Monday, June 27, 2016

June 25-27, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 11:28-30 ANOTHER REASON I NEED JESUS: TOO OFTEN I THINK (AND ACT) LIKE A TWO YEAR OLD!



10 COMMANDMENTS SUMMER SERIES #3
June 25-27, 2016
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Matthew 11:28-30

ANOTHER REASON I NEED JESUS:
TOO OFTEN I THINK (AND ACT) LIKE A TWO YEAR OLD!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV 1984) “Come to Me, all you who are weary and Burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

          OK, so how many of you here like to take a nap if you get the chance? I thought so. Naps can be very good and refreshing. Now if I asked that question only to the two or three year olds what answer do you think I would get? They don’t really like to take naps, do they? Because sin messed up God’s perfect world  one of the ironies we experience is that at the time in our life when we can nap the most we don’t want to and at the time in our life when we’d like to take a nap and know how good it would be you don’t have the time to. A similar thing has happened with the spiritual rest God wants for His people. We need it. But often times we want to do something else, anything but get it. And that’s another reason I need Jesus and so do you. Too often we think and act like two-year olds when it comes to God’s Word.
          I’ll explain why in a bit but first let’s make sure we are clear on what the Third Commandment is all about. It really has nothing to do with any particular day of the week and never was about a day even though it sounds like it. The Sabbath Day was Saturday, the seventh day of the week. God established time for people at creation. He used six days to create all things even though He could have done in less time than it takes to blink your eyes. He did nothing on the seventh day even though He needed no rest. This was about people who need calendars and time and rest. Jesus reminded the Pharisees of that truth when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” In other words God did not say, “I have created a day of rest now I need to create someone to serve it.” No it’s the other way around. God created people and knew they needed rest so He established a pattern at creation where there were six days for being busy each week and one day for getting rest, physical and spiritual. When Israel became a nation God made it a law. No regular work on Saturday. Get rest for your bodies. Do get together to hear God’s word, pray and praise. Get rest for your souls.
          Now why did God make that law for His Old Testament people? Well, He knew that even though they would look grown up, often times because they were sinful, they would think and act like two year olds. Greed would fill the hearts of workers and employers alike who would want to work themselves or their workers 24/7 in order to squeeze out another buck leaving no time for the body to rest or the soul to hear God’s words. The 3rd Commandment was put in place. Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. God wanted His people blessed with rest. That was the purpose and meaning of the law. Get your rest. By Jesus’ time the loving purpose of the law was missed by many who counted steps and relabeled types of work so they could do what they want and still think they were keeping the commandment. Two year olds.
          We live at a different time. Once Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament ceremonial laws perfectly they are no longer in effect for God’s people. As far as the Third Commandment goes we don’t have rest and worship on Saturday. But God still wants us blessed with rest. So for us the 3rd Commandment is first and foremost a gut check on our attitudes towards God’s word. Luther made that abundantly clear in his explanation. “We should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and God’s word but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.” Did you notice how he got to the heart of the matter? Despise, that’s an attitude word. In context it means to devalue or think other things are more important. Gladly hear and learn. That’s different from just hearing and learning. “Time to go to church.” “Do I have to?” And God’s ears and face burn with righteous indignation that a child He created values Him and His blessing so little.
          God wants His people, God wants you, blessed with rest. This includes physical rest. American society might make you feel like you are nobody if you take time off each week to do nothing but rest. But you are a nobody in God’s eyes if you don’t. You are rejecting His will for you to rest the body He gave you as you care for it. God wants you blessed with spiritual rest. That’s the  type of rest Jesus was talking about when He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” A yoke is a device for carrying burdens. It can connect two or more animals together so they can share the burden they bear or pull. “Come to me!” Jesus says. It is a command that includes the power to obey with His promise. “I will give you rest. Yoke up with me. Watch me carry your burden.” What burden? He carries the burden of sin. That’s why being yoked to Jesus is easy and light. He does all the work. Do you want to know that God is pleased with you? Stop looking at yourself. You are yoked to Jesus. Because you and I don’t always gladly hear and learn God’s word, Jesus did for you. Remember the 12 year old eagerly staying behind in the Temple to discuss God’s Word? Because sometimes we despise God’s word by putting sleep or hobby ahead of God’s word Jesus went to the synagogue weekly as was His habit. Because we run our bodies ragged Jesus went off by Himself to get some rest. He perfectly obeyed in our place. That’s why God is pleased with you. Still feel guilty about some past sins? Not sure God will come through for you? You can try harder if you want, try to make it up to God. It won’t work. Or come to Jesus who on the cross thought of you and said, “Father forgive them even though they know exactly what they are doing and how wrong it is. I will be punished for their sin.” His yoke is easy. The burden part we have to carry is light because He has already done the work.
          “Come to me,” Jesus says. “I will give you rest.” But I don’t want to take a nap! I’m not tired! I want to go outside and play. I want to get this fixed first. I want this house project done. I want to make more money. I want to check my e mail. I want to read the paper.” I want. I want. I want. Now who does that sound like? A two year old. We call it the terrible twos because for the first time since we’ve been caring for the child he or she becomes adamant about having their own way. But mom and dad know best. The two year old needs a nap. Otherwise they will get more tired and more crabby and into more trouble. If only the child would realize how good and important getting rest is! “Come to me,” says Jesus. “I will give you rest.” Now some of you might be thinking, “Pastor, you are preaching to the choir.” In this context that would mean talking about the importance of going to church to those who are already going to church. But there’s more to it than that. How many two year olds only need to take a nap once a week? It’s a daily thing. God’s word is that way too. We need it daily. Without raising your hands how many of you have a daily devotional habit? It’s so important. We live in a world that sin has destroyed. We face problems sometimes of our own making sometimes because other people in our lives sin. When we are not rested in God’s word handling those problems and trials feels so much harder. It is much more difficult to trust God. It’s hard to live happy as one of the people God has chosen.
          That’s why I need Jesus and so do you. Our gracious God has placed us a time and in a place where we have His rest giving word available to us in more ways than ever before and we have despised that gift at times. We have looked at getting rest as something we have to do. We have read our devotion without thinking about and not remembering what it says. We have tuned out God’s voice as we heard the readings. Do you remember what they were? And Jesus forgives us. Again and again. Thank you Jesus.
          It’s thankfulness to Jesus that moves our hearts to respond. See we don’t always act like two year olds when it comes to taking naps. Eventually you grow up and see how good they are. Young people today I wish you would ask the older members why they limp and cane and walker in. They know the value of rest. They know where to find it. In Jesus. God wants you blessed with rest. Amen.

