love

All Our Needs in His Own Way

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need... And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:16 & 19 ESV

As I read my bible this morning, I was excited to see how the story of Paul’s missionary work is woven together with the little church in Philippi. When God first sent a vision to Paul to leave for Europe- he saw a man from Macedonia calling for help. So Paul went and bought a ticket, got on a boat and sailed across to Philippi. Rather surprisingly after obeying God’s call, Paul was promptly thrown in prison. But, on that famous night in the jail, while Paul and Silas sang hymns, God sent an earthquake and the church of Philippi was founded – with the jailer possibly becoming the first deacon! Now, many years later, Paul finds himself sitting in a Roman prison, but he was still concerned about the needs of that church in Philippi. All through the time Paul was establishing churches in Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor, the Philippians had stayed in touch with him. Their leader Epaphroditus even visited Paul regularly, both bringing offerings and staying with him to help out. We do not hear of even one of the large rich churches sending help to Paul, but the Philippians continued doing all they could, because they considered Paul to be more than just an apostle. He was a part of their family. And just like when we send care packages to a son off in college, they were determined that as much as they were able they would take care of Paul.

Sure, God could have used larger churches or he could even have sent an angel with anything that Paul needed. But God chooses to use his people to take care of each other, so that we can experience the life of Christ for ourselves – and that experience begins with our learning how to give. Learning to give means learning to love and our greatest need of all is always love!

All Our Needs in His Own Way

All our needs in His own way
Jesus promises to meet
But He often uses hands of clay
To give the things we seek

So when God chooses us to lift
A load from off our brother
Remember it was from His cross
He showed how to love each other

All Our Needs in His Own Way by Peter Caligiuri 
copyright 2021 all rights reserved

Love Is

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
 
 
 
 Love is patient as it turns
 And walks down our small street
 There in kindness taking time
 To wash our dirty feet
  
 Love protects from angry waves
 And believes we’ll come to see
 Gives us hope in deepest trials
 Till doubt and shadows flee
  
 Love was working in the dark
 Before they came that day
 Before they knew Christ was alive
  Love rolled the stone away!
  
 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love Is by Peter Caligiuri 2020 All rights reserved

Looking in Our Window

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:5-6 ESV

When Jesus traveled about Galilee He made an impression on people because He was willing to touch anyone, even lepers and heal them. Because of this He was continually surrounded by all kinds of interesting people. Mary wanted to sit at His feet, while Zaccheus hoped to just see Him from a distance. The crowd around Jesus often looked a bit like a hospital emergency room, with folks lined up waiting to be seen, while others brought their loved ones and family. But back in Nazareth the scene was quite different. Since they couldn’t believe that Jesus was anything special the Bible tells us He couldn’t do many miracles there. Instead of healing teaching and spreading the good news, Jesus found himself unwelcome and even though there were just as many in need of His healing power, almost no one was able to receive it.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So why not ask ourselves if the picture in our local church functions more like Nazareth or Galilee? Do sick people show up regularly but find that there is only a small staff on hand to help? Do we operate like a hospital with nurses out on strike and whose doctors are too busy meeting to review their retirement program to see new patients? When folks listen in by our doorway, might they hear a discussion of how to reduce the number of sick people allowed in or the excitement of finding a cure for Covid-19? So let’s ask ourselves the question today; “Are we in the business of shutting people out or providing a place to heal? God still forgives and restores lives. Crowds are standing just outside our windows looking in. What will they see today?