Friday, Feb 22, 2008

February 22, 2008

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February 21, 2008
Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Jeremiah 51:1-32; Daniel 7; 2 Thessalonians 2

Yesterday was a typical Thursday. I got right to work preparing the bulletin stuff. The ladies were there in the morning for Ladies Bible Study. Robin stopped in to talk for a few minutes. I also worked on the sermon for Sunday called “7 deadly sins.” An introduction to vices we should avoid. We are to be set apart and holy to God, and avoid sins that harm us. I also prepared for Sunday’s Discovery Class and for EE. Carl and Sonja stopped by… they have a new van! It looks great. Bill and Helen also came by to pick up a dish, as did Cary and Diane. They were there to clean the church. After work, I took off to Myrtle Creek to teach Evangelism Explosion at a church there. We visited a family of 3 and shared the gospel with them! They all needed assurance of salvation and commitment to Jesus. We had a great time!

This week’s theme verse. Matthew 5:3-4 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Those who mourn will be comforted. To receive comfort when mourning is good, to BE comforted is better. When we are down, and a caring friend comes around to comfort us, that is uplifting. But sometimes even the best of comforters falls short, because there is nothing they can do to remove the sting of our sorrow. The promise of this verse is that THE COMFORTER, the Holy Spirit is so effective at removing the wound that caused our sorrow that we will BE comforted. That means that our sorrow is replaced with joy! When we weep over our sin and the horrible consequences that it brings, and our tears are tears of repentance, Jesus comes and wipes away our tears… and he restores us to fellowship with God. He takes away the sting with the promise that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us!” He restores the hope by promising, “I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for good and not evil, to give you a hope and a future.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our difficulties, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we suffer much for Christ, so we are comforted much through Christ. If we mourn, it is so we can learn to console others. Or if we are comforted, we can share our joy with you. Even when trouble burdens us beyond our own strength, so that we despair even of life it is so that we won’t trust in ourselves but in God who delivers us.

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