This past weekend our church started the Hole in OUR gospel series that will go for the next five weeks. The pastor was quick to say that their is no hole in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but there are holes in us, that we need to address and to change in order to grow in our Redeemer's love.This world is broken. All we have to do is look around to notice people hurting and suffering. The main scripture that we read this week was in Luke 4 and talked about when Jesus read from the old testament and upon reading it stated that the prophecy was fulfilled that day. Jesus puts it all out there saying three important things that He was sent to do: 1) Proclaim the good news to the poor (both in flesh and in spirit) 2) Freedom to the prisoners (both physical and spirit - those who are captive to sin) and sight to the blind (I was blind but now I see - thank you Jesus) and to set the oppressed free 3) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
James, the brother of Jesus, tells us in the book of James that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27). Jesus also told us that which we do to the least of these - we do to him. Our marching orders are clear - Go and make disciples...
I am not sure about you, but what I am sure about is that when I am to be judged by Jesus and I bow my knees and lay at Jesus's feet that I don't ever want to look back at this short life of mine and have regrets for things that I could and should have done and didn't. I do not want to have the look of disappointment in his eyes for the good works that he calls me to do and I didn't.
I make mistakes all the time (just ask my family and friends) and I continually have to ask for God's grace and forgiveness in this process of sanctification that only the Holy Spirit can take me through. What I need to do is wrap myself around songs like this and people who understand what our marching orders are.
Do you want to help make a difference? The great thing about this website is that there are tremendous amounts of charities that reach out to the poor in spirit and blind and oppressed - all we have to do is change our sights and say this phrase for the rest of our short remaining lives that are but a vapor: Less of me and more of You (God).
Dante