Peace, Peace When There Is No Peace

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                   (1 Peter 5:8-11 KJV)

Beware of anyone who tells you that the adversary is not running around; that everything is just fine and that you should just learn to accept everything as it is. Beware of those who tell you that what is sin is not sin. Beware of those who tell you that something or someone is peaceful when all is not at peace; all is not reconciled to the will of God. When we are truly reconciled to God; only then can we know peace.

Martin Luther in his 92nd statement of the 95 Theses wrote: "Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ``Peace, peace,'' and there is no peace!" (Jer 6:14)

Beware! Beware of those who proclaim peace when there is no peace. Look around and wonder if your freedom to worship the one true God and your peace is being taken away from you by lies of the roaring lion who seeks to devour you. 

Remain stedfast in the faith, no matter how many afflictions you might endure in this present day trusting that the God of all grace will give you the strength and the courage to stand against the fury of our adversary the devil.

God grant you strength, courage, and peace in His eternal presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jesus' Way

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

                                                                                   (Luke 17:1-4 KJV)

Only four verses and so much in them!

Jesus warns his disciples and us that we are to be very cautious on how we treat others. We are not to cause any one to sin. In other words, don't be teaching others to sin, either by word or example. Don't be promoting sin! But, if someone does sin against you, forgive them. Actually what Jesus says is: “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

Please, note that Jesus does not tell us that we are to accept everything that everybody does. Everything is not OK or beneficial. Sin needs to be addressed in order for others to not stumble; in order for us not to stumble. Christians sometimes get accused of not being very Christ-like because they will not accept sin simply as an alternative and acceptable way to be. There is only "One Way" for the Christian. Jesus is "The Way." To teach or approve of any other way is to set up a stumbling block. To close our eyes to sin or say that there is no sin is setting up a stumbling block for ourselves as well as for others. The consequences will be devastating. But, if a brother sins against a Christian, the Christian will bring it to their attention and when they repent will forgive them in order that neither of them will suffer consequences worse than have a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea.

I'm OK.
You're OK.
When Jesus is "The Way."

God's Peace - Pr. J

Saved By Grace Through Faith

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph 2:8-9

Often we cling to sins that we may have committed years ago. That's not to say we keep repeating them. But, sometimes, no matter how hard we try to forget them, we do not. The devil keeps reminding us of our past acts against God and against humanity. And... we continue to live in our guilt. 

There is nothing we can do to undo those sins of our past. We cannot "fix" them by the works of our hands. Our sins cannot be cancelled out by anything good we might think we do. Just about when we might think we're balancing the scales the devil will rear his ugly head and remind us of yet another sin that we need to atone for. It's a never ending cycle. Do not fall for the devil's tricks. Do not fall for his lies. You have been saved by God's grace through faith. Do not throw that precious gift away.

It is time to quit living in the past; carrying and living with the sins of your past. Your sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. There is only one way that you can be saved from your past and your present sins. By the grace of God you are saved through faith. Salvation is not something that you can earn. Salvation is a gift from God. Have faith that this gift is for you. Receive it! Live in this truth and tell the devil to depart in the name of Jesus Christ for your sins are forgiven.

God's Peace - Pr.

The Good Shepherd's Love

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

                                                                                (John 10:11-15 KJV)

When a person truly loves another, with their whole hearts and minds; they are willing to do anything for them. They are willing even to lay their life down for their beloved. This kind of love; this kind of commitment to others seems (at times) to be in very short supply. We are willing to run when things get tough; to divorce our spouses, to leave our children, to abandon our family and friends.

But, the Good Shepherd is not willing to run. He is and was willing to die so that we might be saved from all evil and harm. He is there always for us. He hasn't and won't run from us. He calls each of us by name so that we might follow him in safety and in peace; that we might have life.

Jesus is the gate to eternal life. Any other way leads to destruction. He calls to you. Follow the Good Shepherd and live life most abundantly in the presence of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Word; A Two-Edged Sword

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12 KJV)

For the past twenty plus years I have preached the Sermon on the Mount at least annually. I do not edit it. I do not preach anything other than the exact words according to St. Matthew (usually the NIV). The first year that I did this was at a youth correctional facility. The congregation was made up of teen-age felons mainly from Wayne County, MI. The next day I was called into the head office. It had been reported that I had said that one of the youths' mothers was going to hell. I had said no such thing. 

The Sermon on the Mount for the most part; at least the Beatitudes, has always seemed to me to be comforting. However, there are parts of Jesus' sermon that will strike at a guilty conscience quite severely. It is not as though Jesus pointed a finger at any specific person. He merely points at what is right and at what is wrong. 

The word of God is like a two edged sword. The two edged sword is swift to destroy with both sharp sides. But, the sword can be used for two purposes on the battlefield. The first, most obviously, is to destroy. The second, with today's modern warfare, is not so obvious. When heated, the metal  blade of the sword was used to cicatrize wounds; to seal open blood vessels as well as other wounds. 

On the one-hand the word of God can bring us quickly to our knees as our spirits discern the judgment we have brought upon ourselves by daring to stand against the word of God. But, the word of God has a much more gracious purpose. Once wounded by the word, we are healed by the same word of God who desires nothing less than the good for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Does Great Things

Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy. 

                                                                                (Psalm 99:7-9 KJV)

The misdeeds of Israel did not go unpunished. Their sins did not go unpunished. Yet, they continued to call on and exalt His name and the LORD continued to speak to them. He led them through the wilderness. They called on His name and He led them through the wilderness to the promised land.

We are all guilty of misdeeds. We are all sinners. That does not mean the LORD has turned His back on us. Speak to Him and listen, for He will guide us on our way. Pray to Him and He will answer. Bow down and worship the one true God. God will forgive us our sins against Him. He will lead us on our journey through every wilderness, every dark valley. 

Take a lesson from the Israelites who wandered in the desert for so many years because they were afraid to take the land the LORD had promised them. Do not fear to follow in the way He would have you go. Listen to Him. For He is just and merciful. Do not turn away from Him, but follow wherever He may lead. 

How many times have we found ourselves in an anxious place, a dark place, where we cannot see to find our way out? There is a way. Speak to the LORD, ask Him to show you the way out. The LORD our God will lead you out of bondage. It may take a little time in the wilderness, but you will enter the promised land. God will do what He has promised and He has promised justice and equity. In Jesus Christ, He has promised you peace that surpasses all understanding. Speak to Him and listen, for He will guide you on your way. 

Great is the LORD our God. He is exalted over all the nations. Worship Him and only Him for the Lord our God is holy.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Listen To Him!

Stormy day on Huron Bay, U.P.

And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 

                                                                                (Acts 27:18-24 KJV)

The sailors had not listened to Paul when he warned them that it was to dangerous to set sail. Now, in the midst of the raging storm that he'd warned them about, they are ready to listen. They ran their ship aground and ultimately their lives are spared. God is with them. He has plans for Paul. He wants Paul to stand trial before Caesar in order for him to testify about Jesus.

When we find ourselves in the midst of storms because we failed to heed the warnings about the direction that we were heading. It is not too late. Listen to God. Listen to where He would have you go and what He would have do. God has plans for you! He will do all to ensure that His plans are carried out. But, listen to Him!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Fear And Love

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Prov 9:10 KJV)

John wrote "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8) Indeed, God is love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

This implies strongly that those who do not believe will not inherit eternal life. John further wrote: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18) Jesus himself said: "..., I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

God has given us life and He alone has the authority to decide whether or not we will inherit eternal life in His presence. He will know whether you believe and trust that Jesus died so that you might be reconciled to God for all of eternity. God alone, will know how much you love Him.

The knowledge of how all knowing; all powerful; how holy our creator actually is ought to cause us a little pause in the way we respect Him. The knowledge that He loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to be executed for our sins ought to be enough to stir us to love Him in return. When we live in that kind of loving relationship all fear disappears. 

May the world come to know and love Him who first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Beauty Of The Oceans

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

                                                                                 (Gen 1:20-23 KJV)

It has been a few years since I have been diving. I miss it. I was able to go snorkeling with one of my granddaughters about a year ago. I miss it. I miss the feel, the taste, even the smell of the salt water. I miss seeing the beauty of God's creation that is hidden from our sight in the depths of the oceans. 

There is a lot of beauty above the waters as well. God has made all things beautiful.  (Eccl 3:11) Let us make a habit of appreciating and being thankful for the beauty God has given us in all things.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Go And Tell!

Go and Tell!

Upon arriving at the tomb, the Mary Magdalene and the other Mary encounter the angel of the Lord sitting on the stone that had been used to seal the tomb. The tomb is no longer sealed. Jesus is not there. He is risen and on his way to Galilee! The women are a bit fearful, but filled with joyful excitement, as the angel tells them to go and tell the disciples what has happened. The guards are also there. They appear to be in some sort of shock at the sight of the angel and the empty tomb.

Mary and Mary meet Jesus as they hurry to tell the disciples what they have heard and seen. “Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” (Matt 28:10 KJV) Go and tell!

The two women go and tell the disciples what they have just seen and heard. The guards go and tell the chief priests what they have seen and heard as well. The chief priests were not happy and told the guards they should lie about it. But, the first two women who were witnesses of Jesus' resurrection also went and told what they had seen and heard. 

According to the gospel of Matthew, "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matt 28:16-20)

Go and tell! We all share stories of our lives, of our loves, and of our fears. What is the story you share with others? Without sharing the story of Jesus life on earth; his gift of life to us; how can disciples be made? Go and tell!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Praying Often; Always

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. (Matt 14:19 KJV)

Most of you have probably heard the story about how Jesus fed the multitude on five loaves and two fish. They were so fed heartily with this meager meal, after Jesus prayed over the the food and the disciples shared it with the people, that there were leftovers. 

We are encouraged to pray and give thanks to the Lord not just on Sunday but always for everything and everyone. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thess 5:16-18)

The other evening after shopping my husband and I stopped to eat at "Steak and Shake," an almost fast food hamburger restaurant. Service is really quick; but, you actually get a friendly server and a few minutes to look at the menu. While waiting for our meal, I saw something that I don't get to see too often. It was a family of five (with at least two teens) holding hands and praying before they ate. There were no cell phones at the table.  What there was after they prayed was quiet conversation as they ate. I don't get to see many people praying publicly so it caught my attention. I pray that God blesses every member of that family with faithfulness all the days of their lives. Those young people are off to a good start...

May God help us all to remember to pray often, even unceasingly, giving thanks for all that He has done and continues to do for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Sins Are Washed Away

 

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

                                                                                     (Psalm 51:1-3 KJV)

Not a one of us are without sin. Not a one of us deserve to be reconciled to God. Not a one of us deserve to be acquitted of our sin. Yet, we can be declared righteous. We can and are cleansed from our iniquities by faith in the one who shed his blood for us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

St. Paul, after confessing what a horrific sinner he was; but, whose heart and mind were changed when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus; after sharing the story of who Jesus is and his own conversion, asked the people: "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 21:16)

If you are stuck in a rut, living a life that is dragging you down, consider whether it might very well be your transgressions that are holding you back. Consider if you should accept Jesus as your savior most fully and live a new life in Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

I Will Give You Rest

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” 

                                                                                   (Matt 11:28-29 KJV)

So many people seeking rest for their souls in the world today. Yet, they seek it in all the wrong places. There seems, at times, that there is nothing one can say or do, to help them to understand that Jesus is the only one who can truly give us the rest that we need. Unwilling to take up his yoke and learn from Jesus; we take upon ourselves a much heavier yoke, stumbling and often falling.

If you find that you are weary and burdened with the cares of the world, take the time to get to know Jesus and you will find rest at the feet of our LORD and King. Go to Him and He will give you rest.

God's Peace - Pr. J

What Does Baptism Give?

What does Baptism give or profit?

Answer.

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God? 

Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

                                                 Book of Concord, Small Catechism, Baptism 



I have run a across a very sad thing: there are those within the church on earth who have not been baptized! How does this happen? How is it that a believer has not received the Sacrament of Baptism?

I've heard a few reasons. Mostly, it has come down to being embarrassed over not having been baptized earlier, as a younger person. Those who have not been baptized; yet, are within the church receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, will rarely just tell you that they are not. You will have to ask them. 

I first ran across this years ago when I was working on membership rosters and official congregation records. We were missing information that should have been in the books: things like birth and baptismal dates that would have been registered decades earlier. I thought that this might be a good reason to do some extra home visits and get to know some of the members a little better. An elderly woman whom I regularly visited in a nursing home was on the list for missing baptismal dates. When I asked her where and when she'd been baptized, she was relieved that I had asked her about it. No one else ever had. She confessed that she had never been baptized. When she was a child, they had a circuit pastor, who normally did baptisms during hay making season. As a child, she and her family had been in the fields working when the pastor came around. After she got older and got more active in the congregation no one asked her about her baptism and she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she hadn't previously been baptized. That's the short version of a very long story. Ultimately, she received the Sacrament of Baptism in the nursing home with her children and grandchildren around her about a week before she died.

This was not a lone incident. Most of the people I encountered that attended worship regularly and had not baptized were then baptized. 

We are to go and teach and baptize so that others might come to faith and be assured that they have received forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The mission field is huge. It begins within our own congregations. Do not assume that someone is saved just because they attend worship once or twice a year or even every Sunday. Do not assume that they know Jesus. Do not assume that they have received the Sacrament of Baptism. Proclaim the Good News to all people and encourage them to receive this life saving gift from God. And... don't forget to tell them about the benefit of Baptism, a gift from God for them.

