Communion With the Christ:

Friday, November 11, 2022

Are You Disciplined? Part:7: Fasting

Years ago, while I attending classes for pastors in California, we pastors were given the book "Celebration of Discipline” copyright (c) 1978, by Richard J. Foster. This well-known book, has been, over the years, very helpful to many Christians both laity and clergy alike.

With that acknowledgement I would like to offer in my own words, as best that I may, what I have gleaned from Mr.Foster’s work"Celebration of Discipline". Mr. Foster's book speaks to believers about how Christians can avail ourselves of the "Spiritual Disciplines" and grow in the Christian life thru a relationship with Jesus Christ by way of the "Spiritual Discipline"

Spiritual Opportunities

The Spiritual Disciplines are not Religious Duties, but rather, are Spiritual Opportunities that aid in the Christian life of the believer and bring us ever deeper intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ and through Jesus into an ever growing relationship with the Holy Trinity , the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Again, the "Spiritual Disciplines" do not earn us salvation, our salvation is accomplished through and by Jesus alone on our behalf. He has accomplished it all for us, Jesus has done what none of us could ever do. Jesus has saved us.

What the "Spiritual Discipline" are, are Spiritual Opportunities for each and all of us to have Communion with our God in times of deep personal intimacy which brings us to see that he is with us and wants us and loves us.

The Spiritual Disciplines are an aid to Christian growth and maturity in the life of believers they are not for us to "earn" some reward from God , but rather they help us to see the truth that we are forgiven and wanted by the great creator of all things and bring us to recognize that our God is with us.

The Spiritual Disciplines are profitable when we set aside the activities of everyday living and focus our minds upon our Lord and engage him exclusively with as few distractions as possible. To have a time of deep personal Communion with our Lord.

During these times of Communion the Holy Spirit works with us to give us greater maturity, this is part of the processes the ancient church called “Deification" , that is, becoming like Jesus ,"to be transformed into the image of Christ".

The Religious Culture

Fasting was part of the "religious" culture of the people of Israel we can see it reflected in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican who were at the Temple of God. Here the "righteous" Pharisee cites his twice a week fasting as a demonstration and evidence of his "superior" spiritual life over that of a Publican, whose sins were obviously worse than this "righteous" Pharisee's, this Pharisee fasted "religiously".

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Lk: 18:12

Many Biblical Persons

Throughout the pages of the holy word of God we find in the Scriptural record many Biblical Personalities fasting. We see examples of fasting in lives of Moses, David, Elijah, Anna, and even our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many Christian leaders over the centuries have fasted seeking the abiding presence of God and his divine direction. Many such as Martian Luther, John Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finny and many, many more.
In our contemporary world, some people fast either for the health benefits or in some cases they believe that God will be more receptive to their prayers.

When people attempt to solicit or leverage God through fasting to get their way, this amounts to just a "religious hunger strike”. This resorted to out of the desire for some need. God cannot and will not be manipulated by us.

It is hoped that a time of fasting will change us and our hearts, so that we can understand what our Lord would have us do, not necessarily change God's mind.

Day of Atonement

Under the Old Covenant enjoined between God and Israel, the people would fast on the Day of Atonement, one of the Old Covenant Holy Days. On this fast day Israel would confess their sins thru the Person of the High Priest before The Lord God. Leviticus 16:29 and Leviticus 23:27

This Holy day of fasting looked ahead to the atonement which Jesus Christ would accomplish for each and all of us, the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of the Communion that God has always intended us to have with him.

Fasting a Command?

Some Christians will ask at times "is fasting commanded in the Bible?" Some will say " yes!" Others will dismiss fasting as a holdover from the Old Covenant and not enjoined upon Christians or the Church.

In a statement regarding fasting Jesus says "when you fast" Matt: 6:16. This could be seen as an assumption that the followers of our Lord would indeed fast. But, however, this statement is not of itself a command to fast but maybe rather a comment of instruction on a common practice. Jesus simply states "when you fast". It is also true that this comment of our Lord is made before the cross and resurrection of Jesus which brought the Old Covenant to its fulfillment.

