Tag Archives: Hope

Hope comes through faith, it helps us with doubt

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on December 31, 2015
Tags: Devotions, Hope,   

This Is The End, Or Is It??? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

December 31, 2015

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
Revelation 22:17 – 21

“End is not an event but a person. We have good reason then not to try to calculate the date of the end, for he has been, is, and will be. He has come, is here and will come soon. Thirty-three years of humble life in Palestine serve to focus his life for us, but that is a very small slice of who he is, has been, and will be. It is very important for us, but there is much more than we yet know of him. The name Bright Morning Star serves to tie the human and the divine together for us. He comes from the heavenly world but he is also the ruler of Judah (Num 24:17).
This is the one who is coming soon. It would not be good news to be able to say there once was a Jesus, a martyr, a Shoot of David. It is good news to know that he is now alive and coming soon. Those who wash their robes in his blood, who are made clean by his atonement, can enter the Holy City to be with him. There they will find the tree of life, transplanted from Eden (Gen 2:9) from which humanity has been forbidden access by angels (Gen 3:24). Now it is available for all whom the guardian angels permit to enter the city. Life can be prolonged forever by eating of this tree. The olive orchard at Gethsemane was outside the walls, but this one is inside the city where the Lamb is. And access to him is perpetual, since the gates are forever open.” (God’s Song of Revelation: From Easter to Pentecost in the Apocalypse, WENDELL W. FRERICHS, 1986, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota)

I began these devotions as a spiritual exercise and a promise. I made a promise that I would write a devotion every day for a year, and post them on our Facebook page for the church. I have come to the end, the last devotion, and I reach the end of these efforts with a dilemma to face. I would like to take a break from writing, but writing is a devotional exercise for me. I find that I learn more about scripture as I write about a passage. Therefore, I must discern if taking a break is for your benefit, so you seek other places to be fed with G-d’s word, or for my benefit so that I can be fed by others to strengthen my devotions.

The end of the year is a time for beginnings, and endings. When I think about these devotions, I actually began in the middle of December 2014. I have already moved beyond my commitment of a year’s efforts. As you face the challenges that a new year brings into your life, I covet your prayers about my own discernment. Come tomorrow, you will know what my answer will be. If there are no more blogs, no more devotions, no more comments, then my work is done here. And if that is the case, I beg you to continue your own devotions. We all must exercise our spiritual muscles each and every day. Spiritual muscles, and the power of the Holy Spirit are what allow us to face each and every day with faith, with trust, with hope, and with strength. Happy New Year – Blessings to you on the year to come. So, is this the end…?

Pastor Dave

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

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