Monday, June 13, 2016

St. Jacobi Worship Service June 12th, 2016 Weekend

In 2007, a survey was taken asking Americans “How many of The Ten Commandments can you name?”  Put to the test, Americans recalled the seven ingredients of a McDonald's Big Mac hamburger and members of TV's "The Brady Bunch" more easily than the Bible's Ten Commandments.  I would guess that even fewer people would know what the Ten Commandments are really all about.  Often people look at the Ten commandments of God as a ladder to heaven.  “Do these commandments and you’ll be OK”.  But for human beings like us who have broken the rungs on that ladder by our actions, the Ten Commandments can’t be used as a way for us to climb into heaven.  Yet there is a part of us that keeps thinking that we can walk up on broken rungs.  God had in mind for the commandments first of all to be used by us more like a mirror than a ladder- a mirror to show us our sins- a mirror to show us how much we need Jesus.  In the coming weeks here at church we are going to be using the 10 commandments as the guide for a summer sermon series pointing out “the 10 reasons why I need Jesus.”   Today as we look at the First Commandment we dig back into the Old Testament to the story of Daniel in the lions’ den and see why we should have no other gods.  God is the one to fear love and trust in.  I.             He Is A Lion In Protecting His People.II.  He Is Not Lying About His Promises.
Daniel 6:1-23  1It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” 6So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9So King Darius put the decree in writing. 10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 13Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. 15Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. 19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” 23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
FEAR LOVE AND TRUST IN GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS
I.                    He Is A Lion In Protecting His People.
II.                  He Is Not Lying About His Promises.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who deserve first place in our lives, dear people who need Jesus just like me,
     Out in the garage at our house we have an old aquarium.  It brings back memories of little ones tapping on the glass and dipping little fingers into the water.  I can also remember times when a fish decided that they didn’t want to live in the water any more- they wanted to live out of the water.  They jumped out of the tank.  More than once I ran across those little fish all dried out on the carpet.  I remember thinking that those little fish don’t belong here on the ground.  They belong in the water.  The Bible says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”  God has a certain order in his creation where everything fits-where everything tucks up under and says, “Here is where I fit.”  More than once people have gotten themselves into trouble by jumping into a spot where they did not belong.  Think of Adam and Eve and the trouble they brought on themselves and the world when they thought that they belonged in God’s spot- a spot where they did not belong.  The account of Daniel  in the lions’ den begins with some people who were not happy with where God had placed them and they brought all kinds of trouble on themselves and others by trying to get into a spot where they did not belong.  Like fish out of water they tried to put themselves in the spot of the king and ultimately In the place of God- a place where they really didn’t belong.  By trying to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den they found that God is a lion in protecting His people.     God’s people had been carried off into exile in Babylon.  For them exile meant that  their city had been destroyed and they had been carried from their homes to a far off land and used as servants for the government of the people who captured the.  In that awful situation, many of God’s people shone likes stars.  One of them was Daniel.  Daniel so distinguished himself that the King planned to place him over all the administrators.  Some of the people in Babylon didn’t like that order very much so they hatched an evil plan.  “It had to have something to do with the law of his god they thought because they could not find any fault in the way he had been doing his job.  They didn’t have to look very far into the 10 commandments of Daniel’s God.  The first commandment- “You shall have no other gods.”  That’s it! They must have thought.  Their plan played to that desire of people to want to be in God’s spot.  They came to the king and said, “O King we thought it would be a good thing if you made the order that anyone who prays to anyone or anything other than you O king should be thrown into the lion’s den.”  That sounded good to the king who put himself where he didn’t belong by making the decree that he should be in the place of God for 30 days.  Just like they suggested the King put the decree in writing.  When the King of the Medes and Persians did that it meant that the law could not be changed even if it turned out that the law wasn’t such a great idea. 
     “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.  11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help””  By keeping up his worship schedule Daniel shows that he fears God more than anything or anyone else.  Daniel didn’t live his life in fear that God was going to squash him.  However the fact that he went on worshipping God meant that he recognized that it was a lot worse to be in trouble with God than to be trouble with some administrators and their king even if their king had a den of lions.  Daniel’s faithful service to the king showed that he must have loved working for the king but Daniel showed that there was one he loved more than a good job.  Daniel didn’t go out and get his own set of lions.  He didn’t go to the king with fingers pointing saying, “I know some bad stuff about them!”  He didn’t repay evil for evil.  He didn’t install surveillance guards around his apartment so that his enemies would never get close enough to see.  Instead he trusted that God would be able to work everything out. 
      Do we have it straight in our minds that it is a lot worse to be trouble with God than to be in trouble with earthly authorities or do we think that if no other human being knows about a sin then we’re OK?  Or do we do wrong things or not do the right things because a friend, a boyfriend a girlfriend or a boss might be upset with us?   Though we might say there is nothing we love more than God might have our actions at times showed that other things and other people had a higher place in our hearts than God?  Who or what do we turn to when the pressure is on?  Have we ever turned to things God says not to turn to?  Maybe a bottle?  Or a computer or a phone?  God would be right to throw us into a hell far worse than a den of lions.  Instead he sent a Savior- who would be a lion in defending his people.
      Like a shot, the enemies of Daniel were off to tell the king that his decree had been broken by his faithful servant Daniel.  The king probably realized that the administrators were up to no good.  14When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.”  But they cut him off before he could find a way to backtrack.  “Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” 
      It might have looked like Daniel was done for.  But God knew differently.  He knew he was like a lion in defending his people.  Sounds like even the King knew that.  “16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” 
     We’ve heard a lot about a child falling into a gorilla enclosure in the last weeks.  Didn’t it hurt your heart to watch that video?  As much heart pounding fear as I have for an angry gorilla, I think I would choose the gorilla over a den of hungry lions.  A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.”  The king was probably the most powerful person in the world.  He couldn’t help Daniel.  With hands wringing he returned to his house.  He didn’t eat dinner and spent an anguished sleepless night. 
       It seems like God does his best work when it seems as though a situation can’t be changed.  19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.”  God was a lion in rescuing his people. 
     Are there lions out there on the horizon for you?  Maybe a lion in your wallet or purse?  Maybe someone who loves to chew on you at work?  Maybe walking in the door at home feels like walking into a lion’s den?  Remember that God is not lying when it comes to his promises!
     Think of his greatest promise- forgiveness of sin so that we could live in heaven.  When mankind’s situation could not be changed- God changed it.  He sent his son to rescue us.  His perfect life of fearing, loving and trusting in God perfectly counts for us.  His shoulders searing with pain on the cross bore the penalty for breaking not only the 1st commandment but every commandment of God.  He closed the mouth of the lions.  He promised a Savior and he kept it!
If he can keep that promise, trust that he can keep all of his other promises too.  He is not lying!  “I will be with you always!”   “He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom.”  “The Lord watches over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.”   He breaks the power of canceled sin.
       I’m not sure why but I always sort of thought the first commandment was the easiest to keep.  I guess I thought, “Just don’t bow down to idols of wood and stone.  I think of the Hindu idol with all the arms or the Greek idol with no arms   I guess I was forgetting that idols have arms that reach into my heart and yours too.  Good thing we have a Savior.  Here’s a good reminder of how much we need Jesus.  Here’s a good reason to say thank you to him  by fearing loving and trusting in him.  Amen

     

Monday, June 6, 2016

June 4-6, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude GOD HAS COME TO HELP HIS PEOPLE!


PENTECOST 3

June 4-6, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 7:11-17

 

GOD HAS COME TO HELP HIS PEOPLE!

 

Luke 7:11-17 (NI 1984) Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. 12As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, “Don’t cry.” 14Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great Prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help His people.” 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.”

 

          The death of a loved one is hard. It hurts. It hurts even when you know it’s coming. It hurts even when God has made it clear He is calling your loved one home and the body functions have deteriorated to the point you are praying Lord Jesus come soon. And when He answers your prayer and does, it still hurts. It really hurts when someone dies unexpectedly and too young. That’s the situation we see in God’s word today. A death has occurred unexpectedly and too young. Try to picture in your mind two processions of people walking toward each other. One is a procession of death. They carry the body of a dead man. Ouch. He is the only son of his mother. Ouch Ouch.  And she was a widow. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. In that society this means she will have no means of financial support. A large crowd was with her. You can imagine the somber mood, the tears. Loved ones worrying how she is going to get along. So goes the procession of death. But there is another procession coming straight at the procession of death only it is a procession of life. It’s early on in Jesus’ public ministry. He has done several miracles of healing like the centurion’s servant we heard about last week. A large crowd follows Jesus. You can imagine the mood of this crowd. Buzzing excitement. Happiness. What will he do next? Two processions are coming together. One is coming out of Nain. One is going in. One is a procession of death. The other a procession of life. What will happen when death meets life?

