July 30, 2020
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep.
(John 10:10-11 TPT)
Dear Cathedral Family,
It was SO GOOD to be with you this past Sunday! As we near the end of our “Designed to Overcome” series, I continue to be amazed at the parallels between Joseph’s journey and ours. The importance of TRUSTING that God is good and is working ALL things together for our good. The action of OBEYING His instruction to LOVE one another, and the resolve to WALK BY FAITH.
This week we’ll be moving through key transitional moments in the story of Joseph, one being the transition of Jacob, Joseph’s father, as he prepares to stand before the God he had trusted here on earth. The bodies of Abraham and Isaac were buried in a cave of Machpelah in Canaan. Now Jacob will be buried alongside them, and he will join them in Heaven!
A KEY component before that final transition is the BLESSING that Jacob imparts to his family. Years later God will tell the high priest of Israel to continue to impart a blessing, now called the Aaronic blessing. I believe God is still calling us to be a blessing today, and I believe He also wants us to understand how to impart a blessing.
As I’m studying for the message on Sunday, I can’t help but sense that WE are moving toward a transitional moment as well. It’s the sense that God is preparing us spiritually to push back against the darkness that has been pushing against you and I.
The power of THE BLESSING is that it breaks off the darkness that oppresses and burdens our hearts. Not only does it break off the darkness, but it fills our hearts with the good things of God like PEACE and JOY, and it seals our hearts for the purposes of God. Imagine a regular discipline of BREAKING, FILLING, and SEALING our hearts for the purposes of God. That would be a great way to PUSH BACK against the darkness in our lives!
So this Sunday we will combine the understanding of Imparting the Blessing along with taking communion together as a family. Be sure to have representative elements (bread, juice) available at home to participate, and we’ll have safe, pre-wrapped communion elements available for those who attend on campus. I can’t wait to experience this with you!!!
We’ll be meeting in-person at 9am and 11am, still observing all our safety protocols, and online at 11am via Livestream or Facebook Live.
See you Sunday!
Mike Lewis
Cathedral