1-28-2019

 Good Morning All,

         1 Thessalonians 5:17; “Pray without ceasing.”

      This summer will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.  I remember watching that and many of the other Apollo space missions.  I was totally fascinated by the whole event.  I was always fascinated by the constant communication that would go on.  You could constantly hear the astronauts communicating with each other, especially when the moon module was docking back to the spacecraft.  You heard the constant chatter of the ground crew relaying vital information to the spacecraft and the astronauts relaying information back to the ground crew.  There was constant flow of information back and forth throughout the entire mission.  Our faith walk should be the same way.

    As we are called by God to gather in His house for his divine service, we gather knowing that we will be dispersed and going back into our earthly existence.  As we leave this assembly of God’s people, we will face many of the same challenges and tribulations that we faced before the service.  If the banker wonders how you are going to pay for all this as you came into church; he will probably still be wondering when you come out.  If your boss has been difficult these past few days, he probably will be for the next few days as well.  If you are struggling with a relationship in your family, hopefully; it will be seen different after church than before, but it probably didn’t disappear instantly.  That is not how our faith works.  We will still have troubles in this world.  But we, as God’s children, get to see it differently.        

     We see it for what it is; the result of sinful man.  Plus, we know that when Christ returns that all will be renewed and restored.  But until that happens, we are in a daily battle with the devil and our old sinful nature.  This ugly duo attempts to separate you from God and to confuse you and to try and make you lose sight of God and lose your way.  In order to fight this, we must remain in constant communications with our ground crew.  We must remain in constant communication with God.

     God gives to us as, his Church and his people, the tools we need to fight this battle.  He gives us his Word where we hear our forgiveness proclaimed and we hear the promise that God makes to us.  He feeds us and nourishes us with the bread and the wine connected to the body and blood.  Then he gives us the ability to be in constant communication with him through the gift of prayer.  This is a gift that we all too often use too little and with too little confidence.  God promises to hear our prayer so we should pray more important we should live a life of prayer; one that is constantly in communication.

    Pray constantly.  Speak to God and listen to God.  Use prayer as your life line throughout the week as you battle the devil and your sinful nature.  You are outnumbered and without God on your side you will lose.  Stay close and stay connected constantly.  Pray at all times.

 Father of all grace, your mercies are new every day.  We marvel at the blessings we receive.  Lead us Lord to be in constant communion with you that we may do battle with the old evil foe and withstand his attacks.  Guard and protect us in all our ways.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret