Day of Praise

Tu, 01/21/14, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 46:11 - "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

When a dear, pastoral colleague of mine was living, he always said how much he hated talking on the phone. He said the coil of the phone cord was like a parable, reminding him of a snake that wrapped around relationships and choked them to death. Need I say that he much preferred going to visit with people and being with them face to face?

And so it is with the Lord. In Psalm 46:11, God plainly speaks through the psalmist, "The Lord of hosts is with us." God prefers face to face.

For all the benefits of modern technology (and there are many), God would much rather speak to us in person, face to face. I know some people prefer Pajama Church; ya know, wake up on Sunday, and turn on Joel Osteen. But I'd dare say that an average preacher in person is better than a great one on TV. That's why God constantly tells us to "Go" and constantly says, "I am with you." It's why Jesus says, "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with you." It's why God speaks through John, saying, "How can you love God who you don't see if you don't love your brother who you do see?" It's why Jesus says, "As you did it to the least, you did it to me."

God is face to face personally with us in Jesus Christ. And God fills us with His Holy Spirit so we can personally bring God to others. So let's have a great day together in the Lord!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson