If you enjoy it please bump it up from time to time.
If there appears to be a need I will continue to run it, as long as I recieve it. God Bless You and Yours
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But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our 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.
2 Thessalonians 2: 13, 16
SEE CARTOON BELOW
Its great to be the man in the comic strip...He loves his job, it brings him sanity, he has a purpose...but what if you're not like the man in the comic strip? What if you can barely tolerate your job, what if instead of it helping bring sanity to your world, it just makes things more chaotic? What if you feel you don't have a purpose?
How do we deal with the ups and downs of living?
First, we remember what our text tells us “ because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” We are saved solely by the person and work of Christ.
Then, because we are already saved by Christ, we are to use the gifts and vocations that God has given us in our daily lives. God has a purpose for each one of us, and He has equipped us to accomplish it, how awesome!
We have all been given gifts; some can teach, some can preach, some of us are good with kids, others can entertain and uplift, still others are hard workers, or they've been blessed financially and so they're in a position to help others. Some were given beautiful smiles or the ability to lift people's spirits with the perfect kind word
As we focus on Word and Sacrament while using our talents and abilities, we find peace and a sense of purpose in life as we use His gifts to further His Kingdom. That doesn't mean that things will always be easy.
It means that:
God strengthens and encourages us to use our talents in our vocation here on earth
As we celebrated Veterans day this weekend, we can remember the sacrifice these young men and women make on our behalf, for our freedoms
We are His trusted servants with whom He leaves His gifts / talents and abilities
Every gift, even if we think it is of no consequence is important to God, and it is our duty to use it to further His kingdom
The Good News is this: Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and while He's gone we've been given gifts to serve His Kingdom. That means we all have a purpose, each and every one of us! Use your gift this week to further the Kingdom of God! And when we see Him face to face He will say to us: "Well done my good and faithful servant, well done!"
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
AMEN
