Happy Thursday to everyone! I just wanted to start off by reminding you that there will be a special celebration worship on Sunday, February 12 at 4:30pm where we will install Brian Zielke as Director of Christian Education at Lord of Life. To go along there will be a dinner that will follow. I look forward to this time together with you. We are also asking that you would RSVP so that we can get a count for the dinner. You can RSVP with your Connection Card on Sunday morning or by following this link.

This weekend we begin a new message series at Lord of Life. It is all about the 10 Commandments. The Commandments are found in two different places in the Scriptures. You can find them in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

Deuteronomy 5 begins with Moses summoning “all” Israel. I want to emphasize he summoned all the people. It was not just some of the people. This was important for everyone. And it was not just for the people who first received these commandments more than 3000 years ago. These commandments were for all people in all times. They are just as applicable to us today as they were to the people then.

Moses would later say in Deuteronomy 32:47 that these are not just idle words. These words are your life and by them you will live.

When we turn to the New Testament the Peter, the disciple of Jesus, says, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of these words that God gives us as commands. These are more than mere suggestions, they are the pathway to the full and abundant life that God created us for.

Some might say that these commandments are in the Old Testament and because of Jesus we don’t need them anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the Law. (see Matthew 5:17). Jesus gives us even more reason to take these commandments to heart, to learn them, and to live them.

Think about the reasons why God gave us the Commandments. He did not give us the Commandments for his benefit. He gave us the Commandments for our benefit. They are true and certain. We think we might be able to get away with something. It seems like a small thing. We think to ourselves, “What is a little lie? Who is it hurting? It pales in comparison to murdering someone.” But there is a reason these Commandments are written on stone. They are are hard and fast. We might think it was an innocent lie we told, but that lie will catch up with us. We are not getting away with anything and there will be consequences to pay.

A loving parent sets boundaries for his children. That parent wants to protect his children. He wants the best for them. In the same way God is our loving Heavenly Father. He sets these boundaries not to spite us, but because he loves us. He wants the best for us. He wants us to live life to its fullest.

It is my prayer that as we go through these Commandments over the next couple of weeks we will recognize that they are not so much about what God keeping us from, but what God is empowering us for. It is my prayer we would not see them as a burden, but as the path of life.

Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV84)

God gives us the 10 Commandments because he loves us and he wants the best for us. God does not give us the Commandments for his benefit. He gives the Commandments for our benefit. They are not given to be a burden, but show us a path to joy.

God says, “Learn them and be sure to follow them.” Deuteronomy 5:1 (NIV84) The first important step is to learn the Commandments. So do you know the Commandments? If someone asked you to list the 10 Commandments, would you be able to do so? Sadly, there are more Christians who are not able to list the 10 Commandments than there are Christians who are able to do so.

It is impossible to obey and to live for God if we don’t now what he expects from us. That is why I believe this message series is so important. It is my prayer that we will learn these Commandments so that we might be able to live them out and experience all that God wants for us.

We have seen how the Commandments have been taken out of classrooms and courtrooms. But many of us have taken the Commandments out of our lives as well. Many view the Commandments more as the 10 Suggestions than the 10 Commandments. Even more import than having the Commandments displayed on the walls of our public buildings, we need the Commandments written upon our hearts and displayed in our lives.

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:1-3 (NIV84)

There is more than meets the eye with these Commandments. Knowing these Commandments is about much more than simply being able to recite them. It takes a lifetime and more to grasp their full meaning, but in February and March we will be taking the first step to discovering the filled full life God lays out for us in the 10 Commandments.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be selling copies of Luther’s Small Catechism to help guide our study. If you would like to purchase a copy they will be available in the lobby before and after worship for $9/each.

Check out last week’s list, but another suggesting I would offer is changing media diet. What are you consuming? In much the same way as the food you eat affects your health, so also the media you consume impacts your well-being. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale says, “what comes out of the mind is what you put in the mind. You must feed your mind like you feed your body.”

If you are stuck in a rut, maybe you need to consider a radical shift in what you are consuming. The season of Lent is coming up. Ash Wednesday is February 22. People will often fast during the season of Lent. But instead of fasting from food, maybe there is a certain form of media that is polluting your mind and heart from which it might be healthy for you to take a break from or to eliminate altogether. It might be what you watch on TV at night, the talk shows he listened to on the radio, time spent on Facebook, or the romance novels you read before bed.

