Pastor’s Corner

Giving Thanks, Saying Grace!

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Mathew 26:26

Before eating the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus gave thanks. The word for thanks is Eucharist and is used by many Christians as a name for the Lord’s Supper or Communion.  Jesus tells us to take communion and remember Him, remembering the grace and love He showed to us on the Cross.  Remembering His promise to be with us every day and in every situation and to never leave us or forsake us.

Eucharist, or thanks is based off of the word Charis, which means Grace. It Jesus day, it would have been impossible to give thanks for something without acknowledging what you were thankful for was a result of someone showing you grace.  Thankful for family, friends, cars, jobs, homes, pets, weather?  All of them are gifts to us by God’s grace.  The more we take credit for it the less we are truly thankful. Non- Christians can still feel thankful, but their thankfulness is for themselves, or another person or luck, not for God’s grace.

This thanksgiving and every day, let us be thankful to God for who He is and what He has done. He has shown grace to us in every aspect of our lives; giving us more than we deserve. Grace is the Greek word Charis and is also the root word for Character.  Having good character is about showing grace to others and is rooted in God first showing grace to us.  Another word derived from Charis is Charisma.  When we show God’s grace to people and have a thankful disposition in life people are drawn to that and influenced by it.  Charisma can be defined many ways, but its root and meaning is someone who lives in grace and lives by grace in the world around them.

This Thanksgiving I want to invite you to worship God at Cross and receive the Eucharist, or communion. Let The Grace of God fill you to overflowing so that you may have grace to extend to others.  That we all may be truly thankful and live thank-filled lives with every breath we breath.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6

Pastor’s Corner

Demanding Change

The people of God were tired of being different than the world. They wanted to fit in and have what the world had.  They wanted a king, they demanded a KING! 1 Samuel 8:19 “But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

The Lord heard their cry and relented. This is a fascinating perspective on God that challenges how we are often taught to view God.  We are usually taught that God is right and we are wrong and that is that.  But, God isn’t a heartless dictator; He listens and gives us what we ask.  Jesus tells the parable of a persistent woman who finally got what she desired and then He tells us to pray the same way toward God!  1 Thessalonians says to pray without ceasing, and in another parable (Luke 11) Jesus tells us that a neighbor helps out in the middle of the night because of the bold request!

God hears our prayers and answers our requests. Even when the requests may not be a blessing. Back in 1 Samuel, God tells the people through the prophet that their request for an earthly king is a rejection of God as their true King (vs. 7).  They wanted to be like everyone else, so God let them be like everyone else.  He didn’t abandon them, but He did allow them to have the same results as everyone else.

Is it any wonder that when we as Christians demand to live like the world we get the same results as the world. Divorce rates, bankruptcy, addiction and the like are barely discernible between believers and non-believers.   BUT… these stats do not hold true for those who put Christ at the center of your life.  Claiming the Christian faith doesn’t change people, following Christ as Lord and worshipping Him with your life does!

Right now in our country the Christian faith is being scrutinized and it is failing miserably. The loudest voices we hear are filled with hurtful words spoken in anger and fear emboldening hatred while Ephesians 4 says “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”. The Christian faith is a faith that speaks truth in love for the purpose of building up one another into Christ.  Period.  There is no other goal, no other agenda, no fear, anger, or self-propagation.

While the national and global image of the Christian faith is becoming tarnished more each day, we can and should demand change in our own neighborhoods and churches. We must not tolerate angry words, condescending talk, or hatred towards any people or people group.  We must demand the voice of the Christian faith be changed to one of truth spoken in love.  We must pray to our heavenly father that false believers be exposed and that true believers come to repentance.  We must continue to be bold and courageous in loving one another sacrificially while people are STILL lost in sin, just like Jesus did for us.  Then, and only then will our nation reflect our only true leader, Jesus the Christ.

Pastor’s Corner

 

 

 

 

Ruth

This weekend we read the powerful story of Naomi and Ruth.  Naomi was a woman in trouble that needed help.  All her support and resources were taken away from her, and her pathway to a joy filled life looked impossible.  Naomi had lost everything, everything that is except her identity.  Naomi was a child of God and still had tremendous value in her identity.  Naomi’s relationship with God didn’t save her from her material distress by itself, but it did grant her a path to salvation and gave her hope.

As a child of God she followed His will obediently which meant she cared well for her daughters-in-law.  One of them didn’t respond in faith; the other did.  Ruth responded in faith and stayed with Naomi as she went back to her homeland.  Through Ruth’s faithfulness Naomi and Ruth were redeemed by another faithful child of God, Boaz.  Boaz is called a “kinsman redeemer,” which is when a family member is able to save you in a way that no one else could.

Remembering Naomi, Ruth and Boaz encourages me to trust God more wholistically.  Naomi had to let go of Ruth in order for Ruth to show her favor.  Naomi could have tried to control Ruth and demand she stay, but the story would have had a different ending.  Naomi and Ruth had to trust God that there were faithful people back home that would redeem them according to God’s will.

In both instances there were other people who appeared faithful but didn’t act on faith.  Both Orpah and “the other redeemer” in chapter 4 declined to follow God because it wasn’t in their best interest.  While other people fail us, God never will.  When we follow God, He will lead us to other like-minded followers to accomplish His will together.  It isn’t easy.

The journey of following Christ leads us down many challenging paths.  Each of these paths gets redeemed when we act in faithfulness to Him.  How is God calling you to be faithful and follow Him?  Is there a “family” member that needs redeemed that God is calling you to serve?  Don’t help out of guilt; you might make it worse!  Rather, listen to God, act in faith, and trust that if God is calling you to it, He will provide the way of redemption.  If you are hitting a wall, if people have let you down, fear not.  God is faithful and is working His good will in your life.  Don’t believe me; take His Word for it:  “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a Redeemer, and may His name be renowned in Israel!”  Ruth 4:14

His servant and yours,

Pastor Erik Gauss

Pastor’s Corner

Recently I went on a mission trip to the country of Guatemala—a nation whose history is filled with Mayan cities and worship sites.  On Friday morning, before we served a small community in Guatemala City, our group went to some nearby Mayan ruins.  These ruins were FILLED with people of Mayan decent offering sacrifices, and prayers.  Clergy looking people were saying things that sounded like prayers or blessings over the people around them.  Our tour guides (the local Guatemalan missionaries) said a couple interesting things.  First, that the clergy were saying both blessings and curses over the people.  Second, that as a part of the agreement with the government that allows them to worship there on this now public land, they had to agree to not perform human sacrifices.

“Who am I to Judge?” a famous misquote of the current pope gives us a strong reminder of our current cultural climate. “Christians aren’t supposed to judge!” another false statement often thrown around.   But what about in the case of human sacrifice?  Should we allow that if it is their right to worship? What if the sacrifices are willing to die and sign a waiver?

I hope this is an extreme example, but it clearly shows a valid issue within the world. What is right?  What is wrong?  Who gave you that authority?  Every major issue we have as a nation and society hinges on these questions.  When our country was founded it had a small authoritarian structure and allowed the Judeo/Christian principals of society to govern its own right and wrong.  Since those days we have moved away from the Bible as the norm for moral and ethical truth to now the court system and the skillfulness of a lawyer is the final say of right and wrong.

This isn’t a new issue. As we read the book of Judges this week we see the same story unfold.  A nation led by people who followed and judged right and wrong by biblical truth. Until people turn away from God and the Judges need greater political authority, a king.  The transition from Judges to a King is very similar to the United States transitions in our current legal system.  The bible describes it this way “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6

If we don’t “judge” than who will? Who does? And by what standard?  God calls us to judge one another by His standard and by that standard we ALL fail.  So we cannot boast that our way is better, or that we are better.  We cannot put others down.  We cannot be “judgmental” when we judge but rather we must be just and righteous and above reproach.  As we live by His truth and confess our own sins we live a humble life, His Holy Spirit guides us and others see that and are inspired.  May God lead you to a life of forgiveness and courage, to share truth with others, but to share it in love that leads to Godly transformation.