It seems that fasting is viewed by Jesus as an "expectation" rather than a Command.

When Jesus is Gone

When Jesus was asked by some of John the Baptist's Disciples about his own Disciples not fasting, Jesus replied that they did need to fast due to the fact that he was personally with them, but Jesus then comments that there would come a time when the Disciples would, after he was no longer with them in an Earthly way, fast.

"Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast." Matt: 9:14-15

This would be now even for us Christians now. Jesus is with us thru the Holy Spirit, but Jesus is not in an "Earthly way". That is, we are living in and with Post-Resurrection Jesus.

Purpose of Fasting

Fasting is not to have our voice heard in the highths of Heaven as some in Israel attempted. They wanted their way and sought to get it thru fasting. But again, God will not and cannot be manipulated by humanity.

"Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." Isa: 58:4

Jesus speaks of our heart and our motives when we fast. That is not to demonstrate our "righteousness" or personal “piety" as some in Israel had done. Vaunting their fasting as sign of their spiritual maturity.

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matt: 6:16-18

Jesus looks at our hearts, and sees our true motivations. Our fasting should be focused upon the person of Jesus, not upon the person of ourselves. fasting is for us to be engaged and with and communion with our God where he transforms our lives into the very image of his Holy Son Jesus.

In our times of fasting, we need to seek God's will and guidance and even Blessings. To be aware of his abiding presences in our lives, having our hearts and minds filled with merits of Christ.

During our times of fasting we should ask, "what does our Lord want for me?”. "How can I be fully found living out of our relationship with God?".

The Holy Spirit will draw us ever deeper into communion with our Lord as we choose set aside the physical things, represented by the things which sustain the Earthly life for a season to look intently upon the spiritual. We need to be receptive to his voice.

As we fast, we can trust the power of God to sustain us. God will gently lead us to see all that Jesus is. He will grant us the discernment to see our needs and where transformation is needed. During this time, we can confess of need and thank him for the complete forgiveness that is our thru Jesus.

It is appropriate that during out times of fasting communion that we intercede in prayer for the needs of others, to lift them up before God in Holy intersession that God might bless and heal comfort and encourage.

If you have any questions regarding your ability to fast, speak to your doctor, regarding your health and if you take medications speak to your doctor as well if you can fast safely for day or so.

If it has been some since your last fast, try starting with only a twelve hour fast or water only.

Fasting is a powerful "Spiritual Discipline” that brings us to a sharper awareness of the presences of our God in each and all of our lives thru which our Lord transformed us into the very image of his Holy Son Jesus Christ.
Recall the words of Jesus “when you fast".

Benediction: May we each and all grow ever deeper into a spiritual Communion with our Lord Jesus Christ, today, tomorrow and forevermore ...Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Are You Disciplined?6: Service

Years ago, while I attending classes for pastors in California, we pastors were given the book Celebration of Discipline” copyright (c) 1978, by Richard J. Foster. This well-known book, has been, over the years, very helpful to many Christians both laity and clergy alike.

Jesus has accomplished it all for us, Jesus has done what none of us could ever do. Jesus has saved us.

What the "Spiritual Discipline" are, are Spiritual Opportunities for each and all of us to have Communion with our God in times of deep personal intimacy which brings us to see that he is with us and wants us and loves us.

Who is the Greatest?

That very night in that upper room as our Lord Jesus transformed the Passover, the commemoration of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt, into the Holy Sacrament of Eucharistic Communion or the Lord's Supper, a disagreement arises among Jesus' Disciples as to their status in Jesus' ministry.

The Apostles each posture to one degree or another making their claim to greatness, each wanting to insert themselves into this place of prominence and dominance among the group.

St. Luke the Evangelist records this exchange among them and Jesus' response to, not just this self-advancement of his disciples gathered with him at that time, but any mercenary approach to the Christian life.

"And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'' Lk: 22:24-25

Self-advancement, or rather advancement of “the self”, is not a quality which should be found among the followers of our Lord. Unfortunately, it is still present with us even to this very hour even as it was in that upper room around that table.