However, remember that the ultimate purpose of giving something up for Lent is that we might fill ourselves with other healthy alternatives. Think about the newspaper you might read in the morning. It has been said that good news is no news. The stories that are often printed in the news are stories of auto-accidents, crime, corruption, sports, and weather. The purpose of the news is not always to inform but to sell ads through sensationalism. Instead, you might use this time when you would read your newspaper to read the Bible. I doubt you are going to be that much less informed by giving up your morning paper, but you will be starting your day on a much more positive note.

Speaking of ads, the general theme of most ads is that your life is missing something. In order to be fulfilled you need to purchase a certain product. Then when you do purchase that product you then see another ad that tells you your life is still not fulfilled until you buy yet this other product. Many of us fail to recognize the way modern advertising tends to discourage us and bring us down. The more we avoid the glitz of advertising, the better off we will be.

The more stuck you feel, the more radical your change may need to be. There are probably many forms of media you could give up and would not miss a thing. If you’re not quite ready to give up a certain form of media, consider keeping a log of all the different types of media that you consume throughout the day. Write down how much time you spend with each one. How much time do you spend reading the newspaper? How much time do you spend on Facebook? How much time do you spend on blogs and other websites? How much time do you spend watching TV? You just might be surprised at things you are taking in.

Another thing to consider is to whom do you give your ear? Who do you listen to? And coworkers? Family members? Friends? Even brothers and sisters in Christ? Consider the tone and the messages you receive from these people. Is it positive? Is it negative? Do they speak well or poorly of others? Are they fire starters? Is the sky always falling? Seriously consider the people you spend time with. Obviously, you can’t cut family members out of your life, but you can limit their influence. You can’t change your coworkers, but you can politely refuse to take part in a conversation.

God’s words says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

What I want to leave you with is this thought: if you are stuck in a rut, you may need to consider radical change. It may be real hard, but the alternative may be even harder to face.

I don’t quite understand that rationale, but it happens. When there are so many options we get stuck with the paralysis of analysis. The more options we have, the less inclined we are to make a decision.

Sometimes I wish God would give me one specific thing to do. I wish that he would make it so clear to me that there would be no doubt what he would want me to do in any given moment. But that’s not really the way it works. There are many choices we have before us and many different opportunities that God presents for us to serve him in this world. There are so many needs and hurts but he has given me so much time and money. It is very easy to feel stuck and overwhelmed by it all.

So what do you do when you feel stuck in a rut, can’t make a decision, and feel lost?

• Get on your knees! Pray to God and give all these things over to him. Pray bold prayers. Ask him to give you clear direction. Ask him to show you what is most important.

• Just do it. Pick one thing and give it all you got. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the things you are not able to do. This is called focus.

• Delegate. You can’t do all. One of my favorite quotes is: “Never do ministry alone.” I try to implement this in what I do. God never intended for us to be Lone Ranger Christians. He has given us each other to work together and to serve together.

• Ask. Ask your spouse. Ask your parent. Ask your friend. Ask your pastor. Get an outsiders perspective and input. Be open with your struggle. Help others help you. Listen to their wisdom. Proverbs 24:6 reads, “So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.”

• Open up God’s Word. One thing I have never regretted is reading God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 reads that God’s Word is useful. There is power in God’s Word to encourage, direct, and inspire.

• Write out your goals. It is said, “show me your vision, I’ll show you your future.” Sometimes we can’t make a decision because we don’t have a destination in mind. If you are driving your car to a destination, it will guide your decision which way to turn when you come to an intersection. Without a destination, you will not have any guidance which way to turn. Be specific with your goals.

• Read to learn from others. I love to read the writings of highly effective pastors. They inspire me and encourage me to be a better pastor myself. I seek to learn from their successes and their failures. But the thing that always strikes when I read their stories is that it was not easy to get where they are now. They had failures and they had setbacks just like me, but with God’s help they were able to overcome. You and I have the same God on our side.

• Be mentored. Talk with people who were where you are but are now where you want to be. Going back to number 4 in this list, we often get stuck commiserating with people who are stuck where we are. Look beyond the horizon. Pick up the phone. Send and email. If the people who are stuck where you are at had the answers you are looking for, they would not be stuck where they are.

• Retreat! Those of you who have been on a retreat with me know I don’t like calling a retreat a retreat. I like to call them advances. The purpose of a retreat is to advance in our work. Retreat from the busyness of life to find time alone with God whether a short time out of your day or a longer time out of your week. We know that Jesus would often retreat to quiet and lonely places. These are times to be refreshed, renewed, and reinvigorated.

So, those are some ideas of what to do when you feel stuck. I would love to hear some ideas you might have. Feel free to leave a comment.

So come and be a part of this special night! And make sure to invite a friend to come with. I am sure you will be inspired.

The second things is that this Sunday we will be kicking off the new message series entitled “For the Least of These.” It is all about the responsibility of the church and parents to pass the faith on to the next generation.

At the end of the book of Joshua, Joshua issues a challenge to the people of God. He says:

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15 (NIV84)

Joshua stakes a bold claim for the Lord. He basically says, “God, we will be yours.” But there was something missing. We turn to the very next book in the Bible and we read something very disturbing.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10

What happened? The previous generation failed to pass the faith on to the next generation. It has been said that Christianity is one generation away from extinction. We see the historical precedent in Joshua and Judges. We see a modern day precedent being set for us in Europe.

Studies show that the largest growing religious affiliation in America is the unaffiliated. It is people who are indifferent to the things of God. Will the next generation in America be a generation that grows up and knows neither the Lord or what he has done for us?

So how do we respond? I am only one individual. We are only one church. It seems as if we are in front of an overwhelming wave.

How we respond is by doing what God has put before us. It starts with our role in our homes as parents. I heard it said that as it goes in the home, so it goes with the church. As it goes in the church, so it goes with the nation.

So I want to invite you to be a part of this message series as we take a stand for our children in our family, the children in our church, and for the orphan. I don’t pretend to be an expert. I am far from that. I am just another traveler on the journey, but we have a great God with us. And he has a whole bunch to say about passing the faith to the next generation. We do our part and then watch God do the rest.

See you Sunday at 8:30am or 10am!

There is some truth to the African parable that “no man, woman, or family is an island. It takes a village to raise a child.” The task of raising a child takes more than just the love of a mom and a dad. It takes a great God along with a caring and loving community that offers support in that task.

This is the role of the church. As a parent myself I see the need for this in a great way. I know I need help and support. That is why I want to set a theme to carry into this new year 2012 – “For the Least of These.” The purpose of this theme is to emphasize the role of the church in helping you the parents raise your children to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

As such there are a couple of things I want to do:

1. We will kick off a new message series on January 8 called “For the Least of These.” It is all about the church’s responsibility to the next generation. We all have a role in this no matter what stage of life we are in. Some of you who are past the age of parenting young children, but you have some great wisdom to pass down to those of us who do have young children in the house now.

Some of the the things we want to address in this message series is a) the priorities of parenting, b) what do I do when my children wander from the faith?, and c) our mission to “parent” the orphaned (physically and spiritually).

1. The next thing is we want to hear from you. We know how hard it is to raise children. We are not in this alone, but sometimes we struggle on our own in isolation. We go on and pretend like everything is ok, when everything is not ok. Let’s be real and let’s be honest. Help us help you. Let’s partner together in this. So during the months of January and February we want to set some initiatives in place to hear from you on things like Sunday School, Awana, Morph, Youth, Pre-school and how we might better support you as a church with these efforts. It is not really about the programs. It is about the relationships that are developed between the children, between the children and the church, between the children and the parents, between the parents and the church, and most importantly between the children, the parents, the church, and Jesus. Another goal in all of this is to help facilitate a greater investment on your part in our ministry to our children. Your input, investment, and commitment to the ministry of our children is so critically important in making that ministry relevant and meaningful.

2. A third item is the children who are orphaned. God needs the church to stand in the gap for these children. They do not have the privilege and support of loving parents like our children have. How can we as a church serve those who are truly “the least of these?” I would love to see a special effort in the coming year to serve our orphan ministries in India and Haiti. Already, Lord of Life does so much for these ministries. This is not even mentioning the more than 100 Compassion Children who have been adopted by you. But can we, with the Lord’s help, do even more? I know that with God, all things are possible.

I am so much looking forward to the new year 2012. Please pray with me that as god unites us as a church body it will be a banner year. Pray a multiplication of people who will be touched by the gospel through our efforts both near and far. Pray for a flowing of the Holy Spirit that when we look back we will recognize that it was only possible by God.

Incredible Response

Two weeks ago I had shared in my weekly email how Lord of Life was having some trouble meeting our expenses at the end of the year. Our expenses had exceeded our income. Our ministry has accomplished some awesome things in the past year, but as we look forward to the next year it was important that we live within the means of God’s provision. We don’t want to spend what we don’t have.

So a few weeks back I brought our Executive Committee in front of the altar in the Family Life Center. There we bowed down and just simply asked God’s provision for the ministry that he would provide everything we need to accomplish the work he has given us to do. We trust in God’s provision. We know there is so much more we can do for God’s kingdom, but we definitely needed his help.

This morning I came into my office and I opened up the weekly giving report and was just blown away. The receipts from last Sunday’s offering were $46,018. When I read that, I thought there must have been some mistake. This is almost 3 times the amount given on an average Sunday.

This will go a long way towards catching up on some of those bills. Even more so it is further assurance that with God all things are possible. We are to do what he has called us to do and trust he will make it happen if we are obedient.

Thank you so much for your overwhelming response so far in this end of the year appeal. When there is a need, Lord of Life comes through. I am looking forward to an incredible year in 2012 as we advance the kingdom of God in our community. In the next coming weeks I am hoping to share some exciting opportunities for our church to launch in the upcoming year. My prayer that we will take some steps of faith to do more than we have ever done before. We are not going to back down! What a great blessing to be a part of a church committed to the cause of Christ.

Another Great Story of Giving

When I arrived at Lord of Life on Sunday morning there were still a good number of ornaments on the HELPS giving tree that had not been taken. The HELPS Christmas Party was later that afternoon. It seemed that some of the requested gifts would not be received this year.

But after the 8:30am worship all the ornaments disappeared and at the end of the 10am worship all the gifts that had not yet been purchased arrived at Lord of Life. They were all wrapped just in time to be given away at the HELPS Christmas Party. Praise the Lord for his provision.

Cookies, Cookies, and more Cookies

Once again this year we had more than enough cookies to give away to the boys at IYC. With all the leftover cookies we took some to the train stations at Elburn and LaFox. But we still were not able to give all the cookies away.

That same day volunteers were leaving for St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen in Chicago. So we sent two boxes of cookies along with them. The staff at St. Matthew’s took the cookies and froze them. Now they will be served on Christmas for those who come to the Soup Kitchen.

Yet, another box went to the Elburn Food Pantry. We handed out cookies to the people waiting in line while we talked with them and prayed with them. Every person standing in line got at least one dozen cookies. We still had more left over that we left at the food pantry.

I think about all the love that went into each one of those cookies and pray that those who receive them will somehow know that there is a great God who loves them.

God Open’s Door for Malaria Initiative

We have been praying that God would open some doors for the Malaria Initiative effort in Africa. John Peterson emailed me this past week that to let me know that the Ghana government is going to begin clinical trials using the Malaria Treatment. This is the note John sent me.

Pastor Phil, I just got the most excellent Christmas present I have been praying for. The Ghana Government has confirmed their agreement to work with what you may know as Malaria Initiative (M-end) to start Clinical trials of our new malaria treatment. There are more negations to be done but God has answered a prayer by many people. He works in His way. I Pray that we are doing His work. We are the most blessed persons on earth. I am sending you this note to let you know that Prayers are answered. In His Service, John

A Christmas Greeting from Gilgal Gospel Ministries

Gilgal Gospel Ministries sent us a link to a video with Christmas greetings. About a minute into the video you will see gifts given to children in Christmas Stockings. Some of these gifts were contributed by you at Lord of Life.

