ministers-messages

COME NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU.

(James 4: 8)

READ:

– PSALM 139 

               O Lord, you have searched me, and you know me…

               … See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead

              me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139, verse 1 and 24)

Let us MEDITATE

-this time with King David, on three aspects of our relationship with God. Please, have your Bible opened to Psalm 139 before you, as we deepen our faith and vision of our God, who: – KNOWS ME (v1 – 6), – IS WITH ME (v7 – 12), – MADE ME (v13 – 18). Psalm 139 presents God’s personal relationship to the individual in a radical statement of David on how God’s knowledge, presence and power transformed and saved his life for ever.

How thoroughly does God know everything we do and everywhere we go, regardless whether we acknowledge Him or not: – when I sit and when I rise…my thought…my lying down…all my ways. Specifically, in relation to us, God: – search me and know me… perceive my thoughts…discern…familiar with all my ways. (v 1 – 3). God takes much more than a casual interest in us. His constant presence is difficult to grasp because we know how imperfect our comings, goings and thoughts are; and even so, God is still with us. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, – confesses David (v6).

Do you think there are places you can go where God is not present and does that make any difference to your attitude or behaviour?   Focus on verses 7 – 12: How would the faithful acknowledgement of His presence change your life?  Let me put it like this: – Do you treat going to church once a week like that is the only time God is present in your life? I know, it seems harsh, but these verses are really asking it. Remember, God is Spirit. He is near. He is with you. He is pursuing you. A man may hide God from himself, and yet he cannot hide himself from God. I love this proverbial saying of John Knox. We are never alone and as Spurgeon said: We must be, whether we will or not, as near to God as our soul is to our body. This makes it dreadful work to sin; for we offend the Almighty to His face and commit acts of treason at the very foot of His throne. For some people, God’s presence may seem a worrying burden; but to those who know Him and love Him, it is life’s greatest blessing (Psalm 23: 4).

If we realize that God is with our every movement and thought – even before we were born – we would probably become very concerned/ interested(?) as to what He thinks and intends for us. In verses 17 – 22 taken as a whole, David is expressing his desire to be rid of all the wrong influences that detract from God. He does not want to spend any time or thought or develop any kind of relationship with anyone or anything that leads him away from God. Is there anything you feel that God might not understand about you? Do you question why He made you the way, into the age and nation He did? Our true Christian faith should reveal our response through the quality of our lives and walks in Christ.

David’s final appeal is to ensure that he is living as God intends. Verses 23 and 24 give us a faithful confession of a Christian life: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Indeed, my faith and my whole life are deeply shaped by God’s interest in me even before I was born, and therefore I know and firmly believe that He is interested in the outcome of my life as well.

In coming to know God, we come to know ourselves. In the blinding glory of His Holiness, we recognize instantly the desperate need we have to be compatible to Him. Since we cannot escape from this ALL-KNOWING, ALL-PRESENT, ALL-WISE CREATOR, there is no way to refuse SALVATION through GOD’S ANOINTED ONE and becoming CHRISTLIKE children of our Almighty Heavenly Father. If I want to express the message of Psalm 139 in one sentence and in the first person singular, I say: Since I cannot escape from God, I must commit myself to Him.    Amen.

PRAY:

Using this wonderful psalm of David, we are offered something of a composite made up of a hymn, praise, thanksgiving, lament, confession, meditation and prayer. David knew, as we must know, that wrong ideas about God will inevitably lead to wrong ideas about who we are. Such wrong thinking can tragically lead to wrong decisions, leading to the wrong path, resulting in the wrong destiny. Bring your self and all your concerns, doubts, and fears, bring your loved ones, your Church and the whole world as we struggle with the long-term consequences of this tragic Covid-19 Pandemic, and believe that we are never alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.     The Lord’s Prayer: …

Suggested Hymn:

ABBA FATHER, LET ME BE Yours and Yours alone. May my will for ever be evermore Your own. Never let my heart grow cold, never let me go, Abba Father, let me be Yours and Yours alone.

THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU.

(1 Corinthians 16: 23)        AMEN.

Sandor, your Minister.

Carers Week 8-14 June 2020

This is Carers Week and we know there are additional demands and stresses on carers, both paid and unpaid, due to the pandemic and so many services being altered or temporarily shut down. As well as remembering carers in our prayers here are links to some resources that may help:

The National Wellbeing Hub

https://www.promis.scot/resource/unpaid-carers/

Take a Break Scotland

(applications from a parent carer of a disabled child, or from a disabled young person in their own right).

http://takeabreakscotland.org.uk/applications/

GOD SAVED US THROUGH THE WASHING OF REBIRTH AND RENEWAL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE POURED OUT ON US GENEROUSLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. (Titus 3:5-6)

READ:

 – Genesis 18. The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees…Abraham looked up and saw three men… (v.1-2)

 – Psalm 33. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the Breath of His mouth. (v.6)

– Matthew 28. …go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (v.19)

– 1 Corinthians 12. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (v.4-6)

As we just celebrated Trinity Sunday, I invite you today to READ and MEDITATE on our Trinitarian Christian Faith. The HOLY TRINITY- ONE GOD doctrine is not relevantly explicit in the 66 books of the Bible. It was first formulated as early Christians attempted to understand the relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit and the whole Dogma of the Trinity was finalized in the first four centuries by Church Fathers and Synods. Disagreements over the nature of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit had to be biblically clarified and the controversies took some time to be resolved. Creeds were born, following on from The Apostles’ Creed of the first century, and adding to it well debated biblical terms to deepen its understanding. The starting point was the Trinitarian Baptismal Formula: IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Matthew 28:19), as the basis of Initiation into the Church. During seven so called Ecumenical Synods (Oikumene – in Greek – means: The Inhabited World) the already divided Christian Churches finally agreed on a Formula that defines the Christian Trinitarian Faith. Since then, most Churches created their own contemporary, present-day versions of Statements.  In the Trinitarian faith, God exists as three persons but is one being, having a single divine nature. “The members of the Trinity are co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action and will. THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT are not names for different parts of God, but one name for God because three persons exist in God as one entity. They cannot be separate from one another. Each person is understood as having the identical essence or nature, not merely similar natures”. This is how The New Dictionary of Theology summarizes the official Dogma of Trinity. There are religious doctrines (i.e. teaching, instruction), while the official summary of doctrines in one matter is called a Dogma, both expressions deriving from Greek notions.

Without entering in too much theological and historical details, I thought, it would be helpful to see our Church’s position in this matter, and in the meantime it would also be an interesting Read-Meditate-Pray exercise, to have a look at our  Statement of Christian Faith in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One Eternal God. This Statement of Faith was authorized for use in worship and teaching by the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland in 1992.

A  STATEMENT  OF  CHRISTIAN  FAITH.

We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is love.

We praise God the Father: who created the universe and keeps it in being. He has made us his sons and daughters to share his joy, living together in justice and peace, caring for his world and for each other.

We proclaim Jesus Christ, God the Son: born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became one of us, sharing our life and our death. He made known God’s compassion and mercy, giving hope and declaring forgiveness of sin, offering healing and wholeness to all. By his death on the cross and by his resurrection, he has triumphed over evil. Jesus is Lord of life and of all creation.

We trust God the Holy Spirit: who unites us to Christ and gives life to the Church, who brings us to repentance and assures us of forgiveness. The Spirit guides us in our understanding of the bible, renews us in the sacraments, and calls us to serve God in the world.

We rejoice in the gift of eternal life: we have sure and certain hope of resurrection through Christ, and we look for his coming again to judge the world. Then all things will be made new; and creation will rejoice in worshipping the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, one God, blessed for ever.     Amen.

PRAY,

by using elements of our Church’s present Creed. Offer your faith, praise, proclamation, trust and rejoicing to our one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who is love, not forgetting The Lord’s Prayer, to summarize all your petitions in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH US ALL FOR EVER MORE.  AMEN.

Sandor, your Minister.

MANY ARE ASKING, “WHO CAN SHOW US ANY GOOD?” LET THE LIGHT OF YOUR FACE SHINE UPON US, O LORD.                                                                          (Psalm 4: 6)

READ:

– Psalm 139: 1 – 12

– Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14

– John 3: 1 – 16

– John 19: 38 – 42

– Where can I go from your Spirit? – asks the psalmist (Psalm 139: 7).

– I will put my Spirit in you and you will live- says the Lord (Ezekiel 37:14).

– No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again – concludes Jesus as He teaches Nicodemus about Salvation. (John 3: 3).

MEDITATE:

Remembering Pentecost, let us MEDITATE on the work of the Holy Spirit through these readings.

The valley was full of dried human bones when, in a vision, God asked Ezekiel: “Son of man, can these bones live?”. “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know”, humbly answers the Prophet.  Then, once Jesus said: “What is impossible with men is possible with God”,  Ezekiel described the unimaginable process of rebirth by the power of God’s Spirit. (Luke 18: 27).

