Glorify God in All That We Do

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

“31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.”

There was a great and complicated discussion among the Corinthians about what they, as new Christians, should eat or drink, and how they should live.  Paul revealed to them that Christians had great freedom in their lives, compared to the Jews, because of Christ, but this freedom should not be abused.  They should live so that God is glorified in every aspect of their lives.  

We think we are living lives that are godly.  We do not hurt people, we do not drink to excess or harm our bodies with drugs or cigarettes.  We do not say bad words.   And we often wonder if this pleases God.

But the real question we should be asking is are we living in such a way that our actions and words give glory to God?  Do our lives reflect God’s love, mercy, kindness and forgiveness?  Does the light of  our lives shine forth in the darkness for others to find their way?  Is our fellowship welcoming to all?  Do we see other people, especially the least, the last and the lost as children of God and worthy of  God’s love?  Do we seek opportunities to serve others?  Do we find ways and words to encourage and build others up?

In our lives we are constantly seeking pleasure, material gain, or status. But Paul says we should shift the focus from ourselves, and glorify God….in all that we do.

“I glorified you on the earth, by finishing the work which you gave me to do.” (John 17:4)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

“10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.”

In Corinth, Paul had laid the foundation of the Corinthian church by giving them Christ.  The life and teachings of Christ were the solid rock on which the people who came after him were to build upon this foundation.

The builders, Paul warned, must be careful how they build.  If they built with eternal materials, it would survive whatever the world threw at it.  If they built with flimsy, temporary materials, then the world would destroy it.

The life and teachings of Christ are the foundation of our church.  Christ taught love of God over love of worldly and material things, love of neighbor over hate, mercy and kindness over retribution, forgiveness over revenge, humility over pride, compassion over apathy, sacrifice over worldly gain, and servant leadership over authoritarianism. 

This is our foundation.  It is eternal and will not be destroyed.

What have we built upon it?    Have we used eternal materials?

Will it withstand the fire?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Solid Food of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

“1 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?”

Paul wrote that the Christians of the Corinthian Church were like babies.  Despite having been Christians for some time, they had not matured in their faith.  

They have had the opportunity, offered by the Holy Spirit, to grow, but because of their pettiness and unwillingness to let go of their grudges and jealousies they had quenched the power of the Spirit in their lives.  They behaved as if they did not have the Spirit of God at all.

When they were saved, Paul had taught them the basics of the Christian faith.  This “milk” as Paul called it, was meant to inspire them to grow and mature; to hunger and thirst for God; to pursue righteousness.  Instead, they chose to remain as children, pursuing old quarrels and jealousies.

God’s Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may grow in our faith; so that we can become a new creation in God; so that our lives may reflect the fruits of the spirit.

When we get bogged down in worldly things such as divisiveness and quarrels, we quench the Holy Spirit’s work in us.

Do we need more “milk” or are we hungering for the solid food of the Spirit?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Gifts of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:14-15

“14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.”

The fruits of the spirit are reserved for those who are indwelled by the Spirit.  A person who is not a believer may say they have love, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, but they do not know these things in the way that Christians know them because they are not given to them in the way the Holy Spirit gives them to Christians.

When, for example, love and joy are accompanied by the presence and knowledge of God, they are very different from the love and joy that the world gives a person.

The love and forgiveness of God are reflected in every aspect of a believer's life and transforms the believer into a new creation.  Only the love of God can lift us and transform us into people who live their lives based on the teachings of Christ. 

It is as a transformed people that we know the fruits of the spirit.  

Our love is the love of God.  

Our joy is the joy of God.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Gifts of God

1 Corinthians 2:9-13

“9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.”

Once we come into faith, God gives us His spirit.  It is through God’s Holy Spirit that we receive the hunger for God’s word, the need to search out God’s truth, and the power to live our lives in the example of Christ.  

Through these things we come to know God and our relationship with God grows ever deeper.  Gradually we are transformed by the Spirit into the image of Christ over the course of our lifetime. Because of this transformation, our lives will reflect the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).

For this transformation to happen, we must listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit over the voice of the world.  We must follow God’s spirit and not the spirit of the world.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Experiencing Christ

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

“1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”

People can tell us about Christ, we can read books about Christ, and we can even read the gospels and still not know Christ.  We will know about Christ, but we will never know Him until we experience Him through the power of God.

We first experience this power when we realize who God truly is, who Christ truly is and who we are; that we stand before the creator as a sinful creature.  And in this realization our response is to humbly acknowledge our shortcomings and ask for forgiveness.

It is then, when we experience the love and forgiveness of God and we know that Christ is our savior, that our relationship with Christ begins.

