For Sunday July 27, 2014 Five weeks ago I preached on “It Ain’t Easy,” because it ain’t. To be a mature man or woman of faith, believing that the Living and Holy Spirit of God affirms old things, and calls us to new ones in times like these and a world like ours—isn’t easy. Then I took on “Don’t Be Afraid.” There’s lots of Scripture that tells us not to be, and tons of life that is full of fear. Somehow help does come, and faith does help. Just when we thought we could never deal with it if it happened, it happened and we dealt with it, and looking back thought: “Hmm, and I was able to deal with my fear.” The third week of the series was the most fun and the most difficult to apply. It was, “You Are Loved.” Since God is love, wherever love is, God is. More, God ‘s steadfast love continues even when God gets sick and tired of our bad behaviors, and when that kind of love gets to us—when we ‘get it,’ then we find ways to do right and better things,and bless others in the process. Last week I got carried away with a passage from Romans eight, and forgot the final segment of this series! Even so, since it was about our inheritance and children of God, and the assurance of that (God’s Spirit witnesses to our spirits that we are the children of God, 8:16) helped me see that if it’s not easy, and fear plays a part, even as love comes to bless, we are empowered to cope in ways which we were not able before. Maybe God had something to do with a crazy forgetfulness? This week is a wrap: “God Will Win!” Our wonderful WellsFolk took the challenge and offered their three word additions to the series. Here are a few. “We’re Not Done.” “Keep Moving Up,” “God Is Good,” “While Yet Sinners.” Having an involved congregation is interesting and challenging. If God is God, then God will win. In God’s way. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, “ says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6) I’m happy to underline this alternative to how God will win. The God that changes hearts and minds and souls and lives is more powerful than the God who whips up armies, and brings down plagues. I know. It’s there in the Old Testament, but I also know that in the revelation of Jesus you have God’s ultimate plan for conquest: Overwhelm the enemy with love, and you win. This very week, with all going on in the Middle East, a building was struck by artillery fire. A young Christian girl on the street attempting to get to her Grandmother’s house in a safer area heard crying from ruble. She went to the place, dug in until her hands were bloody, found a baby bruised, with a cut over one eye, but seemingly OK. She picked the baby up, and in minutes found the wounded and screaming mother who had lost her baby. The little girl tenderly handed the baby to her mother even as a soldier from the opposition called out, “Shun that girl, push her away, she is from the Christian area.” “Never!” The mother shouted back, “And never again this hate. It cannot win for us.” Or for anyone else. It is no easy time for believers. Christians are indeed suffering in many ways in many places. But in the long run, before it’s all over and done, there will be victory. I don’t know how God will do it. I do know it will include us. In our faith, peace begins with us because of love. My preacher friend so long ago who climbed into the pulpit with a bunch of clergy out there—talk about a tough audience—and after being carefully introduced, stood silently in the pulpit for several seconds, and then said: “God Will Win.” He stood there in silence again, and then said, “Amen.” We all remembered that sermon—word for word. Because it was and is true. * So this series, stimulated by John Brashier in a sermon he preached, is done. It is so exciting to pause at this keyboard for a bit and ask my inside self, “Just what has God want preached next?” After all these years, the excitement continues. Happy Sunday, dear ‘on line’ church… Always love, always, Keith * Our congregation has heard this story several times in the 45 years I’ve been there, and I think I may have included it here in another post here, but it’s one of the moments that need repeating, and I intend to repeat it when moved by the Spirit to do so—and without apology. (“Calm down, Keith,” I just felt. Excuse me, folks.)
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 11:07:13 +0000
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