Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is the week that we celebrate the most important week in the history of the world – when Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with a parade, when He instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, when He was arrested, tried and crucified, and when He arose from the grave in glory and victory. In your personal devotion time, through prayer and meditation, focus on these particular truths from the last week of Jesus’ human life and their import to your life:
· Jesus’ death was a life-giving act of God’s love and mercy, not vengeance: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) and “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11).
· God’s grace through Jesus was for our salvation: “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-28).
· Jesus taught that sacrificial love has a mysterious power: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” (John 12:24-27).
· Jesus’ sacrificial love was painful: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," He said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. "Abba Father," He said, "everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14:35-36)
· Jesus’ expression of sacrificial love is the greatest example of love -- as Jesus teaches, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)
· Having received this grace and love, we are called to be dispensers of this same grace and sacrificial love to others: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16).
· Sacrificial love is our primary identity to the world, our chief witness according to Jesus,“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35).
· After the Resurrection, Jesus gave us our calling, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).
Read and pray over these scriptures and God will reveal to you the calling that He has placed on your life and where He wishes you to go and be. Selah.

Steve

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I know you are preparing yourself spiritually to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, I thought this poem might prove helpful. Some of you know my Father; he writes poetry and sent me this one on his insights about the time of Lent. He wrote these after hearing that more Americans define themselves as having no religion. My Father was moved by these insights while reading "Man In Revolt" by Emil Brunner -- humans are created by God to be “religious” and even those persons who characterize themselves as irreligious create their own false gods to worship:

We humans are part of creation; physical beings; considered the most complex of the mammals.
We are also homo faber, the maker of tools; creating some wonderful and some monstrous ones.
We are also the humanus, who can not only communicate with signs, but can speak.
We not only maintain our existence, but also create and shape culture and civilization.
What is more amazing is we have an individual identity, like no other known created being.
Soon after birth it is evident to those who care for us that we quickly become individuals.
We each are a person, who becomes the 'I-Self' in union with the 'Thou.'
We are also the creatures who are forever seeking to know ourselves, even while we flee from self.
We are forever drawn and attracted to something higher than ourselves.
We dream of 'eternity' and are forever trying to make an everlasting contribution.
Therefore, human beings have “gods” or a God, from whom we are seeking guidance.
In other words, human beings are religious, always seeking a Higher Being;
Someone who can help us to make meaning and eternal purpose out of existence.
Our sense of being related to a Higher Power drives us to seek to influence outcomes;
Not only in this earthly life span, but also in eternity.
Therefore, human beings are incurably religious, Often even trying to substitute Self for God.
We are never satisfied with accepting our physical and intellectual temporary existence.
No matter how sophisticated and knowledgeable we become we are always homo religious.
We are forever seeking to find meaning in our lives, not only for this life, but for eternity.
We can no more rid ourselves of our homo religious nature, than we can reject our need to experience life from the concepts of past, present, and future.
It is no wonder that from the time He was born until the present, 2000 plus years later, millions of human beings find in Jesus Christ the One who gives life meaning and hope.
During this Lenten Season we celebrate that in Jesus Christ, God became one of us; even to the point of taking our sins upon Himself, in order to save us for His eternal purposes.

I hope as you read these words that you will be inspired to recognize that we are all serving something or someone in our lives, and that you need to serve the One who created you, became flesh for you, died for your sins and rose in glory to open the gates of eternal life to you. In Him you are created, and in Him you find life. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer together for the past several weeks, and I have been thoroughly amazed at what the Lord is teaching me through this spiritual exercise. I hope that your prayer life has been enriched by this and that you will continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord. As I was preparing for my sermons in this series by studying differing books about this special prayer, I experienced several insights from God that have moved me to rethink the way I go about praying. Let’s look again at this gift from Jesus to help us in our walk with Him:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Such a simple prayer, but one of great depth and meaning. We first realize that Jesus teaches us to begin with God and not our needs, wants and desires. We desire nothing more than to come into His holy presence, and we recognize our absolute dependence on Him. We commit our lives to participating in His kingdom and seeking His will before we ever ask for anything from Him as an act of trust. He knows our needs and will provide; we must first seek His kingdom and righteousness. Then we can request our daily bread in full assurance that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and will bless us so that we can be a blessing for others. Next we need to recognize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, that others have sinned against us and need our forgiveness, that God is a merciful God and desires to forgive us, and finally that we should forgive others as God has forgiven us. We then request God’s wisdom and providence to carefully lead us by His Spirit so that, as we struggle with temptation, we can make wise choices and so be delivered from the evil one. God helps us to continue to struggle with temptation so that we are aware of our vulnerability and our need for continued grace. This will keep us humble and compassionate toward others – who are also in a great battle to fight the temptations in our lives. The prayer instructs us that we close with a rousing AMEN. That the most important thing in our lives is our relationship to God and the way we celebrate this relationship is with worship. Our whole selves should give God glory and our prayer lives should reflect this celebration. This truly is the word of God. Selah.
Steve

