Archive for the ‘Wesley United Methodist Church’ Category
Upperroom Daily Link 4-4-13
April 4, 2013Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
April 3, 2013
Our new roof. Looks good, huh! You can see the difference in the home page picture. No doubters around here about the work we had done. See my thoughts about a biblical doubter below.
Have you really ever thought about Thomas or his doubt. Maybe we need to look closer at who Thomas was and really what his faith was.
When Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem the disciples thought that it would be certain death for all of them. Surprisingly, it was Thomas who said: “Then let us go so that we may die with him.” It was a courageous statement, yet we don’t remember him for that. We also fail to point out that in this story of Thomas’ doubt we have the one place in the all the Gospels where the Divinity of Christ is bluntly and unequivocally stated. It is interesting, is it not, that the story that gives Thomas his infamous nickname, is the same story that has Thomas making an earth shattering confession of faith? Look at his confession, “My Lord, and my God.” Not teacher. Not Lord. Not Messiah. But God! It is the only place where Jesus is called God without qualification of any kind. It is uttered with conviction as if Thomas was simply recognizing a fact, just as 2 + 2 = 4, and the sun is in the sky. You are my Lord and my God! These are certainly not the words of a doubter. These words exclaim his true belief. Just like Thomas don’t we often have doubts even though we still believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. When faced with tragedy don’t we look for proof that Jesus is still alive and with us.
Thomas got his proof. Have you gotten yours? Reach out to Jesus and see if He is still alive in your heart. Jesus is there with you and all you have to do is accept Him as your savior. Do it today! You will be one of those blessed because they have believed and even though they have not seen Him. Amen
Pastor Randy
Upperroom Daily Link 4-3-13
April 3, 2013Upperroom Daily Link 4-2-13
April 2, 2013Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
April 1, 2013Lectionary readings for this week are John 20:19-29. Below is an excerpt from that reading followed by my comments:
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Thomas very clearly had doubts. Not surprising at all is it. When we are faced with the death of a loved one don’t we consider it a finality. That is it. Death is the end! So Thomas’s response to the other disciples was just what any of us might say or at least think when it comes to death and being faced with the possibility of the resurrection of someone whom we know to be dead. The difference between what we experience and what the disciples experienced was the Son of God was their loved one. The “Good News” of course is that the Son of God was resurrected to show us that there truly is life after death. We, according to Biblical teaching, are to experience two deaths. The first we are to die to our old flesh driven lives and be born anew into the kingdom of God, to a life led by the Holy Spirit where we grow spiritually. This new spiritual growth is to continue throughout our lives leading us into being the Christian witnesses that Jesus calls us to be. The second is when our physical bodies are unable to sustain life, for whatever reason this world brings to us, and we pass on into the new life that Jesus Christ experienced in His resurrection and ascension.
Jesus invited Thomas to reach out and touch Him physically. He did not physically touch Him but he believed. Jesus invites each of us to do the same, that is reach out to Him for our spiritual nourishment and our growth in our faith. Jesus tell Thomas that if we believe even though we do not see Him we will be blessed.
Reach out to Jesus. Grow in your faith. You will come to know Him and His presence. You will be blessed.
Pastor Randy
Lectionary Scriptures for 4-7-13 Second Sunday of Easter
April 1, 2013Upperroom Link 4/1/13
April 1, 2013Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wandering
March 31, 2013How Does the Resurrection Affect Your Life?
Father Basil Pennington, a Roman Catholic monk, tells of an encounter he once had with a teacher of Zen. Pennington was at a retreat. As part of the retreat, each person met privately with this Zen teacher. Pennington says that at his meeting the Zen teacher sat there before him smiling from ear to ear and rocking gleefully back and forth. Finally the teacher said: “I like Christianity. But I would not like Christianity without the resurrection. I want to see your resurrection!”
Pennington notes that, “With his directness, the teacher was saying what everyone else implicitly says to Christians: You are a Christian. You are risen with Christ. Show me (what this means for you in your life) and I will believe.” That is how people know if the resurrection is true or not. Does it affect how we live?
And we have to ask ourselves, How does the life I lead reflect the resurrection of Christ in my life? When I interact with others in my daily life do those around me see someone resurrected or do they see someone with bitterness, hatred and no hope? We choose! We choose the resurrected life or we choose the life that leads to death!
On this Easter morning make a choice….
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 