Third Sunday of Lent Readings: Isaiah 55v1-9; Psalm 63v1-9; 1 Corinthians 10v1-13; Luke 13v1-9. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In Isaiah, God says: stop everything and come to me; listen carefully to me and live; seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon the Lord whilst he is near; leave behind your immoral ways and impure thoughts; and return to the Lord for mercy and pardon. God also tells us that he is not like us, because our God has deeds and thoughts that are higher than ours. For we have a God who made an everlasting promise to his holy people that: people from many nations will be drawn to him through them. People like many of us. People who were not born into, nor brought up in the Jewish faith. People who have turned to the God of Israel. People who have turned to the God who sent his son into the world to save us from our sins. People shown the way back to God, through his son Jesus. In psalm 63, we hear that our souls’ thirst for God and that this thirst drives some people to seek and search for God. For some have felt the presence and power of God in God’s holy places. Some have felt that God has helped, held and protected them at some time in their lives. Some have felt the peace and comfort of God as they pray. For the God our souls’ thirst for is a God of power and glory, a God who loves us very much, a God who is always near to us, a God who draws near to us and a God who holds us with unwavering love and care. In the gospel Jesus uses some recent troubles to teach that the horrible things that happen to us in life do not take place because we deserve it. However, whilst we may not deserve what life throws our way, Jesus does warn that we must change from our ungodly ways or else we will perish. To emphasise what he means and make his teaching clear, Jesus uses a parable, which is a story designed to make his hearers think. In the story, the failing tree should be cut down but is saved by the gardener for just one more year during which it will be cared for and nurtured. But, if the tree does not bear fruit the following year, it will be cut down. I believe that this is a reminder that God is patient with us and tries to help us but, if we do not play our part and bear good fruit, that we shall perish. Paul says that many of his ancestors who wandered in the dessert for 40 years with Moses made God unhappy by the evil way they lived at the times when they were tested with all that life threw their way. In the light of this, Paul calls us to stand firm during testing times because God is always faithful. For when life is full of trouble, God will not let us be tested beyond that which we can endure and God will provide us with a way out. I believe that what we learn from these scriptures is that God is always ready to stand by us and all we need to do is to call on him, for God is near us at all times, and God will provide the strength that we need to endure. But , I also believe that Jesus is warning us to take up our stand for God because the time we have is running out and Jesus does not want us to perish. Let us Pray: Almighty God and Merciful Father, help us to resist the evil attractions that call us into sinful ways through the bad ways of the world, the urges that drive our bodies and the whispers of the devil. Give to us integrity in our disposition and thinking so we can follow your ways and walk in the way of the cross to find true life and real peace. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
Second Sunday of Lent Readings: Genesis 15v1-12&17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3v17-4v1; Luke 13v31-end. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In Genesis we hear about God’s promise to Abram that one day he would have a son, an heir through his wife Sara, and descendants as many as the stars in the night sky. Alongside this, God also said that Abram’s descendants would be given a land of their own, a land promised to them by God, a land covenanted to Abram in the vision that Abram had as he slept. This is a promise that God fulfilled, for Abram was the old name of Abraham the father of God’s Holy people, the people of Israel and all who believe in God, including Christians, Muslims and those who simply believe. In the psalm we hear that the Lord is our light, our salvation and our strength in all the difficult times of life. Times of war, in times of troubles, in times of false accusation, in times of being abandoned, in times of violence against us, in times of crisis in all things bitter and difficult to bear. For we have a God we can turn to during every kind of trial and suffering, a God who knows what we need, a God who will provide for us, even though we may have to wait for the comfort we so desperately desire. As we wait for the comfort God will provide, the psalmist tells us how to wait: by being in God’s house; by seeking God’s will; by taking part in worship and prayer; by searching for God’s face; by learning God’s ways; and by trusting in the goodness of God. For in doing these things, we draw close to God and God draws close to us, and in so doing we find consolation in our times of need. In Luke, we hear about Jesus and what he tells us about things that were still to take place. For when the Pharisees come to warn him that Herod is out to kill him, Jesus replies that they are to tell Herod that today and tomorrow Jesus is casting out demons and performing cures and on the third day will finish his work. Then, as Jesus is not in Jerusalem, he says that he must be on his way because he must die in Jerusalem, the city he describes as “killing the prophets sent by God to it”. Jesus also laments that he has tried to gather in God’s children but they refused to be gathered in. Jesus foretells that