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
This certainly is a time of new beginnings in our lives: as a nation, we are getting a new president; as a county, we are getting new leadership; as a church, we are expanding our territory and influence and as individuals, we each have our dreams and goals for the future. It is a time of excitement and opportunity but also a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Change always is a complex combination of opportunity and risk. That’s why it is important for us to remember that in the midst of a sea of uncertainty, there is a Rock that does not move. As the Scripture reminds us “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and Forever.” Hebrews 13:8
My “New Years” wish for each of you is for you to delve deeper into your relationship with God through deepening your prayer life. Prayer is communion with God, and the result of prayer is not reward but relationship. As the psalmist wrote, “deep calleth unto deep” Psalm 47:7
You should claim the promise of the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

The world can neither give this special peace of God nor can it take it away; it is a gift that comes from God through prayer. May the Lord bless you as you grow in your walk with Him. Selah.
Steve

Focus on Prayer During this Election

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
While we are about to elect our new leadership for our nation, I hope that we will all be in prayer for all the people in our country. I know that this is a time of passion, emotion, and anxiety, but there are a few things that I hope we will all keep in mind as we vote and wait for the results. First, no matter the outcome of this election, God will still be God. “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD . . .” (Psalm 33:10-12). Second, it is a great privilege to live in a nation that gives the people the right to determine the leadership that directs it, and we should be grateful for that right at every election. Third, although we live in a two-party system and each of us has differing opinions and worldviews, there is more that unites us as a people than there is that divides us. We are “one nation under God” and we do not want to come out of the election with bitterness and resentment. Fourth, we must respect our leaders, pray for them, and seek to help them make our nation strong, moral, and just. We remember that the bible says “that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior . . .”(1 Timothy 2:1-3). May the peace of Christ be with you and give you strength in this very important time in the life of our nation. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Remembering Solzhenitsyn

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Several people expressed to me an interest in knowing a little more about Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great writer and dissadent who defied the Soviet Union, after my sermon on Sunday on his life. I don't have enough space or expertise to share greatly, but I will give you a brief glimpse into the importance of the man from a historical perspective and into his soul through his own words. He became a powerful voice from behind bars that revealed to the world the evils behind the totalitarian Soviet state. Michael Kaufman wrote that Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago “was a monumental account of the Soviet labor camp system, a chain of prisons that by Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s calculation some 60 million people had entered during the 20th century. The book led to his expulsion from his native land. George F. Kennan, the American diplomat, described it as 'the greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever to be leveled in modern times.'” It is an irony of life that he outlived by 17 years the Soviet system that he battled through years of imprisonment, torture, and exile.
I believe his most inspirational legacy is that one person speaking out the truth with courage and God's help can literally change the world. Solzhenitsyn once wrote that “a great writer is, so to speak, a second government. That's why no regime anywhere has ever loved its great writers . . .” He wrote that while an ordinary man was obliged “not to participate in lies,” artists had greater responsibilities. “It is within the power of writers and artists to do much more: to defeat the lie! . . . If one is forever cautious, can one remain a human being?” He wrote that “men have forgotten God . . . spiritual death has touched us all.” He continued to tirelessly speak out throughout his lifetime. In 1977 Solzhenitsyn said in an interview, "My critics in the West are constantly saying, 'But what is he offering us in exchange?' Well, I could offer plenty if I wanted, but I'm not obliged to. It's not my job…The writer's ultimate task is to restore the memory of his murdered people. Is that not enough for a single writer?…They (the Communists) murdered my people and destroyed its memory. And I'm dragging it into the light of day all on my own. Of course, there are hundreds like me back there who could drag it out too. Well, it didn't fall to them; it fell to me. And I'm doing the work of a hundred men, and that's all there is to it…I'm no philosopher, I'm no politician, I get mixed up in this politics, but I loathe it..." Biographer Michael Scammell writes that, “Solzhenitsyn's allegiance [was] to the 60 million citizens murdered by the Soviet Communists.” No less than Mikhail Gorbachev said, “He was among the first to speak out about the brutality of Stalin’s regime and about the people who experienced it, but were not crushed . . . Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s books changed the minds of millions of people, making them rethink their past and present.”
I am always challenged by people like Solzhenitsyn. You and I have a voice too. How are we using our voices to speak out against evil, speak out for justice, speak the truth? With God's help, may we have the courage to speak. Selah.
Steve

Changing of Seasons

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Summer is coming to an end, school is starting, and we are once again reminded of the rhythm of the seasons and of life. There are mornings and evenings, the weeks and months pass by, and we are both antagonized and reassured. We are antagonized by the knowledge that “all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall . . .(Isa. 40)” -- life is precious but brief. Luke and I went to see the Etowah Indian Mounds last Friday and saw some very impressive trees on the banks of the river. I remarked to Luke that these trees were there when the Native American Indians actually lived there, and the wonder in his eyes was beautiful. I thought about how these trees would still be growing by that river long after I walk this earth. Nevertheless, we are also reassured by the changing seasons of time. There is a comfortable ritual about knowing that Fall follows Summer and that soon Winter will come. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . .(Ecc. 3:1)” God has so ordained life that there is a variety of seasons, but also a secure order of time. This reminds us that although our earthly life is fleeting, we have security in the knowledge of eternal life with an everlasting God. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13-17).
Selah.
Steve