I can remember as a child grocery shopping with my mom. Naturally, I was impressed by the bakery section, the cookie aisle, and the sports drinks. Mom would always say, “is that something we need or something we want?” The point is a staple of personal wisdom. We all have things we need and things we want.
Things we need include food, water, shelter, transportation, other people, God’s Word and certainly God’s grace. Things we want often have to do with the type of shelter, transportation, or experience we want. Wants are not bad as long as we recognize them as wants.
God is good. He really is. He provides for his people in his time. In the Old Testament, we read that God brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. While in the desert, God provided them with mana, bread from heaven, water, and meat. He provided them with leaders and a livelihood. He showed his mercy to them over and over again despite their sin. He gave them everything they needed. The problem often came when they wanted something that simply wasn't on the agenda or on the menu. They craved the melons they had back in Egypt. God was serving bread and quail that night, again.
Nevertheless, God is really, really good. God never failed to give his people their needs. The Bible never mentions a single person dying from thirst, hunger or exposure while wandering in a desert comparable to the Sonoran Desert without air conditioning in those 40 years. God’s Word and his unconditional mercy was a constant presence. God also gave them wants beyond their imagination in his time. He brought them to a land with not just melons but one flowing with milk and honey. God never fails to give you your daily bread. God often in his time gives us much more as well.
Please allow me to share one of my favorite passages with you. Jesus says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
As a congregation God has been good to us. He is meeting our wants and needs. Chiefy, our need for his Word and grace. Note the worship schedule for the week before Easter:
4/2 Palm Sunday 10am
4/6 Maundy Thursday 7pm
4/7 Good Friday 2pm
4/9 Easter Sunday 10am
There will also be Easter Breakfast at 8:30am on Easter Sunday. The men of the congregation will make breakfast for our families, ladies, and visitors. Please make plans to attend and bring a friend. If you are interested in helping out please contact Pastor Kurt.
God has been giving us our wants too. There are three really exciting projects in the works at Mt. Calvary:
This last week I received the news that we have officially received a grant from an outside source for $42,000 in new livestream equipment, audio equipment, and professional installation. Praise God! If you can’t make it to church you will soon be able to watch church from home. This equipment will also be a powerful evangelism tool. God is good.
Mt. Calvary will also be receiving a new roof. This roof will go on beginning 4/3 and should wrap up in about a week.
Finally, Mt. Calvary will be meeting with a delegation from Christ Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert, AZ on March 29th. The purpose of this meeting is to acquire the software and marketing tools to use the livestream equipment well, and to discuss a vision for Mt. Calvary. What does Mt. Calvary want to be known for in the community? In an area with many historic churches, why Mt. Calvary? How can we communicate this to future Christians all around? It is going to be an exciting time to scale up evangelism and outreach.
As always, you can reach me anytime at the contact information below:
In Jesus Service,
Pastor Kurt
425.420.6826.
khellwig@vlhs.org