jstefan posted on April 12, 2010 09:42
This time of the year is unpredictable! Weather can play tricks on you as it teases us with cool days and sudden warm days. Especially, this is the case as this winter was an forgettable one!
I visited the Mt Gregory United Methodist Church in Cooksville last Sunday to support 3AM, Westminster’s youth singing group comprising Hakeem, Martha, and Dominique. They had been asked to do the music there for Palm Sunday. The pastor, Stephen Sarafusa from Uganda, gave an absolutely inspiring message in this warm and friendly church. They meet in an old building but they have a vision of a new building. It is predominately an African Church.
The pastor used as his text Luke 19:28-40, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. When the disciples requested use of the donkey to ride into Jerusalem, the owner simply was told, “The Lord has need of it!” The owner made no reply but it is clear that he gave immediate, unquestioning permission. Pastor Sarafusa emphasized that we often give all kind of excuses when the Lord asks us to use something we possess for the glory of His Kingdom. We all can be creative with what those excuses may be but they delay the progress of the glory of God.
His next point focused on the reaction of the religious leaders when the people acclaimed Jesus king. He emphasized the suffocating reactions we often receive when we express a spontaneous life of joy in our Savior and King—Jesus! I might interject at this point that the people had another opportunity as well as the religious leaders to respond to the presence of the Messiah during the Triumphal Entry. The last time they had this opportunity was at Jesus’ Triumphal Birth?! Some of the people took the opportunity and shouted: “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
But sadly, the religious leaders, missing another opportunity, maybe their last, commanded Jesus—God—King of the Universe to rebuke the people, to clam up, chill out, shut up! But, Jesus responded, the moment was so grand that inanimate stones would cry out if they didn’t! God help us when we can shout at a sports event or a patriotic gathering but demand silence in the church of the living God! 1 John 1:4 indicates that the purpose of the writing of the Gospel message is that our joy be full. Let’s not be SADventists but rather GLADventists! With such a God, how can we do otherwise?!