As Christians, we are in an active, intimate relationship with Christ that transcends all worldly wisdom; a relationship that affects all aspects of our lives and runs counter to the values and teachings of the world.  

A life characterized by love, mercy, kindness, charity, and forgiveness requires a close personal relationship with Christ… and the power of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Imperfect

1 Corinthians 1: 26-31

“26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Every Christian is called, first, into the faith and then to serve.  Some Christians do not believe that God would call them, that they do not deserve to be called, they are not good enough to be called.  They think, “God does not want me.  I do not know enough, I am not worthy to serve, I am not skilled enough.”

Paul told the Corinthians that God uses the lowly, the weak, and the reluctant to accomplish His plans.   Moses, Gideon, and Jonah were reluctant servants who asked God to consider others instead of them, but God used them to accomplish great and wonderful things. The Disciples were not educated men of high status but, through them, the gospel was spread over the known world.

The perfect God uses the imperfect to accomplish His perfect will.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1: 18-24

“18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

Christians who follow the teachings of Christ and live their lives according to Christ’s example are foolish in the eyes of those who do not know Christ.  After all, Christ was rejected by His own people, ridiculed, arrested, and finally crucified.  What kind of savior is this?  How could such a person be the savior of the world?  How can such a weak, lowly person, who could not save Himself, offer salvation to the world?  

But this foolishness was God’s plan.  To a person of faith, it makes perfect sense and is, in fact, ingenious.  The problem of human salvation was a problem that only God could solve.  The only sacrifice that would pay the price of human sin was the sacrifice of God incarnate; God’s only son.

To the world this seems foolish.  After all,  how can death result in life?  But it was not just the death that gave us life.  

It was the death and the resurrection.

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor. 1:25)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Followers of Christ

1 Corinthians 1:11-13

“11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 

Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to unite behind Christ, the living Son of God and not him or one of the other early Church Fathers such as Peter or Apollo’s.

Today, Christianity is divided into hundreds of denominations, many defined by differences of which their members are not even aware.  Many say, “I am a follower of John Wesley”,“I am a Calvinist”, or “I am a Lutheran”. 

The important question is are we disciples of Christ?  Do we follow the teachings and the example of Christ?

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Source

1 Corinthians 1:  1-10

“1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

In the first ten verses of Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth,  the name of Christ appears ten times.  Paul’s letter was going to be a difficult one in which Paul was going to deal with sensitive issues.  

So, Paul emphasized Christ and reminded the members of the Corinthian church that it was by Christ that they were saved, by Christ that they were given strength, by Christ they received their spiritual gifts, and it was Christ that they served.

In our spiritual walk, it is important that we never forget the source of our salvation.  Let us never forget the wellspring of our faith, the inspiration of our love, the power of our souls. Let us never forget who and why we serve.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Live Your Calling

1 Kings 22: 6-8, 13-14

“So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.” 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.... “13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

The King of Israel liked to be flattered.  He liked his prophets to be “yes” men.  He liked to think that he was right all of the time.  Those who voiced contrary opinions were exiled or ostracized or killed.

Micaiah was a prophet that spoke the words that God told him to speak.  He knew the risks yet the words of God were infinitely more important to him than the favor of the king.  Micaiah was not a prophet in name only. He was a true prophet that lived his calling.  

In this world of today, people of power and authority still like flatterers and yes men. Christians are called to a different life; to live lives that are examples of Christ.  

No matter the risk.  No matter the price.

May the love of Christ be with you

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Resurrected Life

Romans 6: 6-11

“6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

If we are Christians, then we are to follow the example of  Christ’s life and live according to His teachings.  

Our lives are to be characterized by the resurrection.  We are to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we will be made new.  As the Holy Spirit works in our lives we become a new creation as our relationship with God deepens.

 In this new life, sin no longer binds us in its shackles.  We live under the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God and we can move forward in our lives, in God’s love.  

In Christ, our old lives are no more.  

In Christ, we live the resurrected life.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Justified

Romans 5: 6-9

“6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.”

Despite our estrangement from God because of our bent to sin, God, through His mercy has provided salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote that it is rare that a person will sacrifice their lives for a good person and even rarer that they will make such a sacrifice for a “bad” person.  But Christ died for all sinners so that they could know God.

The fact that Christ died for us is proof of God’s love for us, despite our sins.   Through the sacrifice of Christ, we can be justified (put in a right relationship with God) through our faith in Christ.

Though we are yet sinners, there is hope.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Our Common Problem

Romans 3:21-24

“21 But now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Paul does not see any difference in any human being on earth.  According to Paul, sin is the thing that we all have in common.  Sin is the great equalizer.  We all have the same weaknesses. And as a result,  all humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  

Our common problem can only be resolved by the great gift of God, “the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.  

