Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Anchorage AK
On Christ's Ascension I Now Build
Written by Pastor Voss
Sunday, 24 May 2009 00:00
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty..." with those words we confess that we believe Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus' disciples might well have asked themselves, "Now what?" We too need to ask how the ascension of Jesus and his imminent return does affect us? May the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith as we look to the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Counting the cost. Today is a good day to count the cost of our discipleship. Today we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd Jesus who has laid down his life for us, his sheep, and has risen again from the dead. He says, 'My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand.' "They follow me." That is discipleship - to follow our crucified and risen Savior, through life and death, all the way to eternal life. Especially today as you make or renew your vows of commitment before the Lord's altar. Have we counted the cost? Let us hear and ponder the Savior's Words and ask daily for his help and strength!
How many of us can recite this Psalm? Why is such a favorite of people of all ages? Perhaps it has something to do with the pictures that come to mind when we read it. A shepherd and the sheep can give us comfort and strength through the turmoil of today especially when we see ourselves as the sheep and our Savior Jesus as the Shepherd.
There is definitely a lot of love in the air today, Mother's Day! Not only with words of love but also with actions. The Apostle John encourages us today to sustain that love throughout the year. How will that happen? Only when we are firmly connected to the Vine, Jesus. Today is a time for us also to be reminded of our responsibilities as parents. God has entrusted us to raise up the next generation to know him. Take a moment, consider your priorities in life and thank God for his continued blessings to you and your family!
In today's society our name barely answers the question, "who are you?" How different it was in Bible times! A person could use their name to literally take them back to their forefather Abraham. There is a name that ties us together and is an identifying mark today and that is the name "Christian." What does it mean to us to be call "Christian" and can we too rejoice in the power of Jesus' name? Listen to the apostle Peter as he boldly testifies. May we too find courage,strength and motivation for living in the only name under heaven by which we must be saved!
