I woke up this morning running the sermon through my head when I looked out the window and saw a couple of inches of snow. No doubt it is beautiful to look at, another wonder of God’s nature, but a bit sad we had to cancel our worship service at the church due to very icy conditions.

With that said; I pray you will be uplifted by God’s Word today because this is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Let’s start with a prayer: Gracious and merciful God, we thank you for this day. We pray for safety for all who absolutely have to travel today. We ask your Holy Spirit to guide and heal all who are sick. Please help us all to be mindful of your many blessings and to be thankful that we are your children who can find hope for today and for eternal life as we put our trust in Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. In His marvelous name we pray and in the power of the Holy Spirit AMEN.

Today’s reading comes from the second letter of John, the Apostle of Jesus Christ. In this letter, like the first letter I shared last Sunday in church, John is encouraging a large congregation that may have known him as their Pastor. He is now older, possibly around his mid 80’s and longs for the church to continue in the truth of God’s Word. He speaks of the church as “the chosen lady”, which is understandable if we view the church as the Bride of Christ. He says this; “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (vs 5-6).

Because he has a deep love and respect for the congregation, John warns them; “Many deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (vs.7-8). In the original context, there was a movement called Gnosticism. This teaching basically lead people to believe that God did not become incarnate, that Jesus was not Immanuel, God with us. The danger here was to believe that a person could be saved by a special personal knowledge, and that the flesh was material and therefore naturally evil, it had no bearing on your salvation. I guess you could say they believed that anything goes and if it feels good do it.

To many then, and to many today, this is pretty inviting. But John makes it clear that; “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God: whoever continues in the teaching [of Christ] has both the Father and the Son” (vs. 9).

Here’s the take away for today: What do you believe about Jesus Christ? How can you relate to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? What does your church teach?

For the members of Hursttown Church it’s pretty basic: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church [the church universal], the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting (The Apostles Creed).

AMEN! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Pray On!