Dearly Beloved,

As I was enjoying the snow and getting to start school late on Tuesday I was watching one of the early morning talk shows.  During the little bit that I watched they showed clips of Army veteran Clinton Romesha receiving the Medal of Honor.  Considering that the Medal of Honor is the military’s highest honor and that he is only the fourth living recipient of this honor it was a very somber and emotional occasion.  Add to the fact the losses that he had experienced and the trials he and his men had been through and one can easily understand the solemness of the day.

However, during that ceremony Staff Sergeant Romesha was not always the center of attention.  His young son stole the show and gave everyone a good laugh.  Some might want to react with disappointment and dismay that a child would behave this way at such an important time.  This may be true, and he was quickly contained, but one point should be made clear.  This child was simply reacting to the joy he felt at having his dad back home.  The peace, comfort, and joy he was expressing were true and honest emotions.

“And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:8)

In the previous verses we are witness to Peter performing a miracle, by the power of God, giving a lame man the ability to walk.  In this verse we see his entrance into the synagogue and his attitude about the work that had been done in his life.  Notice that there was no reservation in his happiness.  Peter and the other apostles had been the targets of men in authority and by his reaction he put himself in danger.  However, he realized that if God could make him walk then nothing that man could do was a real threat for him.

The question for us today is this — are we living our lives as a soldier with scars from battle or as a child that realizes true joy — are we living in fear or are we living knowing that the battle has already been won by our King of kings.  Hopefully, we are living our lives knowing that despite all that we are going through or have been through that our Lord of lords has already won the battle on our behalf.  The Prince of Peace has worked in our life and we have much to be thankful for.

If that is in fact the case, let us enter into the House of the Lord with the same obnoxious and overwhelming joy that was expressed by the healed man in Acts 3.  Not to say that we should literally be jumping with joy or that we will always be bubbly happy – but rather let us enter in to the place not out of obligation and duty.  Let us view our ability to attend church and be with the saints as if we were lame and unable to walk just a few minutes before.  For we were once lame and unable to come before the almighty, but by the miraculous power of God we are made His children.

Let us encourage one another in days to come to be in the House of the Lord this weekend.

From the Desk of the Pastor,

May the Lord Bless you is our prayer — Elder J.W. Cunningham