Nicodemus should have known this. He was a devout man who prayed daily and studied the Old Testament scriptures constantly, knowing a lot about God’s Law but being in the dark about what God was doing in Jesus Christ. It is highly possible that he chose to seek Jesus at night simply to avoid being seen by anyone else, as he was one of the leaders of the Pharisees. God’s miracles seem incomprehensible for the human mind. Nicodemus became even more confused at Jesus’ remark: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”.  “Jesus, what do you mean? Born again? That’s impossible.”  Yes, Nicodemus was certain about that. But Jesus answered Nicodemus’ question by saying essentially, “I am not talking about entering the womb a second time; what I am saying is that no one can enter the kingdom of God, you are talking about, without being born of water and Spirit. And the Spirit, Nicodemus, blows where it blows, moves as it will, and does it all by Himself with any help from you. Just as you cannot control the wind, you do not control God’s activity in your life or in the world around you. By your actions, you cannot be born anew, or born from above, but you can open yourself to being caught up in the winds of God’s Spirit that blow through creation.”

Sometimes, like it was for Nicodemus, we come to Jesus and do not find the answers we think we will find, but find instead more questions. We discover that the Scripture does not necessarily say what we think it says, or what the world makes us believe it says. That can be very unsettling for sure, but it may indeed be part of the Spirit’s breath upon our hearts that allows us to become open to hearing God’s call and participating in His activity in our lives and in the world  around us.

Later in John’s Gospel, we see Nicodemus again. This time he acts with a much deeper faith; he is caught up in the work of God’s Spirit more completely. This time we see him (John 19: 38 – 42) bravely joining Joseph of Arimathea at the foot of the Cross,  preparing Jesus’ body for burial and, along with Joseph, placing the body in its grave. Now Nicodemus is no longer hiding in the dark, but risking his reputation, his well-being and even his life, to serve the One who had given to him and for us all God’s Eternal Love.

As Jesus was there for Nicodemus, Jesus is there for us. He invites us to come, to question, to let our certainties be undone where necessary, and to discover true life in God’s Love as we become caught up in the work of the Spirit, moving through space and time. We are Nicodemus, within all the circumstances we are in and face, but always with our Heavenly Father, through the power of the Spirit, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thanks be to God for that!

AMEN.

PRAY:

Let us PRAY for:

-guidance, support and comfort of God’s Holy Spirit in these hard times of the Pandemic, and praise His Holy Name always, bringing before Him our questions, concerns, anxieties and despairs,

-those who meet Christ, but whose faith is still weak and for those who are fearful of what trusting in Him might mean,

-courage to ask simply for the fruits of the Spirit : love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; to be filled with the Spirit and trust that fruit will come,

-God’s blessing on all those who work hard to contain this Covid-19 Coronavirus, those who are infected or mourn lost loved ones and all those who can be infected at any moment,

-people affected by natural or other disasters, by unemployment, famine, lack of medical help or neglect,

– oved ones, people in any kind of need, known or unknown to us, Christians, people of other faith or none,

-anyone, you feel, should be named to God,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN.

Do not forget THE LORD’S PRAYER, whenever you feel that your prayer is not complete: OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN …

MAY GOD’S GREAT MERCY GIVE US NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.  AMEN.                       (1 Peter 1: 3)

Sandor, your Minister.

EVERY WORD OF GOD IS FLAWLESS; HE IS A SHIELD TO THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

(Proverbs 30: 5)

The Resurrection brought a radical change into Jesus’ relationship with His disciples. After all the fear and disappointment caused by the death of their beloved Master,  the disciples became totally devoted to their call as they met the Risen Lord. Jesus used the following time to finalize their preparation for the Great Commission to: – make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them…(Matthew 28: 18 – 20). After forty days, Jesus was taken up before their very eyes (Acts 1: 9) into Heaven, and leaving them with a firm promise, that surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28 : 20) and: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses… (Acts 1: 8).

On Thursday, the 21^st of May 2020, the Christian Church celebrates Ascension Day and the following Sunday is Ascension Sunday. Surprisingly – or not – there is another date in the Christian calendar with reference to 40 days: Lent, – the preparation time for Easter, reminding us of Jesus’ forty days in the desert and His temptation.