they will not see him until the time comes when they will say “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord”. The gospels tell us much about the fulfilment of what was prophesied by Jesus in God’s people refusing to be gathered in, about Jesus dying in Jerusalem and Jesus finishing God’s work on the third day. The letter to the people of Philippi, tells us about the time still to come when all people will see who Jesus really is. For Paul warns that when Jesus returns that everyone who is an enemy of the cross will be destroyed. Paul also urges and encourages all who will listen and act to stand firm in the Lord Jesus and live as citizens of heaven because Jesus will be returning and when he does his followers will be transformed and glorified. Today if you have ears to hear – listen to and act on the word of God. For we have a God who loves us and calls us into his Kingdom. Let us Pray: Almighty God, by your light help us to see our errors and reject our rebellious and disobedient ways, for we have no power to defend or help ourselves when we are afflicted by the malevolence that damages our souls. By your light, defend us in body and soul and guide our return to the way of righteousness, so we will be welcomed into the family of Christ. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
First Sunday of Lent Readings: Deuteronomy 26v1-11; Psalm 91v 1-2&9-end; Romans 10v8b-13; Luke 4v1-13. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In Deuteronomy, we hear about a religious rite that God gave to his people through Moses. This was that when they entered the land given to them by God take, they were to gather the first fruits of their harvest, take them to God’s dwelling place, give them to the priest as an offering, then remember the journey to the promised Land that God had taken with them. After this, they were to go and celebrate with everyone who lived in their land. I believe that this instruction is something that we can all follow as we live out our lives wherever we may live. Our first fruits may include our resources, time, skills or abilities, for these can be shared in the service of God’s house or to benefit the people God calls us to serve. The memories we may call to mind as we look back over our lives may simply be to share what God has done for us in our lives. Then when we come to celebrate, our festivities may include parties and gatherings or simply be about giving food to support those in need. In the psalm we hear that no matter what hardships we encounter in life that God will always be with us: in times of temptation, through times of disease and in times of war. For in all of these times, God draws close to us and sets his angels to stand guard over us. I believe that this is God’s promise to all who put their trust in him. A promise for all time. A promise that God will never retract and will always fulfil. A promise we can depend on even when we cannot feel God’s presence or peace. In Romans, we hear that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, regardless of their religion or doubts about faith. For Jesus is the Lord of all, the one who is generous to all who call out for help to him and the one who promises that everyone who puts their trust in Him will never be dishonoured, humiliated or embarrassed by Him. I believe that this is a promise that Jesus will keep for anyone who calls out to him. Whether we turn to him in trust and faith, or reach out in our times of desperation, or when we are consumed with doubt. For we have a Saviour who died for everyone and wants all people to come share in his resurrected life. I believe that these three readings share some of God’s instructions to us, some of God’s promises to us and some of God’s hopes for us. I also believe that these are things that we need to take hold of because there will be times in life when they will be all we have to rely on. I believe this is especially true at times when the Devil comes hunting us down, trying to scam us into leaving God’s ways. For as we hear in Luke, the Devil is sly, cunning and arrogant. The devil is sly because he thought he could trip the Son of God up and cause him to turn stones into bread to eat. The devil is cunning because he thought he could trick the Son of God into avoiding his mission to save all people. The devil is arrogant because he dared to try and tempt the Son of God to put his Father to the test. However, as we heard in each of the three temptations, Jesus defended himself by: stopping and thinking about the scriptures; then refusing to be taken in by the devil’s promises; and finally by using the true meaning of the scriptures to guide what he said and did. Today we are called to learn about God and God’s ways by readings the scriptures – the library of collected wisdom called the Bible. Today we are called to ponder what the Bible really means so we can live as God calls us to do. Today we are called to stand firm to what God is telling us to be and do through the scriptures – so that when the Devil comes calling – we are not tricked into drifting away. But, what is most amazing of all is that if we do get tricked and find ourselves off God’s pathway, there is a way back - through the forgiveness offered to us by Jesus’ death on the cross. Let us Pray: Lord God Almighty, give us the grace we need to be renewed and strengthened to discipline ourselves, to overcome our weaknesses and to be obedient to your Spirit; so we live by every word you have given us. Help us to resist all of the temptations that would distract us from the way that leads to eternal life and guide us through the example of your Son Jesus. Teach us to follow Jesus by the faith and hope you nourish and increase within us. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
