Friday, October 21, 2016

Focus '16 - Life on Mission - Entry # 9

Psalm 33:12  New International Version (NIV)

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...

Hi Friends!

The word blessed literally translated means to be very happy or realistically translated means to be very fortunate - our church is blessed or literally very happy and realistically most fortunate - because our Lord and God is Christ Jesus.

The mission of Christ Jesus - is for our lives, homes, communities, nation and world to literally and to realistically be blessed through His church - this is at the heart of our current lesson series as we look to Christ Jesus to reconcile relationships to God and among all people through His church.

A couple of prayers I am asking you to pray were offered by Daniel (Chapter 9) and David (Psalm 51) - each prayer reminds us to 1) Confirm God's Mercy 2) Confess Our Sins and 3) Compel God's Forgiveness - I also ask you to reflect on the passage below believing the continued blessings of our spiritual heritage require us to continue to put our hope in the unfailing love of our Lord.

Psalm 33:16-22  New International Version (NIV)

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Friends, my deep desire is for you to continue to be blessed and to continue to be a blessing by continuing to put your hope in the unfailing love of our Lord - never forget that the mission of the church is reconciling all people to God and each other in Christ Jesus - and because of that we are very happy and most fortunate!

God's Peace,

Jeff