for our political leaders that they will begin to live the Gospel, for our Church and all who minister in the Name of Jesus, for Kay as she ministers in the Philippines with her team, for Kay’s family, for our children, and for our enemies.

 

Father, we adore you.  We praise you.  We truly do want to live with you in eternity.  Lead us into your Son’s Words.  Help us to not only speak them.  Help us to live according to them.  We do not want to be called hypocrite.  We want to be examples to the world of the life and love of Jesus.  We naturally retaliate.  We naturally nurse grudges.  We naturally want to kill those who would harm and kill us.  But, as you admonished Peter on the eve of your crucifixion, we ask you, Father, teach us to think as You, our God, think rather than to respond according to instinct.  We ask this and we lay all our needs before you in the holy Name of your Son, Jesus.  Amen.

 

 

Be like Bartimaeus!  Pray!  Trust (that God hears you)!  Expect (God to answer you.  Look for it!)!

 

In Him and in His love,

Lou