Good morning,
The Lord of creation, the Lord who made heaven and earth, blanketed our region with almost 20 inches of fresh snow. He decorated the earth with so much splendor and His majesty. Jessica and Tom returned safely from Panama (after their holidays as they call it in England). Sunita and Andy are in Michigan visiting family and friends. As I was gazing yesterday at the snow covered trees, bushes, fields, and meadows I was reminded of the Rich grace of our Lord Jesus towards us who are unworthy and are undeserving.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about God’s willingness to make His grace abound in our lives as we receive from God everything that we need and then offer those gifts to bless the lives of others. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:8-15, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:8-15 NIV)
God has provided for us in so many ways that it is incomprehensible for our finite minds to take it all in. Everything in all of life is a reminder to us of God’s great and awesome love for us. I am reminded of a lesson I had learned from the book of Romans where Paul wrote,
"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:20-23 NIV)
One of the greatest gifts that God has given to us is the gift of His creation. I grew up surrounded by the hills and the mountains of Orissa, India. I have been to the beaches of India and the United States. I have seen the Alps and the Black Forests of Europe. I have seen the Lake Districts of the United States. I always look forward to the changing of seasons, beautiful and bright, and the manifold witness to His Majesty. Everything in all of creation points to the One who made it all for His good pleasure. Yet, I know many people who see the sights before us and don’t think a thing.
God spoke to His servant Ezekiel and said, "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. (Ezekiel 12:2 NIV)
Jesus would often say to the crowds after He spoke, "For those with ears to hear, let them hear." There are many who have eyes to see and yet they don’t see a thing. There are many with ears so keen they can hear a pin drop, and yet they can’t hear the beautiful songs of praise lifted to the Lord everyday. God has set before us the beauty and glory of His creation so that we might be drawn to Him - to give Him thanks, praise, and glory for His mighty deeds.
Last, and most important of all, God has given us the gift that none of us deserved, the gift of His Son. I love how Paul describes the salvation of God. He wrote, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
Paul wrote in Romans, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 NIV)
A little earlier in the book of Romans, (This is the reading for next Sunday) Paul wrote about God’s gift when he said, "Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:14-17 NIV)
In Christ,
Brown
Saturday evening worship service.
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott
Sponsored by the Union Center United Methodist Church, 128, Maple Drive, Endicott
Saturday, March 12, 2011
6 PM Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Worship Music: Laureen Naik
Speaker: Rev. Bill Turner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Jkktpp9QI
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