We are in a three week series on The Good Samaritan.
The Holy Spirit Life
Loving the Forsaken while Seeking Justice and Reconciliation
Luke 10: 25-37
Ephesians 3 from The Message has been on our heart and mind this week (Mark and Deone) where Paul brings encouragement to God’s people, “My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”
Yes! In this time of growing discouragement, comes the Word of God for encouragement. The Message goes on to say, “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
We are leaning into this truth. We are continually asking, seeking, and knocking on the door of God’s mercy and love as Almighty, Loving God upholds his world – that His goodness and righteousness will prevail. We are praying for wisdom, discernment, patience and guided action as the Holy Spirit leads us to engage in God’s will, all the while keeping our eyes focused on our Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
This text from Ephesians, in both The Message and the NIV translation, is well timed for us as we look to a summer of ‘reopening’, whatever that will look like. It is well timed for our engagement with different Biblical themes (God-children, Broken, Growth, Seen, Foundations, Wilderness, Becoming, Loved, Impossible?!, Live?!, Fear?!, and Trust!) from Laura DeGroot’s book, LIVE WIDE AWAKE.
The message for this week will focus on the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) with additional highlighting of another story Jesus told of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25). “See” you online.
The Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, in you, upon you,
Pastor Mark