The Weekend Sermon is a day later than normal once again. My life is a mess right now. I am doing the best that I can.
As many of you know, I am having a bad time with my job right now. I am too upset to talk much about it. I would ask that you pray for me that I will be able to find a new job very quickly. I have way too much stress right now working where I am working. I have to get out of there. Lord, please let me find a job fast. Once again, please be in prayer for me on this very important matter.
I want to thank the Lord that so many new people have been reading the blog. May God bless you all.
Let us all be in prayer for those suffering from Ebola. Please pray that all of this ends soon. Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan among many other nations that need to have peace.
Today's message is not going to be very long. Its just something that I have been thinking about for the last several days. I don't really know why this topic has been on my mind.
In I Peter 3:18-22, the Bible talks about Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison. Elsewhere in I Peter, the Bible says that the gospel was preached to the dead. These two verses are often used as the Scriptural text for the statement found in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus descended into hell.
There are a variety of interpretations as to what these verses actually mean. I don't really want to go into all of that in my message today. What I want to focus on is one theologians take to what Jesus descending into hell means. According to this particular person, Jesus descending into hell signifies that there is no place in the universe that the love of Jesus does not reach.
Another theologian said that it signifies that even when we are at our lowest point, Jesus is there.
I think that both of these interpretations have something very valuable to say to us. First of all, there is no place that the love of Jesus does not reach. Jesus loves everyone. He came into this world to share His love with everyone who was ever born. While He was on this earth, Jesus shared His love with those who were looked down upon and despised by others in society. I think that if there was some person that others rejected and found unlovely that these were the people that Jesus loved the most.
You may feel today that no one loves you or cares about you. I have felt that way a lot recently. Don't fall into that kind of thinking. Jesus loves you. I have to remind myself of that. Work and life are hard right now. There is a lot of negativity being brought against me making me feel humiliated and depressed. I have been reminded of this, however; Jesus loves me. No matter what others may think about me, Jesus loves me and cares about me. He loved me so much that He took my sins in His body on the cross. He loves me and He loves you just the way you are. You may be poor, sick, depressed and rejected by humanity. Jesus loves you.
I've not been feeling well these last few weeks, and I don't know how long I'll be around. There is one thing I want to get across on this blog more than anything else. It is the entire reason I started these sermons to being with. I want you to know that Jesus loves you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will take you to be with Him forever if you make Him the Savior and Lord of your life. Everyone and Everything may turn against you in this life. But Jesus will always love you.
Now to the second thought. Jesus' love reaches to the lowest hell of our lives. I've been to what I consider the lowest hell of my life three times. The first time was when my friend Toby died. As those who read this blog know well, I loved him with all of my heart, and I still do. Jesus' love helped me to go on living when Toby went to be with Jesus. Jesus' love found me in the lowest hell and lifted me out.
The second time I felt myself in the lowest hell was when my Mom and Dad died within four months of each other. I went downhill badly. Financially, I have yet to recover. Even in that hell, Jesus was there. Only the awareness of His loving presence kept me going every day.
Right now, I am at the third lowest point in my life. I actually find it difficult to get up each day. It is only through the loving presence of Jesus that meets me each morning that I am able to get up and make it through the hell on earth that I am now facing. Even in this time of seeming hopelessness, Jesus is there, and I know that Jesus loves me.
You may be experiencing your own personal hell on earth right now. I don't know your personal circumstance. I do know this. Jesus cares. Jesus loves you. Jesus is with you right now to help you through your dark night.
Let's pray together:
Jesus, we know that you love us, and there is no one and no place that your love does not reach.
Even in our hardest and darkest times, you are there. You are filled with a great love for each of us. You are here to see us through until that day when we come into your glorious presence
when all will be well. We love you Jesus. Thank you for loving us and caring about us. Help
us this day to be aware of your love. Amen
That's about all I have to say this week. I will try to post more this week, but I'm not promising anything. Trust in Jesus this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
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