Sunday May 21, 2017

Epistle: Acts 16: 19-36

Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37

Psalm 70/71 “In thee, O’ Lord, I have hoped

My Friends,

In the readings today we see troubles, there are health issues; a man is brought to Jesus who is deaf and dumb, Jesus heals the man. Notice that Jesus groaned before He healed the man; we have read this before when Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb. We have read that Jesus wept. The Apostles are imprisoned for casting an unholy spirit from a girl who was being used for profit by her keepers because she could divine or tell the fortunes of those who she came into contact with. This of course made those who were her keepers much money. While the Apostles were in prison they began praising God, an earthquake came and shook the prison, the doors of the prison were opened and the bands fell off of all of the prisoners.

Our Psalmist speaks of his troubles and of those who seek his life and cause him great grief. Yet in spite of these things, even though his life is in peril, he praises God. He glorifies Him as savior and protector, he believes the promise of God, and he has great faith. The Psalmist as well as the Apostles, who are imprisoned after being beaten, never stops praising God in spite of their life being in great jeopardy. These are lessons for us today. Regardless of our life and its many difficulties, we are loved and helped. We cannot know how much more difficult it would be for us if our Lord Jesus did not love us. Jesus groans at the healing of those who ask, Jesus weeps at the grave of His friend. Jesus does indeed love us to the point of giving His life for us.

Notice however that all of these people faced great challenges in their life. They had no easy life because they praised and preached Jesus, no, their life was indeed difficult. The world does not want anyone to live in eternal glory because the world is ruled by Lucifer the devil. He was and is the first to defy Almighty God and he suffers greatly for it. So how can he rule the world that God created? Because man allowed him into the world and followed him, this is how. Man continues to allow Lucifer to control him and the world system. Because we have been given free will by the Father, this will continue. We need to struggle against the devil and live for Jesus on this earth. There will come a day when man no longer praises the Creator and when this day comes it will finally signal the end. Currently people are still being born who turn to the Savior Jesus the Christ. Enough so that Almighty God has not instituted the end of the world as we know it and a new earth begins.

We do not know when this end and the new beginning will be, in spite of the many modern prophets who make a living selling Jesus and the destruction of the world; we have no clue when it will be. In the meantime, it rains on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. The sun shines on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. We remain together in this world until that day. So take a lesson from the readings. Continue to praise and worship Jesus the Christ and the Father through Him. Never cease to pray and live according to the gospel. Allow the Holy Ghost to guide you. Love God with all of your heart and soul; love your neighbor as yourself. You never know whose life you will change because of this love of God in you.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus the Christ be with you throughout this day and the rest of your life. May the Holy Spirit fill us all to overflowing so that everyone in whose path we cross may receive a blessing from our Lord Jesus the Christ.

Blessings

In Christ.