Mother's Day!

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." - Abraham Lincoln

In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth. It was good. For whatever reason, the existence of evil predated the creation of man. Evil was not extinguished with the creation of man. But rather at the time God created Adam and Eve, there was in fact evil with which the tempter interposed temptation, before yielding, evil held no power over Adam and Eve. Once they disobeyed God, eating the forbidden fruit, the terror of evil and suffering and pain was now a blight. In the birth, life and death of the Son of God, Jesus was victorious in redeeming humanity. He broke the power of evil and the curse of the fall, the curse of death was replaced by resurrection power. At Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Evil remains, but it’s rendered powerless by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and gifted to us by God’s benevolent saving sanctifying grace and power.

To those who would identify with God’s holy and become the church of empowered believers, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also.” (John 14:12). Did Jesus really mean this? I believe he did.

As a small man, a family man and an educated man but an individual who faces each day with a physical infirmity, a pastor of the Christian faith in the 21st century, I welcome advisement and counsel from anyone who might enlighten me if I make assertions in a manner not consistent with Holy Scripture. I contend that there is an excellent model of ministry instituted by Jesus and carried forward by the apostles and the New Testament church as recorded in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. In fact, the entire New Testament is a model for ministry. If Jesus fed the multitudes, healed the sick, raised the moral social standards in addressing the way children and women were treated, clarified legal definitions such as 'who is my neighbor', et.al. - is he suggesting that the church can extend this ministry into the 21st century and up until he returns? Why not?