Praise the Lord for this first Friday of March. Praise the Lord for this wonderful season of Lent in the life of the Church. We reflect on the wonderful love and the wonderful grace of the Lord displayed and demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ of our Lord. Jesus is the epitome and the embodiment of peace that passes all understanding. He is the prince of Peace and the Author of Peace. We are so blessed to have foretasted this peace and grace in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord. As we journey with Jesus during this Lenten season we are planning for the Holy Week events culminating in the Easter Event. May the Lord grant us His grace that we might find ways and places to serve Him, worship, and Witness for Him.
Noted author James Michener reported that he found peace of mind by walking his two dogs along deserted country roads, beside old streams, and through fields that had not been plowed for half a century. There is a universal desire for peace of mind. In the words of St Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Pascal had the same idea when he commented that there is a “God-shaped vacuum” inside every human being. Francis Shafer argued that as Western society has turned away from God, it has abandoned any notion of absolute values. The result would be a society ruled by the tyranny of public opinion—"the majority plus one. "Either that—or the rise of some form of authoritarian rule." A culture that rejects Christ becomes confused, chaotic, arrogant, and hostile to the Truth. A culture that rebels against the Living Lord worships idols made with human hands and minds. A culture that rejects Christ lives in fear, hostility and distrust.
Against that bleak picture, we discover the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul’s entire description of the gospel may be summed up in one word, justification. The word means “to declare righteous.” Justification is that act whereby God declares a sinner righteous, i.e., not guilty, the moment he places his faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 4:5 tells us that justification does not depend on good works of any kind, but only on simple faith in Jesus. More than that, justification means that God declares a sinner righteous while he is still a sinner ( though a forgiven sinnsr) on the simple and single condition of faith in Jesus Christ. That justification by faith is the universal experience of all believers. That justification by faith is the permanent possession of every believer. “Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul said that through Jesus Christ and as a result of our justification we have peace with God. The Bible says that Jesus “made peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20) If Jesus “made peace” when he died on the cross, then all that is left to us is to accept by faith the peace He has already made. Peace with God is the first great permanent possession that comes to the believer as a result of justification. “Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” The word “access” means “to enter the presence of a king.” It speaks of the right to enter the inner chambers and speak with the king face to face. Our text starts with peace, moves to joy and ends with love. All are found in the same place—the Lord Jesus Christ. He made peace with God, he brings joy in the midst of sorrow and he opens the floodgates of God’s love.
In Christ,
Brown
Friday March 2, 2012
Television Outreach
Time Warner Cable Channel 4
Time 7:00 PM
Saturday Evening Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012
Speaker: Rev. Brown Naik
Special Music by Laureen Naik,. For information, call 607-748-6329
No comments:
Post a Comment