July 31 Pentecost 7: Believe: Telling the TRUTH?!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow we continue on our journey through St. Paul's letter to the Church meeting in Rome. At the beginning of chapter 9, St. Paul struggles with the challenge of telling the truth, out of love, for people who do not wish to hear it. He is lamenting over the unbelief of his Jewish brethren. He states:
 ¹ I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, ⁴ the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. ⁵ Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

I remember a movie a few years back titled "A Few Good Men" when Tom Cruise, a JAG officer, is asking the Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson) in charge of the United States military base in Cuba, about his behavior. He demands to hear the truth while the Colonel states "you can't handle the truth!" (check it out, if you can handle the anger and language, @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGvQtumNAY )

I think in some ways, with all of the "relative truth" and "political correctness" in our society we want to believe that we can't handle the truth and look the other way when the opportunity to share the Truth of Christ comes our way. I know in my own life I have had opportunities to share, as St. Paul is doing with his fellow Jewish family, relatives and friends, and instead of sharing the truth; even if it caused me "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" I have changed the subject! I have noticed that the Holy Spirit has grown the desire in me to find the "person of peace" who is open to the truth and share it. Jesus told his disciples, as he sent them out with the TRUTH, to find these people in Matthew 10:¹¹ “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

Tomorrow we will look at the importance of telling the truth in love and looking for the "person of peace" so that we can bring truth to the nations!

It is true for us that with the Debt Limit Crisis and politics in general, truth seems to be a  matter of perspective. Truth seems to depends on who asks the question, the words used and the context and way it is asked. We are fortunate that the Lord Jesus has given us HIS WORD to keep us grounded on the TRUTH as the Jesus' Disciples said when challenged with the idea of Jesus as the "Bread of Life" in John 6:⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”   May we believe and know the TRUTH and the Holy one of God each day and tell the truth! Jesus also prayed in HIS high priestly prayer on the night HE was betrayed in John 17:¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

See you tomorrow as we worship the HOLY ONE OF GOD!

Reminder we will have the time of sharing each week following the worship after the Lord's Supper! Please ask the Lord if HE has something for you to share. Check the announcements on our website at www.crossandres.org.

Please remember all of our Church family is invited to our daughter Sarah's wedding next Saturday at St. Luke Lutheran Church at 1:00pm. If you have missed the invitation, please join us for this wonderful celebration of the gift of marriage between Josh and Sarah!

Love in Christ,
Pastor Bryan