THE PEACE OF A HEART STRANGELY WARMED

Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar were very excited to spend another Wednesday with Wesley.  They were not so much transformed as they had brought a transformer toy.  Wesley assured them that their hearts and minds would show the true transformation, as they “gave their Bible time to live in them today.”   This time John stressed that Advent also speaks to the preparation for the arrival of Christ into the heart.  John told the story of how he had asked his Moravian friend if he should quit preaching, as he lacked faith.  His friend told John to “preach Faith until he himself had faith.”  With this advice in mind, he had rather unwillingly gone to Aldersgate …

WESLEY’S QUESTION: Did the Bible live in me today?

SCRIPTURE:  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

FOOLISH WISDOM:  “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. (John Wesley’s journal, May 24, 1738)

MUSIC SELECTION:

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Words and music - Traditional

Arranged by MarcyMe (Bart Millard, Nathan Cochran, Barry Graul,

Mike Scheuchzer, Robby Shaffer, Ben Shive, and Brown Bannister)

Margaret Tobat, voice and ukulele