As the number 40 often shows up in the Bible, I thought it would be an interesting study for “READ and MEDITATE” if I were to give you some biblical references to it, this time. There are people, who place too much significance on biblical numerology, trying to find a special meaning behind every number in the Bible, which can be dangerous.  Mentioned 146 times in the Bible, the number 40 generally symbolises a period of testing, trial or probation. Let us, then, see some of these without taking them out of the main context, (John 3: 16) but rather seeing them helping our understanding of the TRUTH.

40 DAYS:

– of rain, at the time of the Flood – Genesis 7.

– of Moses on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law – Exodus 24, 34.

– the Spies explored the Promised Land – Numbers 13.

– before David arrived to slay Goliath – 1 Samuel 17.

– of Elijah before God’s revelation on Mount Horeb – 1 Kings 19.

– of Jesus in the wilderness – Matthew 4.

– of the Risen Christ with His disciples – Acts 1: 3.

40 YEARS:

– of the Exodus from Egypt – Exodus 16, Numbers 14.

– of peace in Israel – Judges 3.

– of restoration of Israel – Ezekiel 29.

PRAY FOR:

The residents and staff in Home Farm Nursing Home and the families of all those who have passed away because of Coronavirus ;  all care-homes here in Skye and everywhere ; all those who work hard to heal and stop the spread of Covid-19 ; all who keep our country going ; those who struggle with pain, grief or financial difficulties ; our loved ones, our Congregation, the Church of Scotland, the Christian Church Universal, people of other faiths or none ; …and instead of the virus … the spread of the Good News that God so loved the world, that gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.                   AMEN.          

THE LORD’S PRAYER: Our Father, who art in heaven…

MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH US ALL, FOR EVER MORE.                AMEN.

Sandor, your Minister.

Hope and encouragement from the Bible: what God has done to shelter His people

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for the 11 days from Ascension (Thursday 21 May) to Pentecost (Sunday 31 May) just as the disciples joined together constantly in prayer in Jerusalem after Jesus ascended.

Since starting in 2016 the movement has grown to involve 65 denominations in 178 countries, including the Church of Scotland. In 2019 Christians from 172 countries took part in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’, so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.

There is a dedicated website and app which have prayer resources for all ages wherever we are, and this year due to the pandemic much is available online:

https://www.thykingdomcome.global/lightuptheworld

God of all hope we call on you today.

We pray for those who are living in fear: fear of illness, fear for loved ones, fear of other’s reactions to them. May your Spirit give us a sense of calmness and peace.

We pray for your church in this time of uncertainty. For those people who are worried about attending worship. For those needing to make decisions in order to care for others. For those who will feel more isolated by not being able to attend.

Grant us your wisdom. Holy God, we remember that you have promised that Nothing will separate us from your love – demonstrated to us in Jesus Christ.

Help us turn our eyes, hearts and minds to you. Amen

BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER.

                                                                                       (Ephesians 6: 10)

READ:

– PROVERBS 9.

– ECCLESIASTES 2: 12 – 16.

– 1 CORINTHIANS 1: 18 – 25.

– JAMES 3: 1 – 12.

MEDITATE:

on Wisdom.    In Proverbs 9:10 we read: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Dictionary.com says: Wisdom is the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

I don’t find any contradiction between these two definitions if I read them in this order; in fact, they really complement each other. Within this COVID-19 Pandemic-crisis there is a growing pressure and need on governments to plan and act truly wisely and for the people to act and live accordingly.  It is also true, that fear suddenly became part of our everyday life.

In the Bible, the word fear can mean several things.  It can refer to the terror one feels in a frightening situation, it can mean respect in the way a servant fears his master.  Fear can also denote the reverence and awe a person feel in the presence of greatness.  The Fear of the Lord is a combination of all these.  The link between the Fear of the Lord and wisdom means we cannot possess wisdom if we recreate God in our own imagination, trying to “tame” Him into a non-threatening nobody.  God deserves to be feared and that fear begins when we see Him in His majesty and power.  Time will tell that sin is foolish and righteousness is wise and those who live faithfully to God are on the true path of wisdom (Proverbs 8:12-13; 13:20; 19:8).  What a faithful and powerful confession emerges: – I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him (Ecclesiastes 3;14).  Paul adds to it: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved it is the power of God (1. Corinthians 1: 18).  Apostle James speaks about the practicality of true wisdom: With the same tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made is God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. (James 3: 9-10) Indeed, THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. . .

PRAY FOR:

– wisdom and knowledge of God,

– God’s blessing on every human being,

– numbering our days with a heart of wisdom (Ps.90:12),

– wise decisions of our, and every government,

– every person affected by the Pandemic,

– the support and comfort of God through the Church,

– Home Farm Care Home: residents and carers, all Care homes and anxious or grieving family members.

