2-5-2019

Good Morning All,

     Acts 13:41b; “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you!’”

    Over the past few weeks, my sons and I have played a game of picking the scores of the NFL games.  It was for bragging rights and there was much bragging and trash talk.  So, when it came time to pick the Super Bowl we had to pick the winning team, the point difference and then the total points scored. Three of us got the winning team (New England) correct, one got the difference correct (10) but we were way off of the point total scored.  I think if anyone of us would have said 16 points was the total scored; we would have been severely mocked yet, that was it.  As someone who has seen all the Super Bowls, I never imagined that two prolific quarterbacks, in ideal conditions, would accomplish such a low score.  Even if you told me, I would not have believed you.

    In our Bible verse, Paul is warning the Jews of Antioch against denying Jesus is the Christ. He quotes one of the prophets and tells them they wouldn’t believe it even if God had told them in advance what was going to happen.  The people were crying for justice and the Messiah to come.  He had come but they had killed him.

    The really amazing thing about this verse is that God is working today in our lives and in our world in a way that He did tell us about and many still don’t believe.  It started when God sent His Spirit to His people, to his Church.  God works through His Church.  God works in amazing ways through His Church.  This is how God chooses to work in the world today through His Spirit infused redeemed children.  We are God’s hands; we are God’s masks.  We are the way which God makes miracles happen.  When we comfort friends, we when we help neighbors, when we help those who cannot help themselves, God is at work. 

    We keep working for the Lord, serving Him in all ways right up until the time when we will have seen everything.  When Jesus returns in all His glory and every knee will bow and every mouth will confess that Jesus is Lord then we will have seen everything.  Today we live at a time when we are living under God’s grace and are approaching the time of God’s glory.  For grace is glory begun and glory is grace completed.  We celebrate God’s wonderful gifts and his glorious promise.  God is doing a work in our day that many will not believe.  But for us, those who have faith and trust in the promise of our salvation; it will provide a glorious end to a grace filled life and God even told us so.

Father of all goodness, your works are truly wondrous and astonishing.  Give us the surety of your love and the certainty of the hope of salvation.  Lead us to be those who live those wondrous lives of grace; touching those whom you seek to save and giving comfort to those who need it the most.  To You be all honor and glory!!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret