Who Is The Greatest?

 

 

Mohammed Ali said he was the greatest, but now he's just an old man who can hardly speak.  Beethoven may have been the greatest of all time as a composer of music, however he's long since passed from this life.  Michael Jordan has staked his claim on being the greatest basketball player ever, but he's too old to play now.

Maybe the greatest of all times could be one of the powerful leaders of a nation.  Alexander the Great conquered the world but the Grecian Empire no longer exists.  The great Caesars were considered the most powerful men in the world but the Roman Empire no longer exists.  So who really is the greatest? 

In Mark 9 the apostles were arguing because apparently each of them wanted to be the greatest in the kingdom of Christ.  They were embarrassed when Jesus asked them what they were arguing about and I'm sure very surprised by his response. 

"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."  Mark 9:35

I'll see you Sunday morning,

Dean

 

 

Surprise Someone This Week!

The disciples were surprised we might even say shocked when they returned to the well and saw Jesus talking to a woman from Samaria.  After all, the Samaritans were a hated race of people and no respectable Rabbi would ever stoop low enough to talk to a Samaritan woman especially not in a public place like a well.  Their thoughts raced, why was He talking to her, what did He want from her?

The answer to the question is quite simple.  He didn't want anything from her except a drink of water.  His real reason for talking with her was His desire to give her eternal life.  If you knew this woman you would probably be surprised also.  She was obviously not the prime example of a person ready to be converted.  She had been married six times and now was living in an immoral relationship.  Not only did the good faithful Jews not want to associate with a Samaritan, but no respectable person would spend time in public with such a disgraceful woman.  And yet with compassion and love, the son of God reached out to a lost soul.  John Chapter 4 records the story of a woman surprised by the love and compassion of Jesus.  By the end of the chapter she is running to tell the people the exciting news of the Messiah. 
    
Why don't you surprise someone this week by talking to a person who really needs Jesus Christ? Find someone who may not be the ideal candidate for conversion.  Find someone who is desperately in need of salvation and tell them the good news of our Savior.
                                                                                     See you Sunday,
                                                                                     Dean

 

 

2014 Sharing A Common Love

The words of song number 705, A Common Love, provides us with a great guideline for the way we should conduct ourselves during this New Year.  The song is based on John 13:34, 35 "as I have loved you, you must love one another."   The song expresses six distinct ideas on how we build a common love for each other and for the Lord.

"A common love for each other, a common gift to the Savior, a common bond holding us to the Lord; a common strength when we're weary, a common hope for tomorrow, a common joy in the truth of God's Word."