A common problem and a common solution.

In a time when we celebrate our differences, Paul would tell us that we have more in common that we are willing to admit.

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” (Matthew 7:1-2)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Gospel Message

 

Romans 1:16

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

For preaching the gospel, Paul had been imprisoned, stoned, left for dead, beaten with rods, robbed, starved, suffered in cold, suffered in heat, gone hungry, and he was laughed at.  Yet, here he is, writing to the Romans, saying that he is not ashamed of the gospel.

The very gospel that caused people to react so violently towards him, Paul called “the power of God for salvation to all who believe.”  Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because he knew it to be from God for the benefit of humanity.  

The world rejects the gospel because it is a message of love, mercy, and forgiveness; it is a message of generosity, giving and self-sacrifice; it is a message of peace and unity 

As we glorify our wars, celebrate our greed and selfishness, and make excuses for our hate and vengefulness, remember Paul and the gospel message.

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Christian Fellowship

 Romans 1:8-12

“8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10 asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

Paul wanted to meet with the members of the Roman church so that he could share his spiritual gifts with them in order to strengthen them and so that he, himself, could be strengthened by them.

The fellowship of Christians is more than just a meet and greet; more than just a shared meal; more than just an icebreaker exercise at a seminar.  Through Christian fellowship we can all be strengthened in our faith journey, no matter where we are in that journey.  

Some of my fondest memories of Christian fellowship involve being around older, more mature Christians, listening to their stories, and watching them as they led the church. They inspired me to explore my faith more deeply and to endeavor to live the kind of life that Christians are called to live.

The world is a challenge to a people of faith, and it is easy to fall into its temptations and distractions.  Amidst of all this, the world can make us feel like we are alone.   Christian fellowship can give us encouragement, solace, and reinforcement when we need it most.

“Do not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Source

1 Corinthians 1:  1-10

“1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

In the first ten verses of Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth,  the name of Christ appears ten times.  Paul’s letter was going to be a difficult one in which Paul was going to deal with sensitive issues.  

So, Paul emphasized Christ and reminded the members of the Corinthian church that it was by Christ that they were saved, by Christ that they were given strength, by Christ they received their spiritual gifts, and it was Christ that they served.

In our spiritual walk, it is important that we never forget the source of our salvation.  Let us never forget the wellspring of our faith, the inspiration of our love, the power of our souls. Let us never forget who and why we serve.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Foreshadowing

2 Kings 13:14-20

“14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, King Joash of Israel went down to him, and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows”; so he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow”; and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Then he said, “Open the window eastward”; and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. Then he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 He continued, “Take the arrows”; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them”; he struck three times, and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Aram only three times.” 20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 As a man was being buried, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha; as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood on his feet.”

Two things catch the readers’ eye in this scripture: First, King Joash, at the deathbed of Elisha, repeats the exact phrase that Elisha said when Elijah was taken up.  Second, After Elisha’s death, a dead man was resurrected after being placed in the grave of Elijah.

Elisha is linked by this passage to the life of Elijah and to Christ.  Elisha was a servant and apprentice of Elijah, and Elisha’s life was a foreshadowing of the yet to be incarnated Christ.  

Our lives as Christians are to be modeled after the life and teachings of Christ.  We are to be examples of the living, resurrected Christ in the world…

and a foreshadowing of the future Kingdom of God. 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Open Our Eyes

2 Kings: 6:15-17

“15 When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” 16 He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed: “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 

The King of Aram attacked the city of Dothan, where Elisha was living.  When the people of the city awoke, they were surrounded by Aramean soldiers on foot, horses and chariots.  The people of Dothan appeared to be outnumbered.

Elisha told his servant that there were more “with us than with them” and suddenly the servant could see thousands of God’s army of Angels around Elisha on horses and in chariots of fire.

In our struggles as Christians, we have God’s Holy Spirit leading and guiding us.  Where we go, God goes.  When we pray, but the words just will not come, the Holy Spirit prays for us.  When we think we cannot go on, the Holy Spirit gives us the courage to persevere.  

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Anger

2 Kings 5:-14

“13 But his servants approached and said to him [Naaman], “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God [Elisha]; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.”

Elisha, through a messenger, told Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times in order to be healed of leprosy.  Naaman thought he should have been healed by the prophet, Elisha, himself.   So he turned away in anger and began to leave. 

Naaman was ready to walk away from God’s healing because he was angry. His servants stopped him and persuaded him to do as Elisha had requested.  He immersed himself seven times in the Jordan River and was healed.

Emotions such as anger interfere with our relationship with God.  During times of anger we are unable to discern the voice of God and be led by His spirit.  

“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.” (James 1:19-20) 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)