Being the Church…

Over the past couple of days, I have had the privilege of seeing Christ’s church in action. On Christmas Eve morning, I was standing in front of a burned out house with a couple that had just lost everything. I mean everything. As they were standing there, they both told me how God had been so good to them through this tragedy. You see they witnessed the church first hand. Here are some of what they told me…

• I can’t believe how many people have stopped by and prayed with us.
• Someone came by and gave me a stack of new clothes and they are all my size!
• I have more and newer clothes now after the fire.
• Someone called to give us money and would not tell me who they were…they just said that they were in need one time in their life and now its their time to help someone else.
• We got back to the hotel and the front desk had a stack of checks for us that people had dropped off.
• The American Red Cross volunteer showed up at the same time as the fire trucks.
• Someone replaced all of our grandchildren’s presents that were destroyed in the fire.
• Someone gave me two new tires to replace the worn out ones on my truck…that wasn’t even on the fire.
• Can you believe the house next door came up for rent today and we are moving in.
• A truck showed up this morning with a complete house full of furniture.
• Thankfully no one was injured.
• We were able to witness to two people in the midst of this tragedy.
• We are going to be OK.
• God is so good!

Folks, what we see here is the picture of Christ’s church. His people saw the need and responded to it. It wasn’t one church or another that organized a response. It is God’s people being the church!

It is the evening of Christmas Day in the Petrus household. The children and grandchildren have all gone to their respective homes. Gail and I are enjoying the quietness and relaxing. We actually have a day tomorrow without schedules. If all goes well we will get that dreaded exercise room cleaned out and actually start using the stuff in there.

As I sit in our den in front of the fireplace (its actually one of those Amish ones), I have been reflecting on the events in our family during the past several months. Christmas time is a to reflect on God’s work in and through our lives as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

It warms my heart to see how God has been working in my son, Eric and his wife, Cheyanne’s lives during the past year. He not only arranged a medical treatment and a very competent team of doctors and nurses to rid his body of the cancer, and an anonymous stem cell donor that was an almost perfect match for Eric. He took care of all the details of an anxious move 600 miles away from home and brought them safely home. God used the experience of Eric’s cancer to grow both Eric and Cheyanne in their faith. Without their intention, they both have been able to reflect Christ through their handling of this situation, whether it through Caring Bridge blogs, FaceBook posts, emails, interaction with doctors and nurses or hospital staff. They have impacted countless people!

This Christmas we celebrated a very special gift for our son…his health. Something that many of us take for granted. Tonight I am reflecting on and celebrating God’s mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Reflecting…to God be the glory!

Glory in the Highest

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV)

The Assurance of God’s Saving Work.

Christmas time is a time for family and a time of exchanging gifts, a time of rejoicing. But for some, it is not a time of gladness, but rather of sadness. If you are here and are not rejoicing in what Christ has done for you, read and meditate on His Word…search out His Word…here is a passage on assurance of His saving work…

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;

May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice.
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call Psalms 20:1-9 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord…not in the things of this earth. Not matter what your circumstance or situation, call upon the name of the Lord.

Overwhelmed! That is the state that I have been on all day. Don’t get me wrong…its not the overwhelmed feeling that you have when your job is too busy, demands are too much or the expectations are too high. The overwhelming feeling that I have been experiencing today and the last few days is on the majesty and power of our Lord and God. It was a pretty tiring trip up to Maryland and back this past weekend to bring Eric and Cheyanne back home…but it was just a physical tiredness. It has been a spiritual renewal for our entire family. You see, it has not been too long ago when doctors were not very optimistic about Eric’s prognosis. Today, he is home and cancer free.

It is a testimony to the omnipotence of our Lord. He is all powerful. The Lord has answered our many prayers to heal Eric and we are forever grateful to Him. David, in Psalm 30, puts it best:

I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
I cried out to You, O LORD;
And to the LORD I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;
LORD, be my helper!”

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Amen.

Our Son is Coming Home…after 7 months of treatment in Bethesda, Maryland…this says it all:

Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forevermore!

From the rising of the sun to its going down
The LORD s name is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

That He may seat him with princes–
With the princes of His people.
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!

Psalms 113:1-9 (NKJV)

Amen, amen and amen!