Faith

Tonight I want to share my thoughts on Pastor's message this weekend.  The theme was "Jesus Teaches About . . . Faith."

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted n themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with comtempt.  (Luke 18:9)
 
". . . when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

He started with telling us that 2 men went to the temple to pray - they stand before God.  Can you imagine what that is going to be like?  The first is a holy man.  He does all the right things, but has the wrong heart.  He trusts only himself.  The second is an ordinary man & does all the wrong things but he trusts in God. 

What is meant by faith on earth?  It means God wants us to trust in Him not in ourself.  Having grown up in the Lutheran faith, I still find that difficult.  Even though God has helped me thru some very difficult times in the past few years, I still find it difficult to rely on Him instead of myself.   I think that even Pastor or my fellow ChristCare ladies find this difficult.  So I wonder what must it be like for someone who does not know what little I have learned about God.   People who commit crimes, who are hopeless, in poverty, ill, and so many others - I can't imagine what they believe in.  What gets them thru the day. 

The world seems worse than it ever has been, there seems to be no way we can turn around the brokeness that we have become.  Yet, Pastor says with God, there is hope. 

Then when you think about Jesus he is the only sinless one.- the one who alone could stand before God without bowing down in search of mercy. 

And what does he do?  He humbles himself in accepting the suffering and death of the cross.  The one who is without sin takes on our sin. 

We are forgiven. 

Jesus said "Let the children come to me . . . for to such belongs the kingdon of God."    LIttle ones have that special childlike faith.  When you are around a little girl or boy you can't help but be amazed at the the love, trust, and faith that they have, we all fall in love with them and maybe we wish we could get some of that back for ourselves.

As much as we think we are doing God's work, we are not God and never will be.  We are all sinners, noone is better that the other, we should not judge others because we have not lived in their shoes, we should however share our love and compassion with them.   

God Bless each and everyone of you,
Deloris

Thanks so much for stopping by.