Tag Archives: G*d

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 26, 2015
Tags: G*d,   

Built On The Promises Of G-d — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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November 26, 2015

“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; Hebrews 10:22 – 23

“Our heavenly Father has made many promises in the Bible. But there is confusion about which verses we can claim as a definite commitment from God. Three questions are useful in evaluating whether divine promises apply to our own situation:

1. Is this promise limited to a specific person or circumstance, or does it apply to all believers? For example, the pledge made to Abraham and Sarah about giving birth to a child (Gen. 18:10) is restricted to them, whereas Hebrews 13:5 contains a guarantee to all Christians that Jesus will be with them forever.

2. Are we asking the Lord to meet a need or a desire? A need is something that we must have in order for God to complete His work in our lives. A desire is something we want for satisfaction or enjoyment. If we lose our job, then an essential—an incoming wage—is missing. But if we want a new position for personal reasons, it’s a desire.

3. Before fulfilling a promise, does the Lord require some action on our part? Proverbs 3:5-6 is a conditional promise, which pledges God’s direction on the basis of our trust in Him. On the other hand, Jesus’ assurance of His presence with believers is unconditional (Matt. 28:20).

By evaluating Scripture on the basis of these questions, we will know which promises apply to our situation. Think of how much more confidence we’ll have in asking our Lord to fulfill them. For, as 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV) says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (In Touch website, The Promises of G*d, October 23, 2015)

I like the verses of Proverbs mentioned in the devotion. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insights; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths”. The relationship G*d so much wants with each one of us is a relationship based on trust. The promises of G*d are steadfast and true. If G*d promises to do something, then it is done. When Jesus promises to be with us to the end of the age, then we believe and trust that Jesus is with us. When Jesus promises to be in the bread and wine of communion, and in the word and water in Baptism, then we trust that Jesus is there.

Our lives are filled with people who will break their promises and forget their vows. Jesus is not on that list. When we think we have been forsaken by our G*d, it is time to assess our expectations. G*d will provide us all we need, not all we desire. Knowing the difference will help us for a trusting relationship with G*d, and ultimately with each other.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 25, 2015
Tags: G*d,   

A Love to Share — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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November 25, 2015

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:1 – 13

“Faith alone justifies. Luther found in the bible the sole answer to man’s question: “How can I justify myself in the sight of G*d?” The answer to the question of how man is justified in the sight of G*d is this: by grace alone through faith alone. Therefore we can turn around the final sentence of 1 Cor. 13 with good reason and say: And if I have all love so that I do all good works but have not faith, I am nothing. Faith alone justifies. But love perfects.” (Gesammelte Schriften, Dietrich Bonhoeffer [1906 – 1945] “For All The Saints” volume II, p. 1025 – 1026)

I have performed many, many weddings. Many of them have used the 1 Cor. 13 text as part of their wedding service. This text is nice for the wedding, but the love being spoken about is not “Eros” love, the Greek word for romantic love, it is “Agape” love, G*d’s love. G*d’s love is patient, kind, not jealous or boastful, arrogant or rude. G*d’s love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. G*d’s love never ceases.

But “Agape” love is more than that – G*’s love is the perfecter of all things. Other kinds of love will ultimately let us down or eventually leave us – human love will appear to us as the mirror that is cloudy, because there are imperfections in human love. Not Agape love – G*d’s love is perfect love – and if we base all of our love on G*d’s love, we will know a love that is for all eternity. That is a love we should share every day.

Pastor Dave