Merciful Savior Online

What do you do when the situation seems hopeless? Certainly, the situation must have seemed hopeless for Jesus' disciples; He had told them to feed the multitudes of people, and they only had five small loaves of bread and two fish with which to feed this crowd of over five thousand.

Have you ever wondered what kind of body you will have in the resurrection – what you will be like? It’s hard even to begin to imagine what we will be like on that day when Jesus Christ returns and raises up those who have died trusting in His name and changes the living who trust in Him for forgiveness and life.

Since the holy Son of God took on flesh and blood and redeemed us with His blood, shed on the cross, the devil can no longer successfully accuse us when we despair of our own faulty works and righteousness under the law and flee in faith to the cross of Jesus for refuge; through faith in the crucified and risen Christ, our sins are covered and washed away in Jesus’ shed blood!

But need we be afraid of the troubles of life? God's Word tells us: “But now thus says the LORD who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.’”

Ezekiel’s message? The soul who sins shall die, whether father or son. But those who repent of their wicked ways will be pardoned and live!

Not only do we have the Word of God revealed to us by God’s angels and by the prophets of God; we have the very Word of God the Son, who came into this world a true man that He might redeem us and bring us back into fellowship with God.

Have you ever considered what a blessing it is to have the forgiveness of God? What a blessing to have the LORD not hold your sins and iniquities against you? To be forgiven of the LORD removes all fear of wrath and condemnation and gives us peace with God. To have forgiveness for all our sins gives us the assurance of life everlasting!

Have you ever been afraid that you would come short on Judgment Day - that instead of being welcomed into heaven, you would be condemned to eternal suffering in hell because of your sins and shortcomings? To be honest, I think all Christians are troubled by such fears.

Wouldn’t we also, if we found ourselves standing in the presence of the Lord God, like Isaiah, say, “Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts”?

Worship at Good Shepherd on July 3, 2022