10-31-2024

Good Morning All,

       Jeremiah 31:33, “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. “

    Often to my wife’s consternation, I like to watch the old television shows. I like Perry Mason, Quincy M.E., MASH, Ironsides, and, lately, a lot of Emergency. That is the show about the fire department paramedics in Los Angeles.  They were always saving someone who had a heart attack, at least one per show.

    It is always fascinating to watch shows where one of the characters has a heart attack.  They always show the monitor that shows his heart rate, and it always goes flat and plays that one long tone before we see the “blip” on the screen and suddenly he is alright.  Everyone cheers because without the amazing skill of the doctor and his beautiful nurse, the patient would have died. 

    It is fascinating to think about the flat-line patient.  In the real world, which signals no heartbeat; shortly you are dead.  It takes something external to bring him back to the living.  In the earlier shows it was always a hard thwack on the chest; the later shows used electronic shock paddles, but it takes something to bring him back.

    We are the same way before God.  In our sinful state, we are dead, dead in sin.  Nothing we can do can change that.  We need an external force to move us.  That force is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross on Calvary.  That saving grace which God feely gives to us through faith makes us alive.

     Faith is an amazing thing.  It brings the Holy Spirit and produces new life in us, new life in our hearts.  Now that we have the Holy Spirit living in us; we now have spiritual impulses in this new heart.  The old has passed away; we are new creations.  This is what Jeremiah was referring to when he wrote, “I will write it on their hearts.”  We have the Spirit which will,” bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).  God’s message is written in our hearts and the Holy Spirit reminds us of that fact.  This then gives us the greatest comfort that we can have; we are God’s people.  We are God’s people chosen by him, claimed by him, loved by him, and saved by him.         

    God’s mercies, new every day, renew us and bring us new life just like that electric shock brings new life to that heart attack victim.  God gives to us new blessings everyday which he wants us to share with those around us.  In this fashion, we return to the purpose which we created, to live in God’s presence with joyful thanksgiving and with love for our neighbor.  With the new beating heart, we are no longer dead but alive in Hm.

Dear heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the blessings of this life and the promise of life eternal.  Forgive us when we fail to trust this great mercy which you shower on us.  Keep us close to you safe in your arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret