‘You can’t see the forest for the trees.’ That familiar phrase describes getting so absorbed in the present that you lose sight of the big picture. The third-grader concentrates sketching the perfect percentage sign that she fails to learn how to convert decimals into percentages. He wants a Hawaiian vacation, but does not select trip dates because he’s too fixated on which airport to depart. The house lies in shambles during a renovation. Instead of envisioning the new cabinetry and hardware, the new hardwood and carpet, her attention is entirely consumed by a bathroom paint color. ‘You can’t see the forest for the trees.’ You are too absorbed in the present that you lose sight of a bigger picture.
In Romans chapter eight, God reveals the big picture. Actually, God steps outside the realm of time and into eternity. He unveils his eternal plan and how you fit into that plan. Do you see it? Can you see the forest for the trees? Take a step back from the obstacles you confront today or the suffering you face tomorrow. Lay aside (for a moment) the pain you feel from loss or the sting from a relationship. Turn down the political drama ringing in your ears or the stress whispering in your mind. See the forest for the trees. See how All Things Work for Our Good! God chose us to be his. God executes his unbreakable plan. Listen again to Romans chapter eight, verse 28. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ‘All things,’ God says, ‘work for good’— and when God says ‘all,’ he means ‘all.’ No exceptions. No limitations. He does not say, ‘Well, dementia is too hard for me to handle’ or ‘Eh, your friend-break-up is not covered.’ No, God makes clear that the events throughout the daytime and what happens at nighttime, from the food you eat to the clothes you wear, from brushing your teeth to the next breath you take, all of it falls under his care. All things work together for good. Do you believe that? In this life you (and I) deal with situations that are not always pleasant. Your loved one died and it still hurts. No matter how much time passes the memories just keep popping up. The gun on the wall brings you back to a hunting trip. A leaky faucet reminds you how he could fix anything. The chair sit in the living room, but he is not coming in and sitting down. The urn on the mantle proves it. The tombstone at the cemetery tells you that. It hurts! You wish they were back! You wonder, ‘Why, God? Why did you take him at such a young age? Why did she have that terrible cancer? Why couldn’t you have stopped the accident? God, do you care how this affects me?’ Surgery is scheduled. In a few days the heart specialist will replace your failing aortic valve. Afterwards you will be able to walk better and longer and farther; you will feel less tired. Still, one issue just keeps nagging you: Aortic valve replacement is a significant surgery for someone your age. What if recovery takes months, not weeks? What if you never fully recover? What if you do not survive surgery? The coronavirus still devours the globe like a wildfire. It seems like every day spits out more negative news. Scientists reveal a new way for the virus to spread. Research suggests that once sick, you can sick again. Specialists predict more infection, a longer virus-season, and more death. Leaders debate nonstop about the benefit in reopening or restricting. In some ways it feels like you’re stuck in a nightmare or an episode of the Twilight Zone that will never end. You wonder, ‘God, can’t you stop this virus? God, can’t you calm the negativity? Can’t you just let everything to go back to normal now?’ After seven steady years, the next month will bring change. A familiar face who brought God’s Word to you at church and a classroom, your hospital bed and dining room table, the one who celebrated your wedding or comforted you at a funeral, the one who helped you through a difficult moment is leaving. Now what? Who will serve you next? Will you like the pastor who comes next? What if a new pastor never comes? All Things Work for Our Good? If that’s the case, then why you don’t feel it (emotionally)? If that’s the case, then why doesn’t the situation prove it? It can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. That’s why God makes it a point to tell you the things you need to know. He chose us to be his. With one verse God yanks you (and me) out from a know-it-all self-pity. With one verse he gently redirects us in sorrow. With one verse God brings comfort to weary hearts. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ‘All things work for good,’ but God does not address every single person in the world. He narrows down the audience to ‘those who love God.’ That’s you. Keep staring at the big picture. You did not choose to love God first. You did not try your hardest to live a good life and God now says, ‘I love you.’ Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Instead, we love because God first loved us! (1 John 4:19). Another way of saying that is: God made us lovers of God! He unloaded our short-sightedness and needless worry. He took off our sadness and mourning and saddled Jesus with it all. He watched as Jesus buried all our afflictions under his blameless life. How do you know that what Jesus did on the cross is yours personally? Because God says this: All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). Baptism has made you a lover of God. All Things Work for Our Good because God chose us to be his. God sees to it with his unbreakable plan. Listen to verse 29: For those God foreknew he also predestined… God knows all things and he knew you would be here, listening with a heart full of faith. In fact, God made sure of it. That word ‘predestined’ pictures putting a boundary around someone (like putting a fence in the backyard to keep your children yours). God has put a boundary around you for you to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. God has already cleansed you spiritually. Right now, he sees you in the likeness of Jesus. Innocent. Blameless. Without fault. Some days we soil that likeness, but a gracious God washes away filth. One day, that unblemished likeness will be on full display because you will be in paradise. You will stand with Jesus, the firstborn— the One who makes heaven possible! He will stand with you, along with many other believers. You can be absolutely certain of this— because God’s work is all interconnected. Imagine setting up a row of dominoes. Tap the first domino and it falls into another, which falls into another, and another and another, and so on. One domino causes an unstoppable reaction. In verse 30, God knocks over the very first domino in a line of dominoes. And those he predestined, he also called… God put a boundary around you, but how did God call you to faith? A phone? A disembodied voice whispering in your ear? A warm, fuzzy feeling inside? No! The Bible spells out everything Jesus has done to save you. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17). That good news hit your ears and penetrated your heart. At God’s right time, the Holy Spirit gave you faith to believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior. [And] those he called, he also justified… That word ‘justify’ means to ‘declare someone not guilty.’ A ‘justifiable homicide’ means that you face no charges in a self-defense shooting death. If God ‘justifies’ you, it means that he declares you innocent. And so you are! The instant God called you to faith is the moment he dropped all charges against you personally. You can stare at death without fear; you will not go to hell. You stand innocent! [And] those he justified, he also glorified. Did you notice that verb ‘glorified’? It is past tense meaning, this is something God has already done. Do you feel glorious? …wrapped in sheer perfection? …holding high honor as God’s child? We are not in heaven yet— but God considers it as good as done. So, he tells you what’s coming. You will stand wrapped in the splendor of Christ, in a place without tears or sorrow or sadness or mourning or heartache or pain (Revelation 7:15-17). Make no question about it! The moment God marked you off, the dominoes fell right in line. God executes his unbreakable plan. Take a step back from the obstacles you confront today or the suffering you face tomorrow. Lay aside (for a moment) the pain you feel from loss or the sting from a relationship. Turn down the political drama ringing in your ears or the stress whispering in your mind. Do not miss the forest for the trees. God reveals his start and your end. What we do not know is everything in the middle—what surprises pop up and how it affects us. Yet, here is one thing we do know: All Things Work for Our Good. God will see fit that even the challenges faced in life only increase our reliance on him. A virus? Well, has it taught you to reprioritize? Did you carry such a busy schedule that you did not always have time to be a [grand]parent? Did you think you could control every single event? When stuff leaves, it redirects you to rely on God and thank him for what you have. Surgery? What if you die? Well, where would you be? With your loving God, just as he planned. What if he dies? Well, what does God promise? That he is with God, just as planned— and you will be too at the right time. Knowing the future brings comfort to a sad heart. Change? What will church be like? It will still have God’s Word and you will still hear it. It will still remind you that the messenger is not more important than the message. You will still see Jesus the Savior. Do not miss the forest for the trees. Instead see God’s plan unveiled for you. All Things Work for Our Good! God chose us to be his. God executes his unbreakable plan.
‘You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone.’ Do you think that’s true? Given the many Facebook posts in just the past week it sure appears accurate. Maybe you have seen them too.