Our Lord Jesus came for us, to do what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the Second person of the Holy Trinity, the Great God, the very true self of God, came to serve us though he is the one who should be served.

Jesus Our Servant

The Great God, who brought all things into being, entered into the created order thru the person of Jesus Christ. This God who exceeds the comprehension of humanity, this God whose very nature defies human understanding, whose very holiness carries a glory beyond the greatest piety of each and all us, this God whose very self is worthy of all adoration, praise and worship this God has come to us as a servant.

This God set aside, as a garment, the glory of his deity and assumed our humanity to be a servant to us. Consider this Holy contradiction, the very one who deserved of being served has come to serve us, each and all of us.

This is what St. John wrote in his Gospel to all of us down thru the ages when he wrote of our Lord taking the role of a servant by washing the feet of his disciples at the Passover supper in that upper room.

"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."Jhn:13:1-5

This demonstrates a holy humility and which perplexes the mind of the power-oriented heart of humanity. In St. John’s account tells us more than we might first understand. St. John is in truth describing the very incarnation of the Eternal Son of God into our humanity so that he might serve us as the one who brings us salvation.

St. John records that Jesus "took off his outer garment” before his act of holy service toward the Apostles. This is speaking to us of the setting aside the glory of Jesus' deity, his glory being symbolically spoken of as his "outer garment".

St. Paul broadens the view of Jesus' incarnation as the Divine Servant-Messiah infused with humility, in his Epistle to the Philippians which then leads us into one of the earliest recorded creedal hymns of the Primitive Church.

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"

The Creedal Hymn of Incarnation

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philp: 2:1-11

The Towel of Service

St. John continues the narrative of Jesus' act of Salven (Salvation) service toward the Apostles and each and all of us.

"and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."Jhn:13:4b-5

When we read the account, we might a first only see Jesus' taking on the posture of servant hood and modeling the condition of heart that all his disciples should emulate that of serving one another, and in truth that is present here in St. John's Gospel, but there is even more which directly relates to Jesus' as our Incarnate Servant Messiah.

The wrapping of the towel of service around the waist of Jesus is a reference to his shared humanity with us, the very life he would lay down in less than twenty-four hours from his act of the foot washing; the very act which would wash away the sins of humanity, not just the dust from the feet of those Apostles. Jesus ' act of foot washing is looking ahead to the complete forgiveness of our sins through the power of his life laid down and his blood shed that washes us each and all clean.

This wrapped towel of service prefigures the very burial linens that would be wrapped around the body of our Lord after his death on the cross for the washing away of sins.

"Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury". Jhn: 19:40

Jesus' as our Servant Messiah has provided humanity the greatest act of service thru the forgiveness of sin thru his death.

Jesus after washing the feet of the Apostles Jesus then encourages, they and we all to do as he has done. Jesus is telling us be instruments of forgiveness and to extend that very forgiveness into the lives of others. That is, we serve others thru forgiveness and thru the proclamation of the message of the Gospel which invites others to experience that forgiveness thru the Gospel's presentation to those around us.

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Jhn: 13:12-17

Forgiven to Serve

When we grasp the magnitude of what our Lord has done for us, we should be complied by grateful love toward our Lord and serve him, not out of constraint or "religious duty" but out of love. This expressed service is directed to all around us though the true recipient is our Lord himself thru the humanity that he has joined us in.

We need to see those around us our Lord did, as those who need his love and those who need to experience his complete forgiveness St. Paul's view of the people around him had been radically transformed by the complete renewing of his mind when he came to believe in Jesus and experienced that complete forgiveness.

"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2Cor:5:14-21

Love Compels

The kind of love, that divine love of God, which Jesus did and still shows us, is aggressive in that it is always seeking opportunity for the betterment of others and outlets to be expressed each and every day.

God's love should compel us all to look for ways to serve others not to "earn salvation” but rather to serve because of the salvation which Jesus has bestowed upon us. We should look for ways to bring God's love and mercy and grace into the lives of others around us. This is, in part, what our Lord meant when he encouraged us to "take up the cross" and follow him. That means, to shoulder the responsibility of bring forgiveness and reconciliation and go forth daily each day serving others.

