Devotional Thought of the Day

¹⁶  This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ Jeremiah 6:16 (NLT)

²⁰  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)

782    How can you dare use that spark of the divine intelligence—your mind—in any way other than in giving glory to your Lord?

Tonight I found out I was able to claim the title to my first sermon blog.

The company that hosted it that allowed to freely put my sermons out into the world, gave up rights to it.  Therefore, I was able to find it, and “A Simple Christian” was reborn.  It’s a good reminder for me as well, to see the old title there.  To remember why I started blogging sermons.  After all, there are millions of sermons nd many more devotions out there, many written better than mine, almost all edited better than mine.

I have heard that these writings have helped a few people, given a different perspective on walking with God.  Of struggling to live in an intimate relationship with God and all His children.  Some who aren’t well acquainted read it, people from different denominations, some who aren’t sure about this religion thing, this relationship we have together, with the God, who would come to us.

When I was 8, I told a family friend I wanted to be a priest.  He asked why, and I answered I wanted to teach people about God’s love, and I wanted to feed them with His sacrament.  A simple, profound desire that still is at the heart of what I want to do today.  I can tell when I do it well, there is something different about how people sing, about how they love each other, about how they face the difficult parts of life.  Difficult things like dealing with jobs or marriages, to dealing with internal struggles, to even dealing with cancer and the threat of death.

That is what being part of the intimate relationship that is church, God and His people, is all about.

It is the ancient path, as old as Adam and Eve.   It is in that relationship that we find peace that is beyond anything else.  It is why will plead with people to come back to God.  To plead with them to see God bring them back..

There is nothing better I can use a blog for… to show how simple (which doesn’t mean shallow) Christianity is…. and what a blessing.

Come along, let me point you along the way – He is here… waiting.. and the truth that transforms you is simple.

God is with You!

Thanks for reading, and if you are in Southern California – come join us at Concordia Lutheran Church in Cerritos. (concordia.org) and meet some really incredible people who are simply Christian as well.

PS – the justifiedandsinner link will still work for a year or more.

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Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 1807-1808). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.