          Let’s find out. “When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her.” Jesus cares. No seriously. Jesus cares. He cares about His people and their hurts. I find that as a person I tend to be very task oriented. When my mind is on a task I can easily get tunnel vision and blot out all else including people in my zeal to get a job done. Jesus in on task with the task that fills the world’s greatest need. He is walking the path of the Messiah, the God sent savior of the world. He has the most important job in the world, literally. But He stops. He stops because He cares. He cares about people. His heart went out to her. He’s not happy about the hurt sin has brought to her life. There’s more. “He said, “Don’t cry.” This isn’t a heartless, “Quit your whining. There are people who are worse off than you,” comparison game that some people use to try to comfort others. It’s not the “Don’t cry,” of “Put on your big girl pants and deal with it. People die. That’s what they do.” This is the “Don’t cry,” that comes from a caring Savior who has everything under control, who knows the good He has planned for His people. “Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

          Two processions meet each other. One a procession of death. The other a procession of life. What happens when they meet? Life wins. Life wins when Jesus is involved. We need to understand what happened here. It is not normal for God to step in and break the rules He Himself set up. The wages of sin is death. A consequence of sin coming into the world is that people die. The Bible records very few instances of the dead coming back to life. And we need to understand that those who were brought back to life died again. So what’s the point? What’s the purpose? The people in the two processions got it. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great Prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help His people.” God has come to help His people. Jesus paused from His task, He broke God’s normal way of operating so that these people would know that God had not forgotten about them, that He cared about their hurts and He had come to help His people.

You wonder if they realized how true their statement was. God had come to help His people. This miracle is a preview, a sneak peak, of what Jesus will do for every believer in Him. Remember Jesus is the Messiah. He is the God sent Savior of the world. That is His mission from the Father. He did not come to temporarily raise people back from the dead to continue living in a sin sick world and only to have them die again. He didn’t come to give hurting heart mother some temporary relief. He came to grab death and the Devil by the throat, squeeze their life out of them and free people to live forever. He came to shake His almighty first at the enemis of His people and say, "Devil, you will not have my people. Death you do not reign.,” He came to march resolutely to the cross. While no soldier is strong enough nor nails powerful enough to hold Him to the cross, Jesus’ love for you did. Jesus stayed there until every one of your sins were paid for, yours, mine everyone’s! By that sacrifice Jesus gained the power and authority to say on the last day, “Young man, young woman, old man, old woman, unborn child, little one, I say to you ‘Get up!’” and He will give them back to their mothers. God has come to help his people!

          Now brothers and sisters there are often two reactions that take place in our hearts when we hear about the miracles that Jesus did. The first is often that childlike one, the one that also occurred the first time your parents read you the story from a Bible story book. Wow! Jesus is amazing. He can do anything! My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that He cannot do! Such is the response of a childlike faith. But then in the hearts of God’s people who aren’t children anymore, who have to work to have childlike faith there can be another reaction. The reaction that comes from a hurting heart. Where’s my miracle? Jesus where were you when I needed you, when I prayed for you to heal my child, my spouse, my parent? Where were you Jesus? And the Devil seeks to use your hurting heart against you, to drive a wedge between you and the one who loves you most.

          At those times brothers and sisters turn your eyes to the cross. This one when you are at church, the one hanging in your home when you are there. Let your eyes rest on the cross for if you want an answer to the question, “Where were you Jesus?” see Him on the cross. His real work was not to provide a temporary fix to all the ills of sin in our world but a permanent one. He has done that. There were plenty of people who died when Jesus walked the earth whom he did not raise. There were plenty of lame, and blind and sick people who were not healed. And those who were eventually died anyway. But God has come to help his people with the help that lasts forever. Brothers and sisters, you are his people. All the hurts that you experience in this life are a direct result of sin. Death. Sickness. Diseases. Body parts that do not work. Broken families. Children that stray. It’s all because of sin and God has come to help his people. Jesus came and has taken care of sin. When your heart is hurting Jesus’ heart goes out to you. He cares about you and don’t think that He’s doing nothing about it. What’s He’s done you can’t see yet. He’s going to make everything new. He tells you, “You don’t have to cry!” God has come to help His people. He has helped you. Jesus has defeated sin. Now its effects are temporary. When death meets life, life wins when Jesus is involved. And Jesus is involved in your life and mine.

          When the people of Nain saw what Jesus had done, they were filled with awe and praised God. God had come to help His people. Brothers and sisters, we have seen what Jesus has done. This miracle and many more. Whether the people of Nain knew how true their statement was or not, I don’t know. But we know the big picture. We know how God has come to help His people. We now also know how to respond. Amen.