Tag Archives: G*d

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 30, 2015
Tags: , G*d   

A Birth, A Life, and A Death — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 30, 2015

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2

“For Christians, God’s temple is one of two related things: either the Christian’s body (1 Cor. 6:19-20) or the group of people who make up his Church (1 Cor. 3:16). Because of the flaws of the people in our churches, many are hypercritical of them. But God’s Church is precious to him and should be to us. Anyone who destroys his church through division will be utterly destroyed. God’s faithfulness to his people is seen in his preservation of the Church through all the ravages and persecutions of history. But God is still the center of the Church and he alone is to be exalted and the Church is still to be governed by his word and not just their own will.” “Weekly Verses, A Weeks Worth of G*d’s Word”

With so many churches around Central Pennsylvania, I sometimes wonder how all of them can possibly remain viable and continue to do the mission of Christ. The short response to that statement is, of course, they all are not viable — many of them are just hanging on with the mission to keep their doors open — and that, my friends, is not the mission of Christ. The devotion above states “God’s faithfulness to his people is seen in his preservation of the Church through all the ravages”, but not “every” church should remain open once they have reached a critical point of “missionless activity”. Now that sounds heartless, but not every church started by Paul is still open — and many have closed due to a lack of attendance and a lack of usefulness. Every church has a birth, a growth, a life, a decline, and a death. Some will live long and fruitful lives, others will not be so lucky. But the church Universal does remain and will be preserved through the longevity of many, and the life of the new churches that are birthed every day.

Here is a prayer for you today….

Holy and matchless God, I praise you for your steadfast love and faithfulness revealed in the preservation of your Church through all of history. I promise to cherish your Church and do all I can to help it grow and mature to be more like Jesus, but I recognize that you and you alone are to be exalted above all other things and that my church must never be more important than your will revealed in your word. Give me the courage to be true to you even if my church may not be. Through Jesus I pray.

Amen.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 25, 2015
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G*d is Good All the Time — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 25, 2015

“A ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but G*d alone.” Luke 18:18-19

“All right, Christianity will you do good–a great deal more good than you ever wanted or expected. And the first bit of good it will do you is to hammer into your head (you won’t enjoy that!) the fact that what you have hitherto called “good”–all that about “leading a decent life” and “being kind”–isn’t quite the magnificent and all-important affair you supposed. It will teach you that in fact you can’t be “good” (not for twenty-four hours) on your own moral efforts. Mere morality is not the end of life. You were made for something quite different from that.” C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963) G*d in the Dock “For All The Saints”, volume II (p. 133)

In my congregation we begin the service with the words “G*d is good all the time — and all the time G*d is good”. It is a reminder that G*d is always good — nothing will ever change in the character of G*d. G*d is always good. And then, we must assume, that if G*d is good, we are not, can not be, nor will ever be “good” — or as “good” as G*d. But if we are made in the likeness of G*d, then there must be some hope for us — some goodness that can come forth. And there is — once we realize that when Christ truly enters into our very being, then we are transformed into the likeness of Christ — and then goodness comes forth — we are not “good” — Christ’s goodness comes forth in the Christ-like life.

Do some good today — in the name of Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into the “Christ-like” life and let goodness flow. You can’t do it alone — but Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will lead you into all goodness.

Pastor Dave