1-21-2018

 Good Morning All,

    Psalm 7:9: “O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds”

      In the news yesterday was an article about the upcoming Super Bowl in Minneapolis.  Supposedly, the police have instituted a six-block perimeter around the field.  You must have a badge or a pass to get through even if you live there.  It is an imposition on the people for sure.  

      “O let the evil of the wicked come to an end.”  How many times have we said or thought this?  A few of you remember the evil of Nazi Germany, some remember the Cold War, most have seen the “war on terror”.  I am reminded of a line from the TV show MASH when Trapper John was going to run away and Hawkeye told him he had to wait until the war was over or they would get mad.  Trapper replied,” It never gets over; they just pack it up and take on the road to a new place.”  It seems that way.  Each day there are dozens and dozens of wars, armed conflicts, insurgencies, wars of liberation; whatever you want to call them they go on every day as we kill each other for whatever reason we can think of.  Each side positive that it is right and the other side is the “evil of the wicked”; that God is on their side and opposed to the other.

     We like to think that don’t we?  We like to think that God is on our side.  We are always on the side of right and truth; we are Americans, the land of the free and the home of the brave; we always have God on our side; or do we?  Do we read the Bible in such a way as to twist it so that we are always “right”?

    The real evil here is not some earthly enemy but is sin; sin which you and I and everyone else commits.  It is sin that causes us to hate, to be envious, to covet, to see ourselves as the holy and righteous and to not see ourselves for what we are; forgiven sinners.  We are at the same time saints and sinners.  God alone will judge the wicked and the evil but until that day comes; we will have our hearts and minds tested and tried.  We will face those who hate us and persecute us and God calls us to love them as God has loved us.  That can be a tall order; one that we will have great difficulty with.  But as we struggle with the idea of loving someone who came to kill and to maim we see just how much God loves us.  We were the terrorists; we were the ones who came to kill and maim in and through our sin but God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us that we might be reconciled back to God.  So as we look at the world and see the evil and we pray that it will end.  Remember that it is sin that is the true evil and just as God hates the sin and loves the sinner so should we.

 Dear Father in heaven, we see the evil and the wickedness and we ask why, why doesn’t God end it?  You show us that we are to be your instruments of peace and love in this world.  Lead us to see that we are your chosen people, your holy nation dispersed by your Spirit to proclaim your Gospel throughout the world.  Give us faith and strength to follow your will.  N the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret