There are many ‘choices’ in this world and they are not all equal. There were some who promoted ‘magic bands’ for financial gain in Israel. They got rid of those who opposed them…except for GOD, who foretold their judgment. There are some who build their lives on their goodness or on other things. Jesus is the only lasting foundation. The power brokers of Jesus’ day were all about making ka-ching for themselves using their religion. Jesus was all about glorifying God.
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Reformation Service
Join us this Sunday afternoon at 4pm for our Joint Reformation Service including our sister congregations in Fond du Lac, Middleton, Markesan, Batavia and Hales Corners.
The SOURCE of wisdom, love and strength.
Our Scripture Lessons reveal that the true SOURCE of Wisdom is God. The Love of God leads us not to allow personal opinions to divide us. Jesus, the Vine, is the SOURCE of our spiritual strength.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
We have an abundance of truth in our Scripture Lessons to clear up the falsehood being peddled today. In the Old Testament Lesson we discover the truth about gender and humankind. In the Epistle Lesson we find the truth about prayer. In the Gospel Lesson we find that Jesus can heal both kinds of blindness.
Wisdom
Wisdom is what Solomon asked for when God wrote him a blank check…it ought to be our prayer that God give us Godly Wisdom governed by His Word. Spiritual Wisdom comes through the Scriptures which tell us that we can’t be declared righteous by our actions, but by faith…but a living faith is never without acts of love. Spiritual Wisdom is trusting first in God before anyone or anything else…especially money.
Worship…all of our Scripture Readings have to do with the Worship of our God.
OLD TESTAMENT — We are to take care that we come to listen and when we do speak it is to be honestly from the heart. EPISTLE – We are to gladly come for worship for through the Word of God we keep hold on the gift of Eternal Life. GOSPEL– We glorify God when we don’t despise His Word but gladly hear and learn it.
Wine and Roses…life is not.
The Old Testament believer Job lost everything in a day, but still trusted in God to deliver him. The Epistle Lesson reminds us that because of Jesus’ blood we are delivered from sin and have become part of the city of God. Jesus Himself invites us to come to Him and promises to remove our burden of sin and give us hope and eternal life.
God Provides our needs of Body and Soul
God provided for Elijah and his host and her son in a miraculous way. God provides our needs today often through gainful employment and good health. Even when these bodies fail we know that He will raise us up (as He did Lazarus) and take us where death cannot touch us.
The Blessings of the Divine Word
In our OT Lesson we find seven tidbits of Godly wisdom building up a strong spiritual tower. In our EP Lesson we see what God made of Paul through the Word of Christ. In our GOSPEL Lesson Jesus needed only seven words to heal the invalid. He can heal and save us through His Word.
Integrity…doing the right thing no matter who is watching.
Zechariah called upon the people to search their hearts to determine whether they were acting in faith or going through the motions. Peter calls upon us to set aside sinful attitudes and hear the Word which alone can work Godly attitudes in us. Jesus reminds us that Godly giving is giving in faith, trusting the Lord to provide.