THE LORD’S PRAYER, – don’t forget, – is always available to you.

MAY THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.        AMEN. 

Sandor, your Minister.       

BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER.

                                                                        (Ephesians 6: 10)

READ: 

– GENESIS 1

– MATTHEW 6: 25- 34

– COLOSSIANS 1: 15 – 23

AND THEN:     PSALM 8

O LORD, OUR LORD, HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH!  YOU HAVE SET YOUR GLORY ABOVE THE HEAVENS.  FROM THE LIPS OF CHILDREN AND INFANTS YOU HAVE ORDAINED PRAISE, BECAUSE OF YOUR ENEMIES, TO SILENCE THE FOE AND THE AVENGER.  WHEN I CONSIDER YOUR HEAVENS, THE WORK OF YOUR FINGERS, THE MOON AND THE STARS, WHICH YOU HAVE SET IN PLACE, WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU CARE FOR HIM?  YOU MADE HIM A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE HEAVENLY BEINGS AND CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOUR.  YOU MADE HIM RULER OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU PUT EVERYTHING UNDER HIS FEET: ALL FLOCKS AND HERDS, AND THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD, THE BIRDS OF THE AIR, AND THE FISH OF THE SEA, ALL THAT SWIM THE PATHS OF THE SEAS.  O LORD, OUR LORD, HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH!

This short psalm is unique. David, the author, never calls the reader to do anything.  He simply begins and ends the psalm by declaring how majestic God’s name is in all the earth.  The rest of the psalm tells why God’s name is majestic.  Let us examine and… MEDITATE on those reasons together.

First, let us look at some technical figures of God’s Creation:

1.- Size of heavenly objects:

– EARTH has a diameter of 7,900 miles

– JUPITER: – 1,300 planet Earths could fit inside Jupiter

– SUN: – 1,300,000 planet Earths could fit inside our Sun.

2.- Speeds of heavenly objects:

– Earth: – travelling three trips simultaneously:

– 9,000,000 miles/year, at 1,000 miles/hour on its axis,

– 500,000,000 miles/year, at 19 miles/second around the Sun

– 400,000,000 miles/year, at 13 miles/second in Sun’s orbit

– SOME STARS travel as fast as 15,000 miles/second.

3.-Distances of heavenly objects: LIGHT travels 186,000 miles/second

– in one second, light travels the equivalent of 7½ times the distance round the World

– in 1⅓ seconds light travels from the Moon to the Earth

– in approximately 4 hours, light travels the 2,700,000,000 miles between Neptune and the Earth

What is MAN, – the human side:  How powerless is MAN: the earth stirs in her sleep, and his cities fall, the wind blows, and ships are wrecked, an invisible, tiny virus strikes, and millions may die.  If there is no rain, famine appears, if there is too much, lives and values are carried away. . .

What is MAN, – the divine side:  God is mindful of him. God visited him, sending His Son.  God values him, allowing His Son to die for him.  God has given him Salvation and prepared an eternal dwelling place fit for him.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name on all the earth!

God’s name is majestic because of His:

1.- GLORY.  First, we see it in the heavens: – The heavens declare the glory of God, – says Psalm 19: 1.  The purpose of Creation is to magnify and declare the beauty and glory of God.  They exist for glory – His glory, not their own.  Therefore, we should not misuse Creation.  Second, we see God’s glory in human helplessness, which is most visible, not in our strength, but in our weakness and dependence on Him.  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise, – declares David in verse 2.

2.- LOVE.  God had every reason to leave us in our sin, but He chose to set His love on us and make us His own.  He had no obligation to us yet chose to love us. Through Christ, no one is beyond God’s love.

3.- GRACE. It is clear, both from the Bible and history, that man is not ruling over the world.  There is chaos here, pain and death.  In sin, people attack or neglect their divine calling.  Even when it is familiar, sin is never normal, – says a theologian (Cornelius Plantinga). In the Epistle to the Hebrews 2: 8 -9 we read: – In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone, in bringing many sons to glory.          In His Grace, God sent Jesus Christ to redeem us and by raising Him from the dead, bestowed on Him the name that is above every name

(Philippians 2: 5-11).

Jesus is King.  His life, death and resurrection make Him, and Him alone, worthy of all honour and glory.  The entire Bible points to this truth.  The name of Jesus should impact Christians this way, when Psalm 8 so clearly tells us the need of a Saviour, whose name is majestic in all the earth.

