Monthly Archives: June 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 9, 2015
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Climb Every Mountain — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 9, 2015

“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” John 4:48-50

“Some folks are desperate for signs and wonders. “Show me and I’ll believe,” they say. A miraculous sign may help convince the seeking but cautious heart, but it will add to the condemnation of the hard-hearted who are looking for excuses. Jesus said, “They have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father” (John 15:24). Many will believe and yet not confess, because they love their lives just as they are (John 12:42-43).
 The royal official may have had some doubts, but he was desperate for Jesus to save his child. He did not let the rebuke deter him. There was nowhere else in which he placed any hope. Jesus spoke the word, and it was done. Remember that whatever your situation, Jesus need only speak the word and it is done. If He doesn’t, there is a reason. The solution to every problem is a word from the lips of Jesus, but He will not speak it when He has better things in store for you.” Through the Bible Daily Devotions, June 9

How hard is it for many in this world to “take Jesus at his word”? Many do want to have more than just the promises that G*d has given us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Do you trust Jesus with his word? Do you trust that the promises of G*d are promises for you, even though you will not receive some tangible proof or “miraculous sign”? Jesus said to Thomas, “Do you believe because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe.” Thomas is like any of us in wanting to see for our own eyes — rather than having the trust of the royal official to turn from Jesus with only his word that “Your son will live.”

Our faith lives are a journey — and it is with each mountain top that we climb, each valley from which we ascend that our trust and faith grows. We are a project that is under construction until the day we die. And all along we learn to “take Jesus at his word”.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 8, 2015
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Make a Wish? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 8, 2015

“Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Mark 10:28-31

There is a movie that my daughter has watched several times titled “16 Wishes”, or something like that. In this movie, the lead girl is turning sixteen. On her birthday she looks at a wish list she once made of the things she hoped for by the time she turned sixteen. As the day begins, things are not as they should be — at least in her own mind. So, looking at her list, she lights a candle for one of her “wishes”, blows out the candle, and the wish comes true. At first these wishes are positive, but as the movie continues, she finds there are more negative consequences to her wishes than positive. So, for her last wish, she wishes that things return to “normal” and with that, when everything does return to normal, she learns to be more of “servant”, and being happy with what she has, rather than “having it all”.

“Having it all” or wishing to “have it all” is opposite to the attitude Jesus wants us to have. Jesus wants us to be servants of others, and living a life where we are agents of “doing for others” rather than living a life doing only for ourselves. And Jesus modeled that kind of life — putting others first, preaching about how the last shall be first and the first last, and even assuming the role of a servant when he washed the feet of the disciples.

What do you wish for today? If you had one wish, in your relationship with Christ, what would you wish for?

Pastor Dave