Pastor Mike: Live every day as someone who is blessed

Greetings everyone. Well, ready or not, fall is almost here. School is beginning a new year. The county fair is coming. Football games and rodeos, parades and state fairs. So many activities to look forward to. Fall is always a busy time with many activities that only come around one time a year.

It is a busy time but a fun time. We get to be with friends and family enjoying these seasonal activities. There will be many discussions to be had about football plays and scores, marching bands and floats, and seeing old friends and making new ones. In Jesus’ day, there were many annual activities held each year.

There were sacred days that were celebrated and religious ceremonies that the people looked forward to. Many of the celebrations were seen as “duties” of the Jewish religion while others were remembrances of how God had blessed the Jews in the in days gone by.

You would think that everything was status quo and normal in ancient Israel and that nothing exciting happened, but that isn’t the case. In the book of John, chapter 6, there are many discussions and descriptions of how the people reacted when Jesus came around. Jesus was developing a reputation for keeping things stirred up. People had heard of the miracles he had performed and many had seen them in person. Very few believed that he was the Messiah but they knew he was capable of doing things no one had ever seen. In John 6, people kept asking Jesus who he was.

People wanted him to admit he was a magician or a sorcerer, a fake or a demon. It was then when Jesus tried to tell them about how he had come to be the Savior for the world, for them and us. People had seen him feed the five thousand people at the lake shore, but they didn’t understand.

Throughout his ministry on earth, people had seen him do so many miracles, but still they didn’t understand. When they tried to make sense of it all, they become confused, perplexed, and even angry. They couldn’t figure it out. Often the disciples that were with Jesus didn’t know what to make of all that was happening around them. If the people that were part of Jesus’ inner circle couldn’t understand, how would anyone else understand?

Later on in the New Testament, we see people believe in Jesus because they saw the miraculous things he was doing. They also began to understand that his actions in the past were miracles that they had not recognized at the time. Are we any different than the people who lived 2100 years ago? Personally I don’t think so. We still have doubts and fears about life. We still lack absolute faith in God Almighty. We see things happening around us and we see miracles that we don’t recognize. Possibly we have experienced miracles in our own lives but we won’t admit it, or even worse we forgot what God did for us.

No, I think we are very similar, if not the same, to the people that lived when Jesus was on earth. It is important that we live each day expecting a miracle. It is important that we live each day expecting to experience the love of God and see him in our lives. God is with each of everyday here on earth. Jesus was our Savior yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He wants us believe in him and come to him , accepting him as our Lord and Savior.

Jesus is with us, even now. Jesus offers each of us eternal life and wants us to follow him. As believers we have gained everything that this world can’t give us. As Christians, we gain the forgiveness of our sins, the blessings of the Lord, and eternal life in Heaven. If you are already a Christian, live everyday as someone who is blessed and is a child of God. If you are not a Christian, make today the day that you put aside your pride and fear, and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is a decision you will not regret. Blessings and peace to all.