June 14th

Good Morning Meadowbrooke,

As you are aware, this Sunday is Father’s Day.  I love the irony of Isaiah 64:1-2 compared to Isaiah 65:1, Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down God's answer to Isaiah 64, was: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name.  The point is that amid our rebellion, God pursues us for the purpose of redeeming us.  This is the great theme of the Bible: God seeks and saves the lost. 

Through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds us of who He is regardless of our faithlessness:

Isaiah 63:16. For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. (Isaiah 63:16)

Isaiah 64:8. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Isaiah 65:8-9. Thus says the Lord: As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so I will do for my servants sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:89)

What we learn from these verses is that Gods grace and love are infinitely bigger than our sins and failures, which is one of the unavoidable promises we are given throughout Holy Scripture; this my dear brothers and sisters is the point of Romans 2:4, Do you suppose, O manyou who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourselfthat you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that Gods kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:34)? 

Our redemption is evidence of the love and kindness of a holy and just God: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1, 4).  Why did God do it?  He did it because of Ephesians 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in our 9:00 and 10:30 worship services as we will see Thomas and Liz off into a new season of life and ministry and welcome in a new season for Meadowbrooke!

Grace!

Pastor Keith