A lot of times as Christians we believe that our first priority is our own personal holiness. That’s our first mistake, our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love what the Oklahoma Sooner head softball coach said in an interview “The Lord woke me up and was like, You’re doing this all wrong. You are not here to win games. You’re here to open the door, here to win souls.”

I remember when someone approached me and told me that my job was to bring all of the young people to this church. I laughed and thought, no, that is our job! You see, the early church was not perfect, but one thing they did well was that they were all contributors rather than consumers. Every single person was committed to serving the church, developing new relationships on the outside, maintaining a good reputation, and then sharing the gospel, converting more and more people. Their life was only worth saving souls for Christ, everything else came second.

The key point to spreading the gospel is to build new relationships, go out and make new friends who are non-believers, avoid staying in a church bubble, and be comfortable being uncomfortable. Church, you see, is more than just sitting in a pew; it is bringing God’s love, grace, and righteousness into your workplace, family, and relationships. Being a hard worker, maintaining high morals, and having a good reputation. Church and worship begin when we leave the pews and become a worthy example to others. Believe me, people notice this about you.

In my own life, I’ve seen countless lives changed simply by being a great friend and loving them where they are while sharing Jesus with them in life’s toughest moments. You see, we often believe that we don’t know enough about God’s Bible to share our thoughts about him with others, which is why we rely on his Spirit and power to give us the words. You rarely argue with people who have had a change of heart, but showing them love and grace changes everything and makes them more willing to embrace the gospel.

Elijah had this same feeling where after witnessing Gods greatest miracle in his life he found out the the King’s wife Jezebel was out to kill him. This news filled him with panic and he fled to the woods. Finally after on the run Elijah said “I have had enough Lord, take my life and I am no better than anyone else.” Then an angel appeared to him, and said “get up and eat” He saw some baked bread and a jar of water so he ate it and laid down again.”

The the angel said again “Get up and eat and drink more or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” – 1 Kings 19:4-8

Oftentimes we get depressed because we are not content with what God has blessed us with. We often compare ourselves to others just like Elijah but on social media which kills our joy. Maybe something caught you off guard or just another thing happened the way you didn’t want it to go. When we feel hopeless, this is where the child within us wants to ball up and cry just like Elijah.

But just like Elijah God knew this difficult season was coming, and when you feel like you cannot go on, Jesus always gives you enough strength to carry on. The quote “God will never put you in something you cannot handle” is a lie. God always puts us through things we cannot handle because that’s the point. To be reliant on him for absolutely everything.

Life’s most important questions can be answered by the words from our Lord “Come to me”. Yet, that is the last thing we usually do. Why do you think God allows difficult seasons, delayed answers to prayers, or even trials? Our hearts are filled with little God-shaped holes in our hearts which makes us desire the things only God can give. Satan uses the sinful things of this world to distract us, and our flesh craves these things to fill the void. Satan, manipulates the blessings of God and twists them to harm you not just overnight, but in the long run. Furthering the distraction from God and the continued enslavement of the future generations of your bloodline. Yes, if you think Satan is only focused on you, you are wrong.

Notice how Jesus never says “Don’t do this” or “Don’t do that” he only says “come to me”. He says this because his main desire for your life is for you is to not find the answers in anything else other than him. He is the answer, this builds complete reliance upon him in your life. Do you find yourself going to anything other than Jesus? If so, do not be surprised when God reengineers your crisis again until you surrender to him and be totally reliant on him. In that crisis, you will hear the gentle whisper of Jesus through the Holy Spirit telling you to “Come to me” and you will be drawn to him and changed, personal contact with Jesus changes everything.

The rest that God is talking about is not him telling us that he will hold our hands and sing us to sleep. He is saying that he will get you out of bed, out of the inertia of exhaustion, and out of the state of being half dead while you are still alive. He gives us a new purpose, “a new song to sing, it is a hymn of praise to our God” – Psalm 40:3, and a peace of mind that can only be given from him. You can access this peace anytime you like.

The sacred harp

That David played to make his songs of praise

We long to hear those strings

That set his heart ablaze

Their destination is wherever music brings peace and healing, passion and hope. This is an apt summation of  Paul Simon’s life. Seeking this sound has not led him to write one genuine worship hymn. But it has inspired him to write songs that have blessed and inspired, encouraged and united. This summer, let us also “long to hear those strings that sets his heart ablaze.”

Pastor Andy

Yesterday’s boy is gone

Driving through darkness searching for

Your forgiveness

I’m less sure that people are seeking forgiveness today as they seem to justify everything they do based on their own rules. But honest people are those who realize that they are sinful and broken and cannot heal themselves. Being forgiven by someone brings healing and wholeness, even more so when that someone is The One. But where can the seeker find forgiveness? Simon seems to turn to baptismal imagery as a possibility. We are reminded that God’s gracious washing of us in baptism and feeding of us in communion are reassurance of that those who seek forgiveness, receive it in abundance.

Dip your hand in heaven’s waters

All of life’s abundance in a

drop of condensation

All that really matters

Is the one who became us

Anointed and gamed us

With His opinions

I lived a life of pleasant sorrows

Until the real deal came

Broke me like a twig in a winter gale

Called me by my name

I’ve been thinking about the great migration

Noon and night they leave the flock

And I imagine their destination

Meadow grass, jagged rock

The Lord is my engineer

The Lord is the earth I ride on

The Lord is the face in the atmosphere

The path I slip and I slide on

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! 

      Why would you have the day of the LORD? 

      It is darkness, and not light, 

      19 as if a man fled from a lion, 

      and a bear met him, 

      or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, 

      and a serpent bit him. 

      20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, 

      and gloom with no brightness in it? 

  21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, 

      and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 

    Amos 5:18–22 (ESV)

Sometimes in life we wish for punishment or the Day of the Lord to come on those who have offended us, caused us pain, or have gone against those commandments of God that we believe are the important ones to be followed. Yet we fail to look at ourselves in a mirror. We fail to remember our own failings and shortcomings with others and especially with God. In war when bombs are dropped from a plane the ground troops always need to make sure they are not dropped too close to them or they will suffer the same catastrophe as their enemies. I wonder if instead of the Lord bringing harm or the Day of the Lord on others that we should instead pray for forgiveness and blessings that might flow over them and onto us. For when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We should never forget that we too were not deserving of the love of God and His forgiveness poured out to us. If we want to be more like God then less days of judgment and more days of forgiveness.

Pastor Aaron Kruse

Matthew 25:35–43 (ESV): 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

The quick response to so many is “I will pray for you.” As kind as this may sound, at times we do not need prayer but the touch of a hand who heals our wounds, the meal cooked for us out of love, the quiet payment of a bill that cannot be paid, or the hour spent as one listens to a heart being poured out. Care of another is not a means of efficiency or of transactional value. Care for another is the cost of sacrifice and of time spent. Love always costs us. Yet, the cost somehow frees our souls from being encased in the cold tundra of transactional relationships.

Pastor Aaron Kruse