Here is the direct link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O-n7z0psK0&feature=youtu.be

Wheelchair for Meagan

Another thing I wanted to share with you is an effort we have been undertaken for Meagan Seals. Many of you already know Meagan’s story, but if not please check out by watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjc-q9V9ws

Meagan’s parents, Scott and Luellen, have been working to raise the funds for an infant wheel chair for little Meagan. It is a special chair that will allow Meagan to sit up on her own. Because of overwhelming medical bills related to Meagan’s condition, the Seals have not been able to afford this chair.

In an effort to help out, Lord of Life has contributed benevolence funds towards the effort. The Seals have also been generously supported by Conley Outreach in Elburn and Lutheran Church Charities. Lutheran Church Charities has set up a fund to which you can donate by following this link. Lutheran Church Charities has posted the story on the front page of their website at lutheranchurchcharities.org.

Christmas Worship and New Years

The last thing is a reminder that Christmas Eve Worship is at 5pm and 7pm. Christmas day worship, which happens to fall on a Sunday, is at 9:15am. There are no Bible Studies or Sunday School on that day.

Some of you have asked about worship on New Year’s Day. We will be going back to our regular Sunday schedule. There will be two worship services that morning at 8:30am and 10am. Make sure to start the new year in the right way!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Phil

God is eternal. He is without beginning or end. He is the Alpha and Omega. The first and the last. He is uncreated before there was time.

Wow! That is amazing. But there is something that is important to realize. While God is eternal, you also were created as an eternal being. You were created for eternity. You were created for more than just this life on this earth.

The time we spend on this earth is so short and minuscule compared to the span of eternity. It is impossible to put into human terms. If eternity were represented by a 24 hour day, in comparison your life on this earth would be represented by less than 1 second. Of course this is an imperfect example because a day has a beginning and an end. Eternity has no such thing.

The point is we are so focused on our life on earth we miss the eternal perspective that God gives to us through Jesus. Because of Jesus we have so very much more to live for. An eternal perspective changes so much.

An eternal perspective will help us endure hardship and difficulty. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may last through the night but joy comes in the morning.” I can much easier face suffering knowing there is an end in sight.

An eternal perspective will help us to order our priorities. It will change the way we spend our time. It will change the lessons we hope to instill in our children. It will change the way we spend our money. What is important to us when don’t see past our life on earth will be very different to what is important to us when we recognize that there is a long eternity ahead. The choices we make today will greatly impact that eternity.

An eternal perspective will help us to worship God. We recognize that the only reason we can talk about an eternity apart from the suffering of hell is because Jesus lived, died, and rose again from the dead. My eternity was changed because of him. He saved more than just my life, he saved my eternity. I have all the reason in the world to honor him with everything I’ve got.

Merry Christmas all! Look forward to seeing you at Christmas Eve Worship at 5pm and 7pm. Christmas Day worship is 9:15am.

Now there is nothing wrong with buying Christmas Gifts. I will admit I was at Walmart on Black Friday this year. I helped contribute to the $52.4 million spent on that one weekend. I know it will be a joy to watch my children and family open their gifts on Christmas morning in celebration of Jesus, the greatest gift ever given.

But in this season of gift giving I want to encourage you not to forget to bring your gifts to Jesus as well. With all the money we spend on stuff that has little lasting value, may we also consider how much we are giving for heavenly treasure.

As we look back to this past year it brings joy to my heart to think about the things the Lord has accomplished through our church. I think about the Haiti mission trip, Vacation Bible School, and the “Ready to Go” Community Week of Service. I thank Jesus for the dozens of cookies being baked for the Illinois Youth Center this weekend along with the visits to Marklund and St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen. There have been so many prayers that have been offered to the Lord through the electronic prayer bulletin. Many of those prayers have been answered from jobs found, addictions overcome, and surprise gifts that arrived on the doorstep when least expected. I think of the children who have grown in the faith. I am amazed at how my daughter has learned and grown through Awana and Sunday School. I celebrate the learning that has taken place among adults through Bible Studies and Small Groups. We have had some powerful special events like the Seder Dinner, Women at the Well, and the Love and Respect Marriage Conference. Almost $80,000 has been given to missions outside of Lord of Life both locally and globally. This doesn’t even take into account the contributions made directly to these missions by Lord of Life members. For example, I know of two families at Lord of Life who are financing the building of two separate churches in India. Praise God for these things. I could go on. There is even more! Through trials and difficulties, God has continued and prospered the work he is doing through us. We pray that God will do an even greater work through us in 2012.

