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1 Corinthians 14:26 “26 What should be done then, my friends?  When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue...

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Walking With Christ

 Luke 24:13-17

“13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.”


Two disciples, walking along a lonely road that led to the village of Emmaus, are probably in shock after the crucifixion and death of Jesus. They don't know what to believe.  As they walk, they talk, and maybe they console each other.  The scripture says they are sad.  One of the disciples, Luke says, is named Cleopas.  If we remember, in the Gospel of John, Mary, the wife of Clopas, is a witness to Christ’s crucifixion.  She is one of the three Marys who “stood by the cross” and witnessed the horror of the crucifixion.  So, some scholars say, it is probable that Cleopas (a variant of Clopas) and his wife, Mary, are the disciples who are walking and talking on this day, on the road to Emmaus.


Melanie and I like to walk, especially in the morning when the earth is new.  We like to talk as we walk, mostly about small things, but occasionally about big stuff.  As we walk we will meet people, some are neighbors, some are people we do not know.  During this time of pandemic we may wave to neighbors and strangers from across the street or from a distance.


I like to think of Cleopas and his wife, walking with a stranger that they did not know, telling Him about the events of Christ’s crucifixion,  unloading their grief, not recognizing Christ until later in the evening when He broke bread with them.


Christ is with us in our grief and in our joy.   We may or may not recognize His presence.  But He is with us.   

Walking in Love

 Ephesians 5:1-2 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”


Christ came into this world not only to provide us with a path of Salvation but also to provide us with an example of how we are to live our lives; how we are to relate to other people, people that we love and people that are hard to love.  Our dominant motivator in life is to be love.  Love is to be the driving force in our lives.  


Are we walking in love today as Christ loved us, or are we walking in fear, or anger, or apathy?  Reach out to someone each day and share the love of Christ with them.  

The Important Things

 March 23, 2020 The Most Important Thing

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

The writer of Ecclesiastes had lived a long life and was looking back on his achievements and his failures; the things he had pursued and the things he had failed to pursue.  At the end of his life he had come to see things in their proper perspective.  He recognized that the things he thought were important were not very important after all.  And the things he had taken for granted may have been the most important things.  One of those things was his relationship with God, which he finally concluded was the most important of all his neglected pursuits.

Many things are getting our attention today.  One of our priorities should be God.

May the love of Christ be ever with you

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Jesus is Near

 Jesus is Near

  Mark 6: 48-51


He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.  Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.  Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.”

Sometimes, when times are hard, it feels like Jesus has passed us by, or because of the chaos and swirl of events around us, we don’t recognize when Jesus is near.  The Disciples were caught in a terrible storm in a small boat on a large lake.  They were rowing in the direction they thought would take them to safety and to Jesus.  Jesus came to the Disciples from an unexpected direction in an unexpected way.  And he climbed into the boat with them.

In difficult times, have courage.  Jesus is near.