Good Morning All,
Romans 1:16; “For I am
not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation
to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
As we watch the events of the world unfold,
it is amazing to me how fragile our world really is. Whether geopolitical complexities
or something as familiar as losing electricity in a storm the fragility of
everything is exposed. Think about what happens when the electricity goes out
for a while. Most of us cannot prepare food, heat, or cool our houses and, as
darkness settles in, we cannot see, even in our own houses. If the power outage
lasts very long, the area can actually begin to shut down as businesses cannot
conduct business and sometimes traffic controls do not work.
This is one of the interesting facts about
our faith. Christianity is not about “finding serenity” or “finding myself” or
“connecting to the cosmos;” our faith is about power. Our faith is about being
connected to the power. This is what Paul is telling us in this verse and
elsewhere in his epistles. Paul does not call the gospel “good advice,” “a nice
path to follow,” or even “a viable lifestyle;” Paul calls the gospel
“power.” It is the power that God uses
to save us. It is this powerful statement, Christ died for your sins, and you
receive it by faith; that connects us to God. It is God’s power given to us.
Our faith is about power. It is about the
power of God to forgive us. It is about the power that God gives to us to
forgive others. It is about the power that God gives us to change our lives. It
is about the power that God gives us to reach out to others and change their
lives. Never doubt for one moment that when the Gospel of Jesus is spoken to a
heart that will receive this message in faith; lives are changed. The Word of
God in the hearts of men (and women) changes
lives. The Gospel of Jesus is the power to change lives and to do so in a most
dramatic fashion.
Our lives are never the same when we hear
the Gospel of Christ. We either receive it and live a life of faith or we fight
it and try to keep pushing God out of our life. Either way, your life is
different; changed forever. The Gospel is the power to change your life. It is
the power to keep you firm in the face of adversities which come at us. It is
the confidence that God’s love for you will not fail. Receive it as God’s mercy
to bring you into his kingdom as his redeemed child.
Almighty
God of power and might, you give us the power to change by your Holy Gospel. Use
us as the agents of change in this world bringing your message of hope and
forgiveness. Bring your power to change lives to those who suffer the most and
are desperate for your mercy. Father we ask that you bring an end to tyranny
and subject every unruly power. Keep your children in Ukraine safe during these
dangerous times. Keep all your children in safely within your holy tent. In
Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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