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“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
We will be considering how Paul and his team went about sharing the good news of Jesus in the early days of the church and what lessons we can learn today.
‘After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.’ (1 Kings 19:12)
We learn more about God’s help for Elijah.
Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Many Christians do not like to think too much about God as Trinity, because it feels impossible to understand how God can be one and yet three persons. This is part of the mystery of God and we should not be surprised that the nature of the Creator of the Universe is beyond our comprehension when we are still struggling to figure out his creation! We will be looking at how the different persons of the Trinity work together to bring us hope.
Acts 2:4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
This week it is Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church for the first time and the preaching of the gospel in tongues people from all nations could understand. It is also our special gift day, and we encourage regular members to bring their response forms to the Planned Giving Review.
Matthew 26:53: Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels.”
Like Eisha, Jesus is aware that he has an angelic army at his disposal, as he declares in the verse above. Yet, Jesus shows even greater strength and courage. When soldiers arrive to capture him, he allows it, going through with his crucifixion, trusting that God would bring the greatest victory of all, the Resurrection. Will we follow Jesus’ courageous example?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
So, as Joshua did, let’s take courage in the growth of the church and meditate on his word day and night, treating it as the true gift it is.
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14a)
In the book of Judges, God’s people are constantly caught in a cycle of walking with God and completely abandoning him and his teaching. Our society today can feel like this, cycling between belief in God and rejection of his teachings. However, we have the teachings of Jesus and a reconciled relationship to God through his sacrifice and the holy spirit to guide us through our journey. Let’s look for the unexpected ways God is moving in our lives and be thankful for the blessings we have been given in our walk with God today.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
Palm Sunday reminds us both of the claims to kingship that Jesus made about himself, claims that were embraced by many who had witnessed his miracles, but rejected by those in power as a threat to their position.
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, from the house of the Lord we bless you!” (Psalm 118:26)
How have we as churches (as opposed to individuals) disappointed Jesus? The shortcomings of the Pharisees are itemised in Matthew 23, but what might Jesus want to say to us today? Given that His summary of the Old Testament Law was that we should love God and our neighbour, it may be that we should give thought to this question: are our rituals becoming more important than our relationships?
“When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2:10)
Matthew’s gospel does emphasise, Jesus’ Jewish credentials. His coming is rooted in the work of God through Israel, its kings and prophets. But it also presents us with a bigger more universal vision for the Kingdom of God. As we start a New Year, let’s pray that God extends our vision of who God may be calling to share with us and the Magi the joy of being a disciple of Christ.
St. George's Church Ramsgate