Praise the Lord for this first Wednesday of May.
The Lord gave us a glorious day yesterday. The day started with rain but, by the
time noon arrived, it bcame sunny and warm. It is becoming luxuriant green
everywhere, with signs of life all around us. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
We will gather at 6 PM for our mid-week fellowship and study followed by choir
practice this evening. We will looking at John 21. This coming Saturday noon
there will be a women's banquet at noon. Julia Kellaway of the Family Life
Network will be the special speaker for the event. A special meal is being
prepared with much love and will be served with much joy.
For last many years, I have taken my (almost)
annual pilgrimage to Birmingham Alabama to attend the summer studies at the
Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. One of the New
Testament Scholars at the University is Frank Tielman. He is a scholar who is a
believer.
In his book "Paul
and the Law," Frank Thielman writes, “Paul can even say that a primary
result of salvation is that people might ‘live sober, righteous and pious lives
in this present time.’” As it is written in Titus 2: we are not just to live holy
lives in an unholy world, but we are to “wait for the blessed hope, the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to
redeem us from all wickedness and purify for himself a people that are his very
own, eager to do what is good.” Our waiting is not to be passive, but
active, a
time when we do good to those around us and in this way they will be able to
experience the love of God and his wonderful grace.
Titus
2:15 says that we are to be “eager
to do what is good.” I like the NASB here, which says that grace teaches us to
be zealous for good deeds. The apostle Paul believed that this is so important
that three times in his letter he mentioned the fact that Christians need to be
eager to do good works. Again we are not saved by good works but we are saved
for good works. Our wait for Christ’s second coming cannot be a passive one, but
needs to be an active one. We have to get rid of the “What’s in it for me”
mentality and ask ourselves, “How can I serve others and lay down my life for
the brethren".
In Matthew
25 Jesus said:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will
sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before
him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on
his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick
and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit
me.’
"Then the righteous will answer
him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit
you?’
"The King will reply, 'I tell
you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.’”
What would
Jesus say to us today? Might he say, “I was naked, and you questioned my lack of
modesty. I was in jail, and you debated the legal aspects of my case. I was
poor, and you discussed whether your donations are tax-deductible. I was sick,
and you thanked God for your health. I was hungry and you formed a club that
studies malnutrition. I didn’t have a home, but you said that the love of God
would cover me. I was alone, and you left me alone while you prayed with your
friends. You seemed so holy and so close to God, while I am still sick, alone,
and afraid.”
When we
receive the rescue of grace, we are called to be faithful to the requirements of
grace and to live our lives demonstrating the grace and mercy of the Lord in
word and deed.
In Christ,
Brown
Friday May,4. 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, May 5. 2012
Speaker: Rev Brown Naik
Music Laureen Naik
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