“Lamp of Prayer” April 1, 2012

As the Lord’s Week of Passion begins, let us turn our hearts toward Jesus and His Sacrifice upon the Cross of Calvary. Let us take special time this coming week to do something that will Bless the Lord, something out of the ordinary as we look forward to Resurrection Sunday.  We are blessed that you have joined us today in worship!

  

“For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the Salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.”  Isaiah 62:1       

Again we look at “Blessing the Lord!”  This is our goal, our quest, and we are strongly reminded of it as we come into this Week of Jesus Passion. I am challenged to worship more, pray more, read my Bible more, reach out to other more… to be mindful of those who are less fortunate than I, and to offer encouragement more often to those around me.  Today we are lighting the Lamp of Prayer in our Lord’s House. There are many reasons for this: but most of all we remember Jesus powerful and sorrowful words when He said;  “…Why sleep ye? rise and Pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” C Luke 22:46 A cry goes forth from the heaven, “Awake, awake: put on thy strength …” Such strength comes with a relationship with our God.  We grow in our relationship with the Father when we communicate with Him in Prayer, in Worship, in Praise, and in Ministering to others, C ‘like loving our neighbors as our self!’  I love the Passage of Scripture where Jesus took the three disciples with Him to the mountain and there they beheld the vision of Jesus talking with Moses and Elias/Elijah. In the glory of such a moment St. Luke reveals [9:30-32] that in their fear … [Matt. 17:6] “they fall heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw His Glory!” We are placing the Lamp in the Sanctuary today, to call us to Prayer, to a greater dedication, that we might be awaken to His Glory!  That we might win in the battle, the struggle against temptation.  Gideon won the battle with pitchers that held Lamps. Our ‘vessels’ [pitchers] must be filled with the Light of God so that our Lamps light the path before us and we are beacon to the lost.  I hear the Song of Solomon calling, “Arise my love, and come away.”  Come away from the fears of today, the things of this world, and come into My presence and I will sup with thee!  Awaken my heart O Lord!   Loving you, Pastor