Hebrews 9:11-12 11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

Yesterday in my sermon many of you heard that there is a cost to our discipleship.  You heard that for some, the cost was ultimately their death.  I want to expound on that this morning, once again reminding us all that it is Christ who actually paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is Christ who hung on a cross not for himself, but for the rest of the world. The two verses above were favorites of Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln was a very spiritual man who wrote his own devotional based upon some of his favorite and most meaningful Bible verse.  The above verses occur on December 2nd.  After reading these verses, this is what Lincoln had to say, probably more in the form of a prayer:

“Pardon and peace to dying men, and endless life are given: By the rich blood that Jesus shed, our souls are brought to heaven.”

That is all that Lincoln said, and I think that is all that he had to say.  Nothing we can do or say, no cost that we can pay for our discipleship, can match that of our Lord and Savior.  However, striving to be as Christ-like as possible is still within our reach.

I mentioned yesterday that I would like to see several new ministries in place by January 1.  I also mentioned that neither you nor I are capable of doing this by ourselves.  We must all work together.  We must all carry our cross in order to be a disciple. Will it be easy?  No.  Will it take time and hard work?  Yes.  Will the cost of our discipleship go down?  No.  From here on out, the mountain only gets bigger.  It will take more time, more energy, more dedication, and more follow-through.  I hope you all hold on tight, because it’s going to be fun ride!

In our prayers this week: Michael Ablett and Chris Kelly, both of whom are headed over seas for military service.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson