Yesterday we read Matthew 3 and Luke 3. Both passages record the message of John, "Repent." As has been mentioned before, John's message, and subsequently Jesus', was an invitation to "rethink your life." The Gospel message constantly asks us to rethink our life in light of Jesus Christ. Therefore, repentance entails more than our traditional definition of turning from sin, and it is not just a one time event when we come to faith in Jesus. There is to be a continual re-evaluating of our life in light of the Word and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is not just "walking the isle". Luke records that the crowds of people inquired of John, "What shall we do then?" after hearing him preach. He talked to them about a lifestyle: share your abundance with the less fortunate; honesty; justice. "Don't continue to live as you previously have", John said.
How about you? Are you allowing the Word and the Spirit to penetrate your soul so you re-think your life, daily, in light of what you have heard about Jesus?
John's preaching was not user-friendly nor seeker sensitive. His message landed him in prison and cost him his life.
The heavens opened immediately following Jesus' baptism. The Holy Spirit and the Father were present. There was an opening, a portal, a thin place between heaven and earth. My prayer is that Community Church will be a portal, a thin place, a gateway through which the presence of God can fill the prairie and our 55 mile area.
I hope you are participating in reading through the Gospels with us. If you don't have a schedule and would like one, leave a post along with your e-mail address and I will get it sent to your as quickly as possible.
The passages for today, Thursday, are Matthew 4, Luke 4 and John 1.
I think the self-portrait at the top of the blog page resembles me, don't you? And by the way, the address for one of my favorite bloggers is http://kylebloom.wordpress.com.
PrairieParson
JB
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