Still, I can’t help thinking, ‘You don’t need a virus to act kind.’ We do well to always care for the weak and speak kindly to the cashier and treat the trucker well and appreciate officers, doctors, and teachers. That appreciation ought never change! If anything, crisis presents an opportunity to honestly re-evaluate behavior. That’s what God accomplishes through crisis. Challenges push us to re-evaluate the priorities of life. To expose what the heart truly cherishes. To shed the harmful so that true good might flourish. Scripture makes clear: God Heals Hearts Torn Apart. ‘Torn apart’ might best describe today’s uneasiness. Just look around! Life lies in complete disarray! Wealth slips through fingers. The nation’s borders are under attack by a foreign threat. Leaders assemble for solutions and stability— but this is no coronavirus crisis management team. This is Israel’s king and Israel’s people scrambling for security and safety against the Assyrians. Remember those guys? Assyria sits north of Israel in present-day Turkey and Iraq. They boasts the greatest, fiercest army of the day! An army that not only decimates, but also intimidates. The Assyrians have a reputation for impaling captives— like, stick a pole up through you and out your mouth and plant that pole into the ground. If done right, you would die— days later. They also could skin captives— and so perfected the technique that they could keep you alive to the end. Assyria has not unleashed that army yet. For the time being King Tiglath-Pileaser III is content with threats. He dangles death before Israel’s eyes in exchange for tribute. (As long as Israel keeps giving him money, he will not destroy them.) Now, he has squeezed too hard and siphoned too much! Israel will no longer shoulder this heavy burden. No! They plan partnering with piddly nation Damascus and pushing Assyria out! Big mistake. The Assyrian fist tightens with might and force. Battle after battle tears out wealth, land, and life. Where do you find safety and security in national crisis? Israel suggests a remedy. “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Those words sound good, but did you catch what was missing? An admission of guilt. No one confesses to shoving God aside. ‘God, we worshipped stones and sticks and people and prostitutes!’ ‘God, we relied on military might first instead of approaching you, the Mighty Warrior!’ ‘God, we got scared and trusted our brains.’ No one says that! Instead, each one approaches God with this mindless lip-service: ‘God, it’s me here. I know, it’s been a while, but please fix this mess. Thank you.’ What arrogant audacity! Everyone assumes God exists to fill life with pleasure. Like God is some powerful genie— there to act only when told. Say the right words and God will have no choice but to restore wealth, land, and life. Except this time he doesn’t. One statement wipes the smug little grin from the proud, arrogant heart. I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me. ‘You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone.’ Has that sunk in yet? What is truly important in life? Everything is being taken away! No school and school activities. No weekend sports and clubs. No shows and fairs and dining out. All those things consuming mass amounts of time are gone! Vanished! That’s unsettling! Those incredible investments return no gains! Standing on the sideline Sunday morning, cheering as your [grand]son play ball cannot answer what happens when you die. The laziness that has kept you out of Sunday worship reaps unpreparedness and nervousness. The arrogance of thinking you know all there is to know about the Bible that you have kept it closed for years— has that decision provided much peace now? Since you know everything in the Bible, have you lived without a trace of fear? When all those supposed objects of security and status and pleasure are ripped away, when they’re all gone, it leads you to re-evaluate priorities. Even if you have made time for worship, attended Bible class, read your devotions, have you always appreciated God’s Word? Right now you read these words at your dinner table or you watch the service from your chair. How does it feel to be away from your Christian friends who can encourage and cheer you through difficult times? How does it feel to be away from God’s church, away from the sights of his dear cross or from the sound of forgiveness? How does it feel to be hearing these words from a distance and not out loud, in person? Have you taken God’s presence for granted that you assumed you could go without the Word? Even if you remain in the Word, today allows for honest reflection of how well we took the Word to heart and how much we depend on God. Forsaking the LORD causes misery. Separate from him and you have no answers for crisis, for life. To gain answers, you need the Word of the One who reigns over heaven and earth. In fact, our reading holds one little word easily overlooked. One little word restoring hope. That word? ‘LORD’ (all-capitals). That is not a typo; the capitalization is intentional. The ‘LORD’ (all-capitals) tells you: God is serious to punish and even more serious to forgive (Exodus 34:6-7). That’s why our reading says what it does. Come, let us return to the Lord. The ‘LORD’ (all-capitals), the God who punishes, but also forgives. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. That ‘tearing’ and that ‘injuring’ does sting. Doctors discover cancer in you. They do not slap a band-aid on the spot or prescribe Tylenol. With scalpel in hand they cut out the tumor. It hurts. It’s not pleasant. Still, lingering pain powerfully reminds you that something deadly was removed. Today, life hurts. Troubles rip away comforts and can reveal the many different objects our hearts foolishly worship. With those objects gone, we realize that they help us none. The lingering pain we feel today reminds you that something deadly was removed. God tore away our misplaced priorities one-by-one and strapped them to Jesus. Then, he tore away health and strength and life away from his own Son. He injures Jesus to death and then turns away from him. For two days the Lord of life lay in the tomb. The third day (Easter day!) he steps out— with a different message, a life-sustaining message: ‘Redeemed! Restored! Forgiven!’ Those sweet words are meant for you. Yes, even in a time such as this, when so many get sick and a virus spreads and no one knows when or where it might appear, these words belong to you. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. God has bandaged up our broken priorities. He has healed injuries inflicted by pride. He stands us healthy in his presence, under his protecting care, under his promise of life forever! Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. Returning to the Lord restores life. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” That’s how life feels spent in God’s Word, isn’t it? Just like rains hitting the parched, cracked fields of corn or like warm spring rains hitting the dusty soil so that spring flowers might sprout and blossom! Life fed by the Word springs life. A life delighting in sharing God’s Word with your children, watching them retell Jesus dying on the cross or explaining how God kept Daniel safe in a den of lions. A life confidently telling others that God holds you in his hands. He has healed you forever! What flourishing delight to share God’s comfort! You gain a life of trust and security. So many hoarded toilet paper because they are scared. They are scared of getting sick, hurting, and dying. (https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/heres-why-people-are-panic-buying-and-stockpiling-toilet-paper.html). God has blossomed in your heart greater comfort that toilet paper. He promises that you who believe in him never die. You live now and will one day walk directly into heaven itself! God sprouts in you a life of peace and joy. Even though everything is torn away— public places, schools, community centers, and your church— you have lost nothing. You have not lost your God who always keeps his Word. The God who promised a Savior and then sent a Savior. A God who has kept you safe thus far through pandemic, a God who will keep your soul safe from hell. At the very heart and core of your being stands God, the One who rules your heart and fills it with peace. Returning to the Lord restores life. A shortage exposes extra labors that often go unnoticed. People have always worked for our benefit, but especially now, we appreciate them. Yet, do you need a virus to act kind? May that be a lesson learned. May it be learned to evaluate the priorities of our lives so that we stand prepared for life ahead! So many panic and fear and despair because they have no idea what to do with their time now. Because they have no idea when and where this virus might appear next or when it might leave! If you number among them, then now is a good time to re-evaluate the priorities of your heart. Today is the day to recommit yourself to being in the Word, to live underneath the Almighty, to fill yourself up with God’s overwhelming forgiveness and promises. That’s what God accomplishes through crisis. To re-evaluate the priorities of life. To expose what the heart truly cherishes. To shed the harmful so that true good might flourish. Scripture makes clear: God Heals Hearts Torn Apart. Forsaking the LORD causes misery. Returning to the LORD restores life. Pastors preach. Right? Roll out the big Family-Feud game board and ask: ‘Name something a Pastor does’ and the number one answer would be: ‘Preach.’ A congregation calls him to that service. To take God’s Word, explain and apply it.
Starting in Matthew chapter 5 all the way through to chapter 7, Jesus preaches. He takes God’s Old Testament teachings, explains them and applies them. He starts with a theme: Blessed are You! Then, two key points explain why: (1) for Christ fills your soul and (2) for Christ gives you the kingdom. So, that means, you are hearing a sermon on a sermon— and not just any sermon, but Jesus’ sermon. Full disclosure: Jesus preaching is the best; it’s leagues better than anything I can possibly come to preaching. So, what do you expect from me? Because I cannot improve his words. Maybe that’s a good place to start: Confronting what I cannot do. Some title Jesus’ sermon: ‘The Beatitudes.’ First— do you know what a ‘beatitude’ is? (Hint: it’s not an ‘attitude,’ some emotional response. Therefore, this is not a sermon on attitudes you must ‘be.’ Be happy. Be helpful. Be kind.) A ‘beatitude’ is a ‘declaration of blessings.’ (see: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatitudes) That leads to another question: How do we define ‘blessing’? (Another hint: a ‘blessing’ is not ‘getting good stuff,’ like money or toys.) ‘Blessing’ means ‘to receive God’s favor, his approval.’ The man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners is ‘blessed.’ He does not stand condemned. He holds God’s pardon (Psalm 1:1). So, Jesus lists fortunate situation after fortunate situation. Just listen: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Do those situations sound favorable? Blessed are the poor in spirit. No, not low-income. Not when you lack money. Jesus spotlights spiritual poverty. You will need at least $4,100 just to get into today’s Superbowl. (Some will pay $50,000 for their club ticket. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/super-bowl-tickets-2020-cheapest-most-expensive-seats/g0gzhwn2rbyp1u2w1exx1z3oq) Can you afford that? God sets heaven’s admission price at: absolute moral purity. Think about that for a moment. Never ever trust in wealth. Never toss aside God’s Word. No cursing, no jealousy, no boastful pride, no arguments, no greed. Be this always! (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48) Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365-days a year, from the instant of conception until the moment you die. God finds no fault. Have you reached that level? Have you even come close to that standard in just the past hour? Then, there remains the awful reality that each of us are conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1). We start life already short! Entrance into heaven lies light-years out of reach! It costs too much! Here, Jesus says: ‘How fortunate is your spiritual bankruptcy!’ Then he says: Blessed are those who mourn. Have you ever tried saying that to a grieving family? ‘Oh, you’re so fortunate, so blessed!’ No! We ache too! We ache because we confront the devastation sin wreaks on the world. Death came to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). The miscarriage hurts because my child inherited my sin and sin’s deadly consequences! The casket holds yet another person who failed to be sin-free. That casket thunders sin’s deadly consequences! As if death does not cause enough pain, you (and I) still confront the sinful nature. The sinful nature is hostile to God (Romans 8:7). The toddler hollering at you is not innocent. She reveals a hatred to honor his father and mother (Exodus 20:12). The adult child lets his intelligence sit over God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-29). Society claims a right to shake its puny fist at God’s one-woman, one-man marriage commitment. Look around and you find plenty of evidence that the sinful heart wages war against a holy God. Still, Jesus says: ‘How fortunate is your sin-caused sorrow!’ He goes on: Blessed are the meek. The gentle, the humble people. How privileged you are giving to charity, but the lazy take advantage of your generosity! How fortunate to work hard and honest, but then the worthless co-worker trashes your reputation. How blessed to hunger and thirst to ‘do’ God’s righteousness, but never feel satisfied. You call daughter about church, but she sees the Caller ID and lets the phone ring. You promise self-control for the umpteenth millionth time, but the booze, the drugs, the addiction gains the upper hand. Yes, Jesus says: ‘How fortunate when you fail to be perfect. How blessed when others trample all over you, even as you serve me.’ Beatitudes? Statements of blessing? Of favor? Of approval? It really does not sound like Jesus gives anything favorable! He only pokes at the soul’s sore spots and makes clear: ‘You will encounter trouble.’ Beatitudes sound like statements of misery. That is precisely how these words appear if we divorce Christ. Yes, Jesus pinpoints limitations; he exposes our weaknesses. He highlight when and where we fall short. Understand, not that you (and I) despair, but that you (and I) refocus. That we find real strength. Blessed are the poor in spirit. You (and I) who stood morally bankrupt, covered in festering sins, held under Satan’s powerful grip. Not one inkling of a chance to stand before God in heaven. How fortunate, how blessed that we do stand before God. That we do have heaven because we have received God’s favor. Want proof? Jesus is here. Preaching. He sits in your imperfect world, and he walks among sin’s devastation. He sees those with crippled limbs and incurable disease. He watches false teachers feed people lies. He even stands outside a tomb holding his dear dead friend Lazarus. Jesus lives in our world— but he is not weak. He is not poor. He is rich. His heart shimmers with absolute moral purity. His hands give selfless love. His mouth preaches faith-building forgiveness. Simply put, Jesus does the Father’s righteousness. He takes that righteousness and pours it out on the cross. He pours out his absolutely morally pure life into your heart (and mine). He fills us completely that we overflow. So, yes, Blessed Are You, for Christ fills your soul. Superbowl ticket? Probably not. Entrance into heaven? Yes! He puts the priceless ticket of eternal life into your hand—paid at the cost of his own blood. That makes you a recipient of God’s favor. Blessed Are You, for Christ fills your soul. Blessed Are You, for Christ gives you the kingdom. You heard that right. These beatitudes are not conditions. (If you show mercy, then you will receive mercy.) No! You already stand blessed. That is what you are. Blessed! Fortunate! Favored by God! So naturally, you, ‘the blessed ones’ showcase God’s blessings. Listen again to Jesus’ sermon: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. These words describe you! Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. You (and I) are the merciful people who show mercy. Mercy, that is, demonstrating sincere compassion. Yes, the trash-talking, back-stabbing co-worker hurts you. Yes, some able-bodied people might take advantage of welfare and your generosity. Remember this: you (and I) did not deserve God’s mercy. When our actions hurt God, his compassionate heart wiped clean your heart. When we took advantage of God’s kindness, his tender arms embraced you. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That is mercy. God puts us in a position to demonstrate mercy (1) as you are able and (2) without seeking any repayment. We demonstrate compassion for physical needs, but even more, spiritual needs. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. That’s you— pure in heart. You will God one day! Yes, the sinful nature still wants to wallow in filth, but God keeps washing that heart clean. You keep praying: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God (Psalm 51:10). Let your words be my delight. Let me remember them. Let me live them.’ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Peacemakers do not avoid conflict. They try to end conflict. Yes, the husband might have said something terribly insulting. You can lash out, but will only make your relationship worse. Yes, those parents might be overbearing, but rebelling will not help. Yes, blame others for your problems, but that does not correct your future. Christ literally gave himself— his time, his convenience, his heart. All this to bring peace with God. We are recipients of that peace. We make peace when our hearts align with God’s Word and as we can bring others to line up with that same Word. Yes, the world might look at you strange. A child calls you overbearing. A friend considers you a pushover. Their hearts do not have God’s blessing. They do not see the benefit of listening to their Maker. Still, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. What makes you blessed? Well, what is the common denominator? Why does child calls you a bigot? Why do so-called intellectuals call you ‘weak-minded?’ Why do coworkers openly mock your beliefs about sex, drugs, and booze? Why do you encounter conflict? Because of Christ. You did create a set of personal beliefs. You cherish Jesus’ teachings. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. What joy to know that trouble may come because you are connected to Christ! Even the world sees that connection and tries to break it, but cannot! The world lacks the power to do that! What can the world take from you, the Christian? Can he keep Jesus locked in heaven? Can he prevent the world’s judgment? Can he hinder Jesus’ eternal separation? No! God’s prophets were attacked, but God sent more. Those prophets exchanged earthly life for heavenly life. How blessed! For Christ gives you the kingdom! This is a sermon on a sermon— and not just any sermon, but Jesus’ sermon. I cannot improve on it. That’s alright. Because it leads me back to Jesus’ words. It leads me to trust in his might. Much like life. My inabilities are completely filled by Christ. All I need I have in him. Forgiveness. Eternal life. Strength to live a Christian life. When I need more strength, I go to these words to take in what he has done for me. His kingdom is mine! I have it all! I lack nothing! How blessed is that?! As one who holds God’s favor, I live under that favor in every circumstance of life. How Blessed are You, for Christ fills your soul and Christ gives you the kingdom. |
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