God's Peace - Pr. J

George Washington's Prayer; Our Prayer

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"(Micah 6:8 KJV)

"I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation."(George Washington, intent to retire as Commander In Chief of Continental Army, Circular, 8 June 1783)

George Washington's prayer should be all of our daily prayers. The ideas of justice and mercy seems to have gotten lost in the years since the founding of this country. The freedoms afforded us by our Constitution have become distorted. Freedom of speech has become the freedom to lie and to not act justly  or mercifully in order to pursue one's own pursuit of happiness. 

It seems that, way too often, we forget that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is to be afforded to all people. I can barely turn on the news on any day without hearing someone indicting someone else and most often that is based totally on hearsay. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? And, you know what I am talking about! I am not talking about the guy who was caught on camera shooting a clerk in a convenience store. I am talking about the slander thrown about by our politicians! I am talking about the propaganda produced by the news media! No justice! No mercy! Just tear the country apart with slander and lies for personal agendas! This was not the intent of our founding fathers! 

And, I'd really like to know what happened to Jeffrey Epstein's cohorts? As active as he was, someone besides the victims knows something. Not hearing too much about that! Should there not be a real investigation into him or is there one and it just involves too many people who are held in high esteem so it must be swept under the carpet? It is not justice or mercy for any victims to sweep crimes under the carpet. 

George Washington prayed that we would entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for our fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and for those who have served in the field. He prayed that we would do justice, love mercy, and live our lives with charity, humility and pacific temper of mind.

May God help us all to humble ourselves and with peaceful hearts and minds to do justice and to love mercy.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Bless The Words Of Our Lips...

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 KJV)

I have been church shopping. Sounds bad to many of us, right? Hopping around from church to church without having a place to really settle in and becoming a part of a congregational family sounds like one might be avoiding becoming committed to serving.

As a retired pastor who did not move away from the area where the congregation I served is, it is inappropriate for me to stay in the congregation I retired from. A lot of people don't understand this. So, let me explain. It is simply because what often happens, unintentionally or intentionally, is that the retired pastor interferes with the relationship between the new pastor and the congregation. It seems to be human nature to want to control how things work.... People will ask for your advice as the former pastor and if you give advice that is contrary to how the new pastor serves then you are interfering. I would not do anything that might harm the congregations I have served. So, I find myself church shopping. 

This past Sunday I worshiped with a United Methodist Congregation and could not help but smile when the pastor began his sermon by praying pretty much the same prayer that I pray at the beginning of every sermon. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts and minds, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen" The prayer put me at ease and opened my heart and mind so that I would be willing and able to hear the Word proclaimed.

Prayer is an amazing thing! God answers even these prayers that might seem little to some. Jesus warned us about praying long vain laden prayers just before he instructed the disciples how to pray using the "Lord's Prayer" as an example. He said: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." (Matt 6:7) 

You don't have to be long winded for God to hear and answer your prayer. I have often used this one word prayer: "Help!" God knows what's in your heart. Just talk to your Father in heaven. He hears you and He answers. 

May the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts and minds, be acceptable in thy sight, this day, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Good Works Don't Fool God

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
                                                                                  (Rev 3:1-5 KJV)

Sometimes we can seem so faithful to the world outside because of all our good works. But, to the angel of the church in Sardis, Jesus says, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but your are dead." (vs 1) Wake up and repent! Walk with Jesus, dressed in the white robes of his righteousness.

May we always remember that our good works might fool some of the people; but, they can never fool God. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Be Renewed!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2 KJV)

Tired of the way your're living or the way that you think life is treating you? There is a better way. Try getting to know Jesus. Ask him to empty you of all of your sins; to forgive you, and to fill you with his Spirit. You can be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Your life can be changed. Stop! Stop being in denial of a lifestyle that is bringing you down. Stop and ask Jesus to renew your life! 

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

                                                                                             (Luke 11:9-10)

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Good Plan

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer 29:11 KJV)

Life can be pretty rough. We all go through hard times. But, for some people it seems as though the rough times never end and nothing good will ever come to them. But, the Lord has better plans for you than you can even begin to imagine. It begins with His love for you. It continues with your faith that His promises are true.

Trust Him. Listen to Him. Follow in the way that He has shown you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Do Good! Do What Is Right!

Do good! Do what is right!

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

                                                                                    (1 Peter 4:2-5 KJV)

No, you won't be too popular if you leave behind those things; but, you will be much more at peace with yourself as you begin to live in Christ.

As a former substance abuse counselor, one of the toughest things to deal with is that when someone finally decides to trust their higher power (God) for their recovery they lose most, if not all, of their old friends. It can be a lonely time. It takes a bit of work to realize that the only reason they hung with you was because your substance abuse justified theirs. Once that is gone, they are out of there. "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you." (1 Peter 4:4 NIV) 

But, new friends will come with time. Friends that will share in the joy of living as a member of the Body of Christ with you. In Christ you are a new creation. "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19 NIV)

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Live in his peace and ignore the drama this world would throw at you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ten Thousand Shall Fall

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

                                                                                  (Psalm 91:1-8 KJV)

This is my daily prayer that a thousand who come against justice; a thousand who persecute and attack others unjustly, shall fall at His hand, ten thousand by His right hand. Simply put: I am very, very tired of people being attacked for their belief system and so I pray... What is wrong with living in peace? Why do people have to assault people and their property because they do not like what they believe? 

Let there be peace. May God grant that we should agree to live in peace without assaulting those whom we disagree with. If we refuse to live with justice for all then may God use His hand to bring about justice in His own way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Politics and Wisdom

Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:16b-18

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

                                                         (Job 15:1-6 KJV; but, read all of Job 15)

Job's friend, Eliphaz, responds to Job. Eliphaz pretty much tells Job and that he is arrogant thinking that he, himself is wise enough to advise Job.

The story goes on with Job's friend accusing him, attacking him. It is pretty amazing that anyone would do this to an enemy, let alone a friend. But, is that not what we do? Is that not what humanity does? That is: man attacks man. Who is wise?

The wisdom of our news reporters amazes me. It just amazes me that instead of addressing issues they promote their own personal agendas and bias'. They create major news stories not out of actual news; but, from politicians anger and hatred for one another. Instead of informing voters of what a politician stands for, or what actually happened they give us their opinions as to what happened according to their own flavor of politics.

Politicians spend way too much time accusing their opponents, informing us all of what they think their opponents stand for. There is very little truth in any of it. Who can possibly figure out the truth with so much slander being slung? There is just way too much slander, way too many false accusations. By the time the media is done with these assumptions and accusations half of the county considers this slander as fact. 

This is the wisdom of the age: to fund-raise so politicians can tell lies to the public rather than raise funds to help the country feed it's people; rather than to help small businesses, teachers, children. Would it not be wiser to spend less money on slander and tearing down one's opponent and use the finances to help a world in need instead? Maybe the candidates should tithe the campaign funds they raised to the national treasury? (LOL that's not going to happen) Some politicians actually think that they are going to win the race simply because they have raised the most funds and the news will report that. In some cases this is true; but, not all. The scandal of it all is that we continue to contribute to this poor stewardship. We continue to support a system that allows candidates to run on a platform that they claim will help the country while they are slandering their opponents and using funds that could genuinely help the nation for their own agendas. 

There is so much time spent campaigning that I cannot help but wonder how they are doing the jobs that they were already elected to do. That doesn't sound that wise to me. It does not sound like good stewardship of taxpayers' money, either.

It would just be really nice if in our election processes, there would be less arrogance and less slander of one another and not just within the presidential campaign, all of them. The arrogance and slander doesn't actually tell us what they think it tells the people about their opponents. It tells us that much like Eliphaz they cannot be trusted.

I would just appreciate it if politicians would spend more time letting us know what their platforms are rather than spending so much time distorting (lying about) the platforms that their opponents are running on. That seems to me to be a much fairer way to run a campaign for the sake of the people; for the sake of the country.

Ok.. so I'm ranting this morning... Let there be some peace already!

God's Peace - Judy

Serve The Creator of Heaven And Earth

"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him."

                                                                                    (Deut 13:1-4 KJV)

I do not care if the prophecy comes true because the prophet made a good guess, maybe an educated guess, or if the prophet got the message from some other god than the one true God. If anyone tries to steer you away from serving the Creator and Redeemer of all the heavens and earth you ought to be running! Turn around and get away from that foul person.

There is only one God! To listen to and serve any other is asking for trouble in this world and in the next.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

                                                                                             (1 John 4:1-3)

Pr. J

There Is Only One Who Can Save You

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

                                                                                   (Isaiah 43:10-11 KJV)

Still in trouble? No matter what you do, does it seem that nothing ever goes right? Maybe, just maybe, it's because you are depending on someone or something other than the One True God to help you with your problems. There is only one Savior and that is our Lord Jesus the Christ. 

Trust him. False prophets; false teachers; false gods will bring you nothing but more bondage; more suffering. They will lead you astray into even darker places. They will lead you off of the path that leads to eternal peace in the presence of God. 

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (2 Peter 2:19)

Nothing in this world can save you. There is only one way and that is by faith alone in Christ alone. Follow him. He will show you the way.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..." (Eph 2:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J