So often we think of our Lord's sacrifice as only one day, there upon Calvary on the cross, but what occurred there on that cross only showed us what is and has been eternally true. That our Lord Jesus was completely give over to serve his eternal Father.

That means that Jesus sacrificed his whole life, his whole life. All his life all his life. We as his disciples are called to the very same.

Sacrifice of the Self

Jesus is not just talking about "self-sacrifice" but "sacrifice of the self". "Self-Sacrifice" can be acts that are good yet may originate out of a heart that is attempting to ultimately vaunt itself for its own advancement. We can be like the disciples at the table with Jesus in that upper room each claiming to be the greatest thru the "evidence" of our service posturing and seeking rank and influence with others in the end for our own benefit as the "rulers of the gentiles" did.

Jesus calls us to something higher, the very "sacrifice of the self" that is the complete giving over of our whole being as Jesus did for the good of all. None Greater has condensed lower to be raised high than our Lord Jesus. Jesus called us his disciple to be so filled with our Lord that our "selves" will have little room for expression.

We sacrifice our self for others. We act in humanity not self-exultation. We seek the good for others and justification for others not our own. We reach out in quite love for the world around us even in their disbelief or even in life style which are contrary to divine instruction.

We have multiple ways each day to serve others in many circumstances as we go thru life being the very servants that our Lord has called us to be even as he is.

Benediction: May our lives daily demonstrate the very love and humble service that our Lord Jesus shows to each and all today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Are You Disciplined? Part 5: Celebration

Mears ago while I attending classes for pastors in California, we pastors were given the book Celebration of Discipline” copyright (c) 1978, by Richard J. Foster. This well-known book, has been, over the years, very helpful to many Christians both laity and clergy alike.

With that acknowledgement I would like to offer in my own words, as best that I may, what I have gleaned from Mr. Foster’s work “Celebration of Discipline". Mr. Foster's book speaks to believers about how Christians can avail ourselves of the "Spiritual Disciplines" and grow in the Christian life thru a relationship with Jesus Christ by way of the "Spiritual Disciplines"

Spiritual Opportunities

The Spiritual Disciplines are not Religious Duties, but rather, are Spiritual Opportunities that aid in the Christian life and bring us ever deeper intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ and thru Jesus into an ever-growing relationship with the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Again, the "Spiritual Disciplines" do not earn us salvation, our salvation is accomplished through and by Jesus alone on our behalf. He has accomplished it all for us, Jesus has done what none of us could ever do. Jesus has saved us.

What the "Spiritual Discipline" are, are Spiritual Opportunities for each and all of us to have Communion with our God in times of deep personal intimacy which brings us to see that he is with us and wants us and loves us.

Celebration

The Christian life should be a life lived in Celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that Jesus is and has accomplished for each and all. Celebration is part of being called out of the world of our past lives before we came to believe in Jesus.
We can see this truth of the Celebration of being called out in the Exodus of Israel, when the Lord God thru Moses commanded Pharaoh to let Israel go so that they might Celebrate in worship.

"And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ Ex: 5:1(NAS)

God was calling Israel forth into the wilderness to Celebrate before their God. Celebration was to be an intricate part in Hebrew worship.

The Year of the Lord's Favor

God gave the people of Israel the Year of Jubilee. This was to be a time of great personal and national joy in which the people were to celebrate the cancellation and release from all debt(s), and a time when, all the bound slaves were to be set free, a time when lands and properties were to restored to the original owners It was a time to celebrate restoration and to start life anew.

This is the very imagery of people in the midst of joyous celebration of freedom was used by Jesus as he stood in a synagogue in Nazareth of Galilee and proclaimed to the congregation that day the year of the Lord's favor had come, the year of Jubilee.

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" Lk:4:16-21

The people in that synagogue that day would have understood the symbolism and the meaning behind words that Jesus read and spoke. They could understand the type of celebratory rejoicing that would have broken out in the restoration of freedom and cancellation of debts.

Spiritual Freedom

Evan though Jesus employs the uses of the Jubilee year image, he brought far more than just a new type of national freedom, Jesus brought a message that would bring restoration and freedom to the soul. A true freedom, a spiritual freedom, and the cancellation of the indebtedness of sin. Jesus used the language out of Israel's racial memory and inspired mythology (this term means the stories from the nation’s history; it does not mean that the stories are untrue) of the word of God it is for all people not just Israel. That tells us, that Jesus came to set all humanity free bringing joy to all who will receive it.

The Joy of the Lord

The Prophet Nehemiah wrote in the book that bears his name that "for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Neh: 8:10c which means, when the joy of Lord is expressed through us, when we celebrate joyfully, then our spiritual lives are invigorated and made strong.

This joy is from the indwelling of the Holy spirit with our hearts and minds we read that in St. Paul’s writing in Galatians: 5:22

This is being able to celebrate our Lord regardless of circumstances that we face always joyful.

Our Reason to Celebrate

Jesus has given each and all of us reason to celebrate. We are the very beneficiaries of that freedom and restoration that releases us to celebrate, that calling out of our past ways of living. As Israel was called to celebrate the Lord in the wilderness so we are called out of our past lives to celebrate as well in the wilderness of this world. The calling of Israel gave them reason to celebrate, our calling should even more so give us reason to celebrate as well.

When we celebrate the great act of Salvation wrought for us by and in our Lord Jesus, we should celebrate them each and every day before our God giving him joyful thanks and praise and celebration. When we celebrate we are made stronger.

Understand, that there is, in truth, only one great act of salvation accomplished thru Jesus, that of his co-joined death and resurrection.

This one great act of salvation is eternally effectual having no bounds or limits in time or eternity. This one great saving act therefore manifest itself thru out the history of salvation in the lives of the Biblical personalities and each and all who are believers in manifold ways. All the great acts we see in the Holy Scriptures arise out of and derive their power from the one act of the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

This is the one great act of which we celebrate in all of its expression in all of our lives.

When we celebrate the salvation of God, we are made strong individually and collectively. We abandon the "discipline of celebrating" our spiritual lives can grow wearisome, flat, ritualistic and in time a drudgery.

We should thank God daily for all that his providence has provided us either actively or passively granted to us, we should thank him for all that he has blessed us with, to acknowledge that great blessing he has made possible for us.

Believers, each and all of us, should follow the lead of the Holy Spirit each and every day celebrating what God has accomplished for us in Jesus.

Celebration in the Temple

Psalm:150 calls on all creation to celebrate the great God thru great praise and joy. The worship in the Temple of God was not stoic or un-impassioned or solemn. The worship at the Temple was joyous and celebratory, the people would enter in to the Temple courts in grand processions. There was pageantry, the people would sing Psalms and hymns, the Priest would pray and Scripture would be read. The trumpets would sound, the timbrels shaken, cymbals would crash the people would shout Hallelujah and drop to their knees in worship and lift their hands to heaven as they celebrated their relationship with their God.
Is there this type of celebrating our relationship with our Lord with in the temple courts of the church? Christians of all people have so much to celebrate. St. Paul tells us to rejoice always, celebration is part of the Christian life.

Celebrating the Prodigals Return

Jesus tells us of the celebration upon the return of the Prodigal Son in Luke: 15:22-25, there is great celebration by the Father in the parable, this is not just a story, it speaks of the celebration of the Father for the return of his child, who represent each and all of us . This tells us that God the Father celebrate you and I. God is celebrating us. God the Father is rejoicing over you and I even to this very day the feast of celebration over your return to your Father is not a past event it is ongoing even to this very moment. Consider, for moment that if God, the Holy Trinity celebrate us, how much more should we celebrate him.

We of all people have more than any others to have reason to celebrate the salvation that is ours' in Christ a celebration that will carry on even thru out eternity, symbolized by the great wedding feast celebration of Rev:19:7-9

Celebration is vital and effective in the Christian life, let us, each and all, celebrate now and always what God has done for us in his Holy Son Jesus.

Benediction: May we each and all ever Celebrate the salvation of our God, today, tomorrow and forever more. Amen.