anonymous
In my opinion, this passage shows Jesus bringing his people, the Israelites, to him. He is proclaiming that they will have one leader and “shepherd” and can come to his sanctuary whenever they feel down and want to pray.
Saturday, April 4
Entrance
Friday, April 3
Not To Us
Jeanne McKinley
In this passage, Christ tries to enlighten a crowd of men who want to stone him. He says that if they don’t believe in him, they could believe in his works that were done for God.
As a professional school counselor, I cannot preach Christ to students at my Fairfax County Public Elementary School. But every day I wear my cross. Sometimes children initiate a conversation, and I can respond fully, lovingly, from a historical perspective. And all I do, I do with love for God in my heart. I pray that everyone might see the reason and know that my God is great because of His love.
Thursday, April 2
He Is Eternal
Greg Maxwell
In this passage from Saint John, Jesus promises eternal life for those who believe in him and follow him. He even tells the Jews that he existed before Abraham. This is one of the most powerful statements made by Jesus, because it undeniably acknowledges and proclaims his divinity. Jesus not only claims to know Abraham, but uses God's holy name ("I am") for himself. This claim invokes a natural response by the Jews who accuse him of blasphemy and try to stone him on the spot.
Eternity means having an infinite duration. Eternity is characterized by abiding fellowship with God. Eternity continues without intermission and is endless. We humans struggle with eternity. It is so difficult to fathom. In our society, everything has a limit. Our games and sports have a time limit, even a "sudden death" rule. Our careers end, our childhood ends, our innocence ends, our weekends end, our days end, and ultimately our life here on earth ends. In my high school math class, I remember struggling with the concept of infinity, when finally my teacher told me that I just had to accept it and move on. Our faith is a lot like that . . . we just have to accept it and believe in Jesus' promise of eternal life.
Newsweek once had an entire issue devoted to Science versus Religion, and one article featured a debate between a renowned atheist and Pastor Rick Warren, the author of "A Purpose Driven Life." The pastor and the atheist went back and forth trying to prove their position and defeat their opponent. Finally, Pastor Warren stated that one simply has to believe in God and have faith. He closed with saying that if he was wrong it wouldn't matter when he died, but if the atheist was wrong, it certainly would matter when he died! I don't know about you, but I am not willing to take that chance! Are you?
Wednesday, April 1
Promised Heirs
David Whelan
Jesus said to Jews who believed in him “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Does each of you know that you are Ministers of Christ the King Lutheran Church? No, the answer is not APRIL FOOLS!! We have all been brought together through many walks of life because we believe in the Word and want to share it with others. We are seeking the freedom to be what God has meant for each of us to be. Jesus promises that when you truly believe in him, when you follow him, hear his Word, and continue in it, a wonderful thing will happen -- "the truth will set you free." I would like to stress the words “continue in it.” Our church needs to grow in its membership, benevolence, and stewardship. Our pastors and church council can only do so much. Each of us is a disciple of Jesus Christ and Christ the King Lutheran Church. What have you done recently, within your own family, business place, grocery store, or neighborhood to be a disciple of Christ? If your answer is “very little”, please take a moment to decide how you can become a better disciple. Try it – you’ll like it!
Tuesday, March 31
Together Forever
Jennifer Hanna
Is God with us forever? He may not reveal His presence with a Biblical flourish-- no modern burning bushes or voices in the night-- but He is there in subtle ways. Do you notice situations where you can't devise a solution, yet hours or days later a simple, even elegant answer comes to you? That is God with you.
As a child, prayers consisted of "please get me a bike" or "let me ace this test". As a young adult, less selfish and more idealistic, it was "please help the needy" or "help my friend recover from illness". As a mature adult, I still pray for the well-being of others but find myself returning to personal (less materialistic) needs as well. There are also many prayers of thanks. I believe God listens, and responds.
During my morning commute I listen to a radio station that gives an inspirational thought, then plays a gospel song. (Not what you would expect from a hip-hop station...) They often play "Jesus Can Work It Out", by Dr. Charles Hayes. When life's struggles become difficult to bear alone-- family relationships, health scares, career challenges-- I remember the lyrics to the song. "Gave it over to Jesus, I stopped worrying about it." Simple and true. He is there for you. He is there with you. No matter what.
Monday, March 30
Justice
Peter Hilgartner
We have a monetary recession taking place right now. It has adversely affected many of us. Many of us are frightened, asking ourselves ‘will it ever end?’ How badly will I be hurt before it does? What’s our new President going to do to steady the ship of state? Uncertainty runs rampant.
Bad things were happening in Jesus’ time. Whenever he encountered someone in distress, he took action to help that person. On the right side of the sanctuary in our church, there in a window, is a depiction (John 18:5) of the story about a man who had been sick for 38 years. He believed he needed to get someone to put him in the nearby waters to heal. Jesus saw him and told the man, “Get up, pick up your bedroll and walk.”
John 8:3-11 tells the story of an adulteress who was about to be stoned to death until Jesus rescued her, simply by telling those who were about to stone her, “let the one who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” When they heard this, they left one by one, until only Jesus was left with the woman. His admonition to her was “go and sin no more.”
The two stories above illustrate two ways you can “extend your arm” to help someone. One is passive. The other is the active way. Which is the best way? It depends on the situation, but if you know or see someone in distress, as my Marine drill instructor once told me: “Don’t just stand there, Marine, do something!”
Sunday, March 29
Silent Prayer
David Tozer
In today’s passage, Jeremiah tells how God will put his law into the hearts of the people of Israel and Judah so that they will know God from within. God places that same knowledge and promise in each of our hearts today.
It is easy for us to forget how God is within us throughout our lives. In times of happiness or success we should remember a prayer to God, thanking Him for the guidance and commandments He placed in us, which helped steer us along the correct path to our achievement. Times of sadness or failure require a deeper introspection to try to determine what in God’s words within us have led to the current circumstances. And in regular, day-to-day life, we should take time to understand God’s laws which we carry and which should form the basis for our daily living.
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