Gracious God, as the stresses of this holiday week fall upon this dear reader, grant him/her Your peace. Bless those of their loved ones traveling to be with them or with him/her as they travel this week. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Our theme this week in our sermons was VOTE FOR JESUS: The Hope of The World. Its message is simple, yet powerful. In Jesus we have that hope that defeats sin, worry, sickness, and even death. Our text for Sunday was John 11, the story of Lazarus and his sisters. It was a resurrection story right before this Sunday's start of the glorious Advent season.
We find death first mentioned in Genesis 3:3 and Eve understands just a part of it; the frightening part. Some of us may still have only that view. In John 11, Jesus relates death to being "asleep," and He tells his disciples He is going to "wake (Lazarus) up." The disciples didn't fully understand until Jesus stood triumphantly with the dead man outside of the tomb. If our hope is in Jesus, we live fuller lives and when our time comes to pass from this life to the next, we can die in Jesus as well. That was yesterday's message.
We find death first mentioned in Genesis 3:3 and Eve understands just a part of it; the frightening part. Some of us may still have only that view. In John 11, Jesus relates death to being "asleep," and He tells his disciples He is going to "wake (Lazarus) up." The disciples didn't fully understand until Jesus stood triumphantly with the dead man outside of the tomb. If our hope is in Jesus, we live fuller lives and when our time comes to pass from this life to the next, we can die in Jesus as well. That was yesterday's message.
Today we are still in Genesis, this time chapter 4 where we find the very tragic tale of Cain killing Abel. This was the first human death, sadly, a fraticide; brother killing brother. This might not be a bad message for our Thanksgiving table and visits. David Letterman once said, "If I wanted to negociate with terrorists, I would have gone home for Thanksgiving." He meant it as a joke but someone wrote it with truth in mind. We sometimes find it very difficult to get along with our "loved" ones during the holidays. Our attitude should be that what happened yesterday should stay there and we should enjoy the time we have left with one another. The Cain story simply tells our story carried out to the extreme: We may not get along with even our siblings, but we still should love them, even from a distance, but never resort to physical violence or harm.
PRAYER: Loving God, grant me Your peace as I begin to receive or see loved ones. May the memories of yesterday's harms stay where they are and not come out of my mouth or worse, out of my hands. Lord, help me to put those memories of insults, wrong decisions, hurtful words or actions to eternal rest. Let me simply enjoy being alive and being able to be with all of my family. Again, I pray for safe travel for loved ones coming or for my going to wherever it is I may need to go. May we truly pause as a nation and as those who make up this nation, to truly give You thanks. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 3:3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' "
Genesis 4: 1-11 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord." 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out to the field." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And the Lord said, "What have you done? Listen; your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground! 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 3:3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' "
Genesis 4: 1-11 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord." 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out to the field." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And the Lord said, "What have you done? Listen; your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground! 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