PRAY FOR:

– the people in Home Farm Care Home,

– all people in Skye, exposed to infection,

– those who mourn loved ones,

– Scotland, Britain and the World in facing this pandemic

– Christians, Churches, our Congregation and prayers,

– the Earth in facing an ecological disaster,

– God’s Glory, Love and Grace to be given to us all.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Do not hesitate to say the Lord’s Prayer as often as you search for words of prayer:  – OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN . . .

SUGGESTED HYMN:

 – O LORD MY GOD! When I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, the power throughout the universe displayed.

CHORUS: –Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze; + CHORUS:

And when I think that God His Son not sparing, sent Him to die – I scarce can take it in, that on the cross my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin:  + CHORUS:

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home – what joy shall fill my heart! Then shall I bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!  + CHORUS.

PEACE TO THE COMMUNITY AND LOVE WITH FAITH, FROM GOD THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. GRACE TO ALL WHO LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH AN UNDYING LOVE.                                                                      (Ephesians 6: 23 – 24).

Sandor, your Minister.

GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR AND LORD. AMEN.                  (Titus 1:4)

READ:  

– ISAIAH Ch. 40.

 – John 10: 1- 18.

 – HEBREWS 13: 18- 21.

Then… – PSALM 23.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT BE IN WANT.

HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES,

HE LEADS ME BESIDE QUIET WATERS, HE RESTORES MY

SOUL. HE GUIDES ME IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE. EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME. YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES. YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL, MY CUP OVERFLOWS. SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.

I must begin with a confession: as a little child, I learned Psalm 23 by heart almost at the same time as I learned the Lord’s Prayer. Obviously …in Hungarian and taught by my Mother.  Since, I have learned it in some more languages and it still has the same devotional blessing as in my childhood. Reading, singing or just reciting it for myself, always calms and guides me, restoring my soul. I know, I am not alone in this special relationship with Psalm 23, therefore let me invite you today to MEDITATE with me on its messages:

– THE LORD IS THE SHEPHERD OF HIS FLOCK  Stay near to Him. Circumstances, like this Coronavirus pandemic, can affect us but do not control us, if we follow Him.  God is the resting place for our fears, keeping us in the care of the One, who holds together our lives and our universe.

– HE RESTORES OUR SOULS  We absorb the shocks of life through prayer, through worship, through our still moments alone with God. Our pain or grief work itself out through the healing, comfort and counsel of the Holy Spirit, and our souls are suddenly restored.

– HE LEADS US  We are not left adrift.  Aimless is not our direction.  By feeling God’s presence and purpose in our lives, we have His power guarding our ways.

– HE IS OUR COMFORTER AND SUPPORT   Putting one foot in front of the other is the key to getting through the valley of shadows. Trusting God with each moment of every day during this valley-walk means that the Lord, not evil, will see us through.

– FEASTING WITH THE LORD   Enemies win by frightening us.  Having COMMUNION with the Lord, Our Shepherd, we have His presence as a support in our fears and no harm will be done to our souls.  Evil’s defeat is assured.

– GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL FOLLOW US  The Shepherd’s way keeps us near to Him by making our character better and our actions more and more driven by love, gradually being turned really CHRIST-LIKE.

– STAYING WITH GOD FOR EVER  We end our lives by how we live our lives.  If we lived with our Lord and Shepherd, then we are reminded that our earthly shelter will be changed into a heavenly shelter.

If you turn back to my Sunday address, you can find more about the background of shepherding in the Middle East, as well as the lyrics of this beautiful psalm.  Sing it and remember what once Beethoven  said: who sings a hymn, prays twice.

PRAY FOR:

– Faith, hope and love so much needed to survive this pandemic,

– Christians, Churches, people of other faiths or none,

– those who are overstressed and overworked during these times,

– God’s support on loved ones and family life,

– children and young, elderly and those recently infected by the virus,

– the unemployed, homeless, abandoned and for the FOODBANK to help,

– the blessing of God Almighty upon all of us.

Don’t hesitate to say the Lord’s Prayer as often as you search for words of prayer: OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN…

MAY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF AND GOD THE FATHER, WHO LOVED US AND BY HIS GRACE GAVE US ETERNAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND GOOD HOPE, ENCOURAGE YOUR HEARTS AND STRENGTHEN YOU IN EVERY GOOD DEED AND WORD. Amen.

                                                                            (2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17) 

Sandor, your Minister