Month: August 2020

Listening or Hearing?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus. John 12:1-3

Many years ago as we sat through an average Sunday service our pastor began to preach about the cross. First he described the terrible beating that Jesus received and then how the crown of thorns was pressed down on his head. “Next they took the nails” pastor went on, “And they drove them through His hands.” While we adults who had heard this message many times sat quietly; suddenly the stillness in the sanctuary was pierced by a tiny voice. “EEEW!” a little girl in the back cried out. The rest of us had heard the message. But in God’s eyes she was the only person actually listening to the message!

In our scripture passage today it seems that just like that little girl; only Mary seemed to be listening. Only she understood that Jesus would not be with them much longer. Jesus had told them many times that He was going to Jerusalem to die. But Mary who chose to sit at Jesus’ feet listening did something to give Jesus her best blessing while she still had time. Others people were celebrating and relaxing at the supper but Mary poured out her alabaster box of perfumed oil on the Master’s feet. Everybody listens to someone. Who you are listening to today? Filling the room we are in with the fragrance of the presence of Christ all depends on listening and then acting on the words of Jesus Christ!

God’s Narrow Way

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For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:14 ESV

It little counts how smooth the road

That leads the wrong direction

Or the beauty of the view from there

If it is a distraction

From following those nail scarred feet

To the place of resurrection

Where on tiptoe angels long

To catch a glimpse of Him

Who by His blood tore down the wall

That barred the way before

That straight and narrow holy path

That leads to Heaven’s door

God’s Narrow Way by Peter Caligiuri 8-12-20

Photos by Peter Caligiuri 8-11-2020

Jesus Take the Wheel

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Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Worrying over our grandchildren’s relationship with Jesus has been a recurring theme for me lately. When they were small things seemed pretty simple. We took them to church, prayed with them and at every opportunity made sure they had plenty of cookies. But now they are older things have changed. Some days it feels as if I am slogging through a mud bog, when I try to communicate even the basics of what it means to be a Christian. As I tossed and turned through another middle of the night worry session recently, God’s peace seemed light years away.

Then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I wasn’t doing them or myself any good. While I had been trying to overwhelm them with good arguments or coax them towards an interest in Jesus, I was forgetting that ultimately that job is His and that He loves them way more than I do. It is hard to trust God with people who are the closest to us. Yielding control over our spouse, a child a grandchild or a friend means letting God take over. What we really need to do is like what Carrie Underwood sings, “Jesus take the wheel!” We need to release our grip so that God can steer. Jesus won’t rip the steering wheel away from us. He will allow us as many nights as we wish to toss and turn. But if we are worn out with worry and fed up with fear God is waiting and even longing for us to trust that He knows how to fix the situation better than we do. Only He has the strength to carry us our worries and has promised a peace that stretches from our anxious hour all the way to heaven!