If this week’s trend continues, March may come in like a lion. Whatever the case, I encourage you to join us for a special “Annie Armstrong North American Missions” Day on March 5. Rev. Daniel Weyand and I will be trading places for the morning service, so that he can speak to us about missions. This is one of the most significant reasons that we’re Baptists. You’re going to love it. After the service, join us in Fellowship Hall for a lunch potluck of “soup, salad, sandwiches, and sweets” (just bring whatever you’d like to serve, or bring a friend, or both).
We’re just about to wind up “the love month”, but we have a little time to prepare ourselves for Resurrection Day (April). By the way, the choir just began practicing special music for Easter. You might want to join us for 5 pm practices on Sundays. We’ve devoted some of our time to the subject of praise. Praise is one way we show our love for the God who has done, is doing, and – Ephesians 3:20 - “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us …”
I’ve said before, that verse is one of the most exciting verses in our New Testament. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, stilled the storms, cleansed the lepers, healed the lame and the maimed, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute, AND saw 3,000 saved on Pentecost, IS already at work in you! Why wouldn’t we want to praise the Lord for that? And why wouldn’t we want to let God use it in our lives?
This past weekend, we heard what Peter had to say in his first letter to Christians who’d been scattered across the known world. He began with – v. 3 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Why so, Peter? At the top of his list was that God “according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …” Mercy means that God had us dead to rights – caught red-handed in our sin, but, through Jesus’ sacrifice, made a way for us to escape the punishment we’d earned. That, in itself, is an enormous blessing (eternally), without anything else, but He’s also given us a living hope because He’s shown us a living Savior, risen from the dead. You might say that Peter had developed an Easter mindset.
He understood – v. 4 – that God has also given us “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (v. 5) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” That’s a lot of motivation to give God our praise. See, Peter knew what it was like to stumble and fall; we read about it in the gospels. It was an continuous blessing to him to know that his inheritance, salvation, future … were reserved in heaven, kept by the all-powerful God; you can’t lose it, have it stolen or altered, and it will never go bad or grow old.
There are many Christians who need to develop the habit of praise – talking to and about who God is and what He does, singing about Him, meditating on these truths … There’s nothing that will bolster our prayer life and our daily joy like truly praying as Jesus taught “Our Father … hallowed be Thy name.” We need to take the time to remind ourselves, daily, of why we honor/praise/glorify/hallow Him, and part of the reason we do so is that He is our heavenly, adoptive Father. If we need this hope, help and power working in our lives, imagine how much our lost brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors, and even enemies need Him. This month will see increasing daylight, a time change, and more pleasant days that bring more opportunities to get out and interact with brothers and sisters in worship, and to introduce others to our Lord, and our church.
See You Sunday! Bro. Bill
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