Happy Saturday!

Well, two of our three of my teams have won this weekend. The Rangers won last night and earned themselves a place in the World Series. My beloved Frogs beat Air Force tonight and soundly I might add! Now if the Cowboys could just win on Monday…

Matthew 10:22 “And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.”

The great characters of the Old Testament all were made to walk some path of sacrifice and forgiveness. Abraham was made to walk the hill of sacrifice with his son, Isaac. Moses was sent into exile across the desert to be made ready to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt into the land promised to them by God through His Word.

Each one of these men walked a most difficult road in obedience to God. They trusted in God from the beginning of each of their journeys and God rewarded them with deliverance. Abraham, with his son tied to an altar, was delivered from the slaying of Isaac, with a ram sent to him by God to take the place of his son. Moses and the Hebrew nation were allowed to cross the Red Sea unharmed with Pharaoh’s army on their heels. That army was then destroyed before their very eyes. They trusted God with their very lives and were rewarded for their obedience. These men learned to rely on God for all of their needs. They learned to walk by faith.

Tomorrow at Advent we will celebrate with the families of those young people who are being confirmed. In the Lutheran Church, Confirmation takes two years of study to be completed. These young people thought that two years was a near eternity, with difficult assignments, long commitment and seemingly never ending study. I am sure these young people are glad to see this time in their lives come to an end and the time to celebrate is now! Tomorrow there will be a time of questioning what they have learned. Also, these young people will share faith statements as they have grown in their faith over the last two years and take their places in the Church. As they prepare to stand before the assembly tomorrow I pray they will continue trusting God to stand with them. In this final test of their time of Confirmation, these young people must walk by faith and rely on Christ alone to complete the task of obedience.

Our call to obedience is not unlike those young people. Even though most of us have completed a confirmation experience (long ago) of some sort, we too must remember to rely on God for everything. We must trust God to walk the path of sacrifice even if it seems very difficult and impossible to accomplish and the end never seems to be in sight. God promises deliverance to those who continue to walk in obedience, in faith and in reliance on God alone. God promises His very presence through the Holy Spirit to be with us continually as we rely on Him alone.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to lift each other up in prayer daily. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.