Bethany Bullet - November 4, 2014

“Saints” in the Lord,

The Scripture over and over again refers to the people of God as saints!  This was a practice that Martin Luther thought should be returned to and then retained in the church.  “When Christendom began, the custom of calling one another saints continued for a long time.  This should still be the practice.  For when Christians call themselves holy after Christ, this is not arrogance; it is honoring and praising God.  For thereby we do not praise the malodorous holiness of our own works but His baptism, Word, grace, and Spirit, which we do not have of ourselves; He gave them to us.”   

Sunday we discussed how our designation as saint was not a status secured by our service, or as Luther would say, “The malodorous holiness” of ourselves.   However, passionate service is the sequel to our status as saints in the Lord.  You can hear the sermon in its entirety on the Bethany website. Click HERE for podcast page.

In thinking about saints of Scripture it struck me how few (I can’t think of one) lived out their saintliness in absolute solitude.  It also struck me how few (I can’t think of one) lived without any hurts, burdens, pains or sorrows and yet at the same time how few (I can’t think of one) lived without any joys, celebrations or hopes.  Our Wednesday night gatherings at Bethany, REFUEL, are NOT a re-run of the previous Sunday NOR are they a preview of the Sunday to come.  REFUEL is a place for the saints of God to share a burden with other saints so that they might know the consolation of God’s love and the certainty of the supplication of fellow saints.  REFUEL is also a place where saints of God have the opportunity to share what they have heard or seen or learned or received from God so that others might rejoice with them and be strengthened in their own faith and hope for their journey.  

When you are in need of supplication or when you want to share the cause of a celebration, join us for REFUEL is 6:45-7:15PM on SCHEDULED Wednesdays.  REFUEL meets on November 5^th & November 19^th will be the LAST REFUEL until January.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer