A Reality Check . . .

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

A Reality Check . . .

Text:  Colossians 2:13-17

Intro

It’s time for A Reality Check.  We say we believe in God.  We call ourselves Christians.  We follow Christ.  We may even feel a little good about that at times.  I was in Washington D.C. and New York City this last week.  Walking down those streets and seeing all those people wearing who knows what with who knows what lifestyles doing whatever they please, you can’t help but think, “Thank God I’m not like that.”  There’s comfort in being in a place like that and then coming back home where I can go on living my quiet, pious Christian life.

Yet we do the same in our less glitzy and glamorous setting of Palm Coast, Florida, too.  We watch people on the news.  We get updates on Facebook.  We see people in the store and at the beach.  “Thank God I’m not like that, either.  I’m a Christian.  I follow Christ.”

The Newborn Christ Brightens the Way We Live

1st Sunday after Christmas, the Presentation of our Lord

The Newborn Christ Brightens the Way We Live

Text:  Luke 2:25-40

Intro

The waiting game is never easy.  There’s a reason why patience is called a virtue.  Waiting for family or a dear friend to come to town takes a lot of effort.  There are preparations to be made—cooking, cleaning, planning.  The excitement of knowing that your loved one is coming and that you will see them very soon makes you want to jump out of your skin.  It might make you lose some sleep.

Waiting for a baby to come brings similar excitement.  Like cute little Abigale who was baptized today, the anticipation of waiting for something so precious and so special like the birth of a child is sometimes unbearable.

In our house we end up counting sleeps with our little ones.  “Ten more sleeps till grandma and grandpa get here.”  “Five more sleeps till presents on Christmas.”  Or as of today, twenty-two more sleeps until a certain boy turns 5.

I.a.

Simeon must have been jumping out of his skin.  An older man of faith who lived in Jerusalem, Luke tells us that he, “was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel.”  Like so many other believers throughout the ages—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, and many more—Simeon was waiting for the one who would bring consoling and encouragement for Israel.  Simeon was waiting for the Lord’s promised Messiah, or Christ.  Even better, the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that before he died he personally would see the Messiah with his own eyes. 

Daily Devotion on Luke 2:25-40

 Text:  Luke 2:25-40

My son loves to have visitors at the house. When he knows we are having guests stay with us, he can’t wait. If it is friends of the family, even better. But if it’s one of his sets of grandparents, then watch out! When we are on grandparent watch, we are counting the number of sleeps till they arrive. We get asked about it every day. We have a little boy who can’t sleep at night. The excitement is barely containable.

Imagine Simeon and Anna. Day in and day out they were at the temple worship and serving the Lord. Simeon was even told that some time before he died he would get to see the promised Savior. Then in walk Joseph and Mary one morning for the “presentation” and circumcision of their new son named Jesus.

What joy was theirs! What excitement! What peace! The one they had been waiting for had finally arrived! The Savior of the world had come! The Light for all nations in a world of darkness and sin was shining brightly!

With eyes of faith we look back through history and the pages of Scripture to behold this newborn Savior for the first time all over again. Oh what joy and excitement fills our hearts! God has kept his promises! The Savior has come! We have peace!

This Christmas season–and every day–bask in the Light of the world that shines on you with his bright love and forgiveness–our Savior Christ the Lord!

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, as believers of old once waited for your coming as Savior of the world, now we wait for your return as King triumphant. Keep us in the light of your love that we may see your face clearly and joyfully on that Last Day. Amen.

Daily Devotion on Galatians 5:1-6

Text: Galatians 5:1-6

Don’t you just hate the opinio legis?

Opinio Legis is a title for that part of each of us that wants to have some part in our salvation. The part that wants to earn heaven in some small way. Jesus offers us salvation free and clear, no strings attached. Since Jesus left this earth humans have been saying, “Yeah, salvation is free, but you have to do ­­____ (fill in the blank) to make it mean something to you.”

When Paul wrote Galatians these people were saying, “Yeah salvation is free, but you have to be circumcised to make it mean something to you.”

When Martin Luther started the Reformation the Roman Catholics were saying, “Yeah salvation is free, but you have to do penance, buy indulgences, go to confession… to make it mean something to you.”

Today many churches are saying, “Yeah salvation is free, but you have to accept God into your life to make it mean something to you.”

Paul says to all of these false teachers, “Mark my words! If you let yourselves be circumcised (do penance, believe you have to make a declaration to God), Christ will be of no value to you at all.” The Bible is very clear, either Jesus did it all or we are still dead in our sins. Either we are saved by Christ or we have to keep the whole law of God all day every day.

Jesus offers forgiveness free and clear, no strings attached. “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slaver (to circumcision, to penance, to making a choice, to the law).” We are free in Christ, the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.

Prayer: Heavenly Father forgive us when we are tempted to doubt the all sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Give us the strength to live our lives in the joyful freedom that comes with our forgiveness. Embolden us to express our faith in you through our every act. Help us to live our lives in love, love for you and love for others. Amen.

Bible in a Year, Week 8: Galatians, Ephesians

This is the eighth weekly reading in the plan for reading your Bible in one year. The assignment for this week is Galatians and Ephesians. It should only take about 5 minutes a day, or about 1-2 chapters a day to complete the assignment.

Here are some comments to help you grow in knowledge and faith as you read Galatians and Ephesians:

Background: There is no doubt that the apostle Paul wrote Galatians. To whom and when, however, are debatable. The problem is in whom you classify as Galatians. There were the Galatian people who lived in the northern part of Asia Minor. But the whole area was called the Province of Galatia by the Romans. Whomever the recipients were affects the date that Paul wrote the letter. Paul did not travel to the northern part of Asia Minor until later on. But he visit the Roman province of Galatia right away. We will go with the theory that he was writing to people in the south, which would put the date of the letter around 52 A.D. The purpose of the letter was to abruptly confront these people who seemed to be abandoning the truth of the gospel and instead returning to the laws of Moses as the way of salvation. God grant that as we read this we clearly hear and understand the truth of our Savior who has set us free!