But as we enter the final weeks of the 2011 our church expenses have exceeded our income. At this point in time we have a few outstanding bills that have not been paid because we do not have the funds. We are matched with a potentially difficult December month to make up the difference because of how the Sundays fall. This year Christmas Day is on a Sunday which means we essentially lose a week of income that is normally available on most other years.

In light of this, there are a couple of things that I would ask of you.

1. Pray for God’s provision. Pray for God not only to continue the work but to prosper our work here in this place, beyond the walls of the church building, and to the ends of the earth.

2. Come to our Voter’s Meeting on Sunday following the 10am worship. During this meeting we will look at the budget for next year, pray for God’s work through us, and consider a “Call” for Brian Zielke as Director of Christian Education. There are some documents you can download from Lord of Life Online at lolchurch.ccbchurch.com in preparation for the voters’ meeting. These documents are also available to be picked up at the church office.

3. If God has blessed you at the end of this year, don’t forget where that blessing has come from. Consider bringing an extra gift this Christmas to help provide for the shortfall and to further the Lord’s work in the next year.

During the next couple of weeks we will set up a manger in front of the Communion table. Instead of passing the offering plate down the aisle I want to invite everyone to bring their gifts to the manger in recognizing we are ultimately bringing our gifts to Jesus. We can never out give Jesus. He has given us everything. So in this season of gift giving, we remember how it is truly more blessed to give than receive.

We started a new message series last week. The new message series is “He Will Be Called.”

Your name is so important. Yet, you did not choose your name. You had no say in the matter. But God knew your name before you were born. It is your name that is either written or not written in the Lamb’s book of life. And it is your name that you share when you introduce yourself before you share anything else.

In Philippians 2:9 it says there is a name that is above every other name. It is the name of Jesus and it is at his name that every knee shall bow. 700 years before Jesus would be born, the Prophet Isaiah gave Jesus four names in Isaiah 9:6. This verse reads:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

During the season of Advent we will be looking at these four names of Jesus (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace). Last Sunday we looked at Wonderful Counselor.

Jesus is qualified like no other as the Wonderful Counselor. He has compassion and empathy like no other. He understands what we are going through better than we know ourselves. It says in Hebrews 4:15:

For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

And even better than knowing what ails us, Jesus knows what cures us. We have no counselor as wonderful as Jesus, our wonderful counselor. As we think about Jesus being our wonderful counselor we want to:

1) Be brutally honest with him. Jesus already knows what we are struggling with. If we are not honest with him, we are only fooling ourselves. He is not fooled. Yet, pride has a way of making us keep our masks on. We hide behind our pride unwilling to admit our weakness and our need for help. The are many who would do well to speak with a counselor but will snot do so, because they are afraid of admitting their weakness. But the best way for the Wonderful Counselor to help us is for us to be willing to open up to him.

2) Listen to him. This takes effort and discipline. The Wonderful Counselor speaks, but in our hurried and busy lives we too often fail to take the time or the effort. Jesus promise is that if we seek we will find, if we knock the door will be opened, and if we ask it will be given. Seek his voice in His Word. Seek him in the quiet. Seek his voice in the gathering with other believers. Seek his voice and the Wonderful Counselor will respond.

3) Do what he says. This is a lot easier said than done. A rich young man came to Jesus and asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said to keep the commandments. The rich young man said, “Yes, I have done that.” (Mark 10:17-20)

But the very next thing it says is that Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus is about to tell this man something he did not want to hear, but something he needed to hear. Jesus knew what ailed this man. It was his love of possessions. Jesus also knew what the cure was. It was to give these possessions away (10:21). But the rich young man was not willing to take this step. It was too hard, even though life was not working out as he had hoped. (Mark 10:22)

How sad, Jesus offered him a better way, but he was not willing to go down that path. The disciples were amazed at this. They asked, “How can anyone be saved?” (Mark 10:26) God shows us the way, but too often we are unwilling to follow.

Jesus response is “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!” (Mark 10:27) It is only by God’s power that we are enabled to do what he says. We ask for God’s strength and his Spirit to do what he says. It is not about finding more will power in myself. It is about receiving more God-power on my knees.