This a devotional I contributed for a Lent Devotional booklet put out by First Presbyterian Church in Palm Beach Gardens.

The journey of following Jesus is one of constantly being shaped and molded and changed into who we are in Christ. Being a Christian is to be made like Jesus. As I read the Gospels they are like mirrors reflecting areas of my soul that are in need of change, areas that are to Jesus what oil is to vinegar. As I encounter the Jesus of the Bible he begins to challenge the motives of my heart and mind, and he calls me to abandon the hope I have in my own ability to please God.

This is shown crystal clear in John 5:45

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.”

All of religions hope rested on keeping the law of Moses. The prevailing thought was that if you could knuckle down and keep the law then you could get to God. He would welcome you and pat you on the back for all the good work that you had done. Living this way is so shortsighted, so intent on keeping a list of rules and regulations that it leaves no room for love, no room for grace; it is out to get what is its own and earn what it perceives it deserves.

This why Jesus word’s in the Gospel of John should shake our very souls. He calls us to stop worshipping at the altar of our own abilities and trust nothing but the blood of Jesus to merit our welcome into the presence of the God of the universe.

Let us not continue being shortsighted and selfish but look at things with the eyes of Jesus. We are loved and accepted by God, not because we have kept the rules and upheld the law. We are loved and accepted by God because Jesus fulfilled the law’s demands and satisfied the wrath of God. Let us, by God’s grace, rest our hope on this and this alone.

Mike Brunjes

There is a resolve with in me, that does not  originate in me.

Life happens fast and lately it has been happening at the speed of light.

April is almost half way through her pregnancy, we are buying a house, I am starting seminary and there are some difficult personal issues that we are working through right at this moment. I can not, and I have tried, muster up enough strength to look on the bright side. I can’t slow things down and I can not tell myself it is going to be ok because honestly I have no idea.

But there is a resolve in me. There is a hope that produces joy and there is a faith that I did not know that I possessed. It is a strange thing when you are expecting to brake down and yet your are hopefull.

You are expecting to give up and be taken under by the tidal wave your circumstances, and yet you are persevering and not only persevering but doing so with and unshakeable confidence in the strong, sovereign hands of the Lord

I praise God that he supplies the grace to hope. He supplies the faith that sustains and that he perseveres us to the end.

When I speak to a group of people to often their hearing of what I am saying is more beneficial to me than to them. My audience becomes a group of people for me to exercise my “preaching hobby” on. I see people as existing for my benefit so I can do what I like to do or feel “called” to do.

Ministry as a whole is too often practiced this way. We say we are “called” to ministry, and then we go and find a group of people that we can practice our ministry hobby on. Our ministry to people becomes more about “our calling” then the real, eternal needs of the people we are engaged with.

We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. People are living lives separated from God, and in a real sense walking around in darkness completely unaware of true reality. The practice of ministry; the practice of preaching has to be about more than a hobby. It has to be about more than our personal sense of “calling” and fulfillment. It has to be about God’s glory. It has to be about people meeting Jesus and being reconciled to their creator.

Creation: We were created perfect and in perfect relationship with God and with each other

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:31 - God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Fall: Because of sin we have severed out relationship with God and have corrupted our relationships with each other.  Because we know something is wrong, we have since been trying to work our way back to “Eden.”

Genesis 3:6-7 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Romans 5:12-14 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

Redemption: Because we can not cure our problem, we can not make right what we have made wrong The Father sent the Son to pay the penalty for our trespass and treason against God. He took our sin and gave us his life. (Righteousness)

Romans 5:6-8 - You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21- God made him who had no sin to be sinfor us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Restoration: God is working through us in the world to put the pieces back together that were broken at the fall

1 Corinthians 15:20-25 - But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Romans 8:18-21 ­- I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

This is our corporate confession from worship this morning. This is one of my favorite parts of the service.

O most great, most just, most Gracious God;

You are of purer eyes than to look upon sin, yet you have promised mercy to sinners like us through Jesus Christ - mercy to all who repent and believe in Him.

We confess that we have not kept covenant with you. Your covenant law, that we should have treasured and kept, we have instead ignored and transgressed.

Instead of delighting in zeal for Christ, we have given our zeal to idols of our own making. Instead of loving our neighbor and seeking first your kingdom, we have sought to selfishly use our neighbors and build our own kingdoms.

God of all grace, take the shame of our sin, and cover it with the righteousness of Christ. Take the record of our failures, and replace it with the perfect record of Christ’s righteousness, that is ours by faith alone.

Grant that your Spirit would give us new hearts of covenant love and faithfulness.

O Lord command us in your Word whatever you will, and give us, by your grace, whatever you command.

For Christ’s sake, Amen.

Well the cat has been clawing its way out the bag for the last ten weeks so we might as well set it free.

APRIL AND I ARE HAVING A BABY!

April is 10 weeks along and we are super excited. Our due date in Nov. 13 so that means our child will be here in time to see the Gators win another championship and see Tebow win another Heisman.

check out April’s blog here.