Saturday, October 27, 2018
Building Blocks
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1
Surely, we give thanks to the Lord for all that he provides for us. Without His creative power and provisions, we would be nothing. And therefore, in the month of November, as we gather with our family and friends and partake in turkey and all the fixings, we are reminded of the object of our thankfulness.
Dwelling upon the Apostles Creed reveals the reason for our thankfulness.
1) Creation: Our Lord is the maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm121:2). Repeating the words from the Small Catechism, "God has made me and all creatures" and therefore without Him we would not have "clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land animals and all I have" (SC Apostles Creed Art I Explanation). Therefore we always praise God and give Him thanks for all that He has done and continues to do in our lives. Just look around, so much to be thankful for!
2) Redemption: Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and thus we face the sin condition with these words, "no one is righteous, not even one" (Rm3:10), "and you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph2:1). There is nothing within ourselves that could remedy the depravity of sin. Thus, our much deserved sentence is eternal death and condemnation. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved" (Eph2:4-5). We give thanks for the death and resurrection of Christ as He paid the ransom price (Mk10:45) not by silver or gold but by His precious body and blood sacrificed on the Cross for you. For by the shedding of His blood, we are forgiven and our sins are washed away. A great abundance we have as we meditate on the Lord's gift to us in the redeeming work of His Son!
3) Sanctification: In faith we cling to the promises of God, yet we must ask who grants faith to believe? "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith" (SC Apostles Creed Art III Explanation". The Holy Spirit creates faith by the power of the word of God. It is through the Word (Rm10:17), that we have been brought to faith. That is, the saving faith in the Gospel and the Sacraments. Without the Holy Spirit, who could say Jesus is Lord? (1Cor12:3). Therefore, we are thankful for our Lord who not only "calls, gathers, and sanctifies" but keeps us in the one true faith.
It is in these building blocks that our faith remains. For it is the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit that we remember and continue to dwell upon the glory of our Lord. For without him, we would be nothing.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" John15:5
Have a thankful November!
✝️ Pastor Jeong
The full newsletter can be found here:
http://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2018/2018-11-Newsletter.pdf
Surely, we give thanks to the Lord for all that he provides for us. Without His creative power and provisions, we would be nothing. And therefore, in the month of November, as we gather with our family and friends and partake in turkey and all the fixings, we are reminded of the object of our thankfulness.
Dwelling upon the Apostles Creed reveals the reason for our thankfulness.
1) Creation: Our Lord is the maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm121:2). Repeating the words from the Small Catechism, "God has made me and all creatures" and therefore without Him we would not have "clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land animals and all I have" (SC Apostles Creed Art I Explanation). Therefore we always praise God and give Him thanks for all that He has done and continues to do in our lives. Just look around, so much to be thankful for!
2) Redemption: Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and thus we face the sin condition with these words, "no one is righteous, not even one" (Rm3:10), "and you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph2:1). There is nothing within ourselves that could remedy the depravity of sin. Thus, our much deserved sentence is eternal death and condemnation. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved" (Eph2:4-5). We give thanks for the death and resurrection of Christ as He paid the ransom price (Mk10:45) not by silver or gold but by His precious body and blood sacrificed on the Cross for you. For by the shedding of His blood, we are forgiven and our sins are washed away. A great abundance we have as we meditate on the Lord's gift to us in the redeeming work of His Son!
3) Sanctification: In faith we cling to the promises of God, yet we must ask who grants faith to believe? "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith" (SC Apostles Creed Art III Explanation". The Holy Spirit creates faith by the power of the word of God. It is through the Word (Rm10:17), that we have been brought to faith. That is, the saving faith in the Gospel and the Sacraments. Without the Holy Spirit, who could say Jesus is Lord? (1Cor12:3). Therefore, we are thankful for our Lord who not only "calls, gathers, and sanctifies" but keeps us in the one true faith.
It is in these building blocks that our faith remains. For it is the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit that we remember and continue to dwell upon the glory of our Lord. For without him, we would be nothing.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" John15:5
Have a thankful November!
✝️ Pastor Jeong
The full newsletter can be found here:
http://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2018/2018-11-Newsletter.pdf
posted by Faith Moorpark
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6:48 PM
