Christians Persecuting Christians!?

Isaiah 58:3-9 KJV; 5th Sunday after Epiphany; Christians persecuting Christians is not the Lord's will. Be kind!

Blessed Are The Persecuted

Matt 5:11-12; John 15:20; KJV; Blessed are the persecuted for Christ's sake for they shall see the Kingdom of God.

Stop The Hate Mongering

1 John 4:7-11 KJV; Stop the hate mongering and love one another.

You Will Endure Strife

5th Sunday after Pentecost' 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 KJV; Even as Jesus was disliked by many so shall all Christians find that they too are persecuted in various ways.

Get Off The Fence

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Rev 3:14-16 KJV)

Get off the fence! 

The warning to the church in Laodicea is that they are lukewarm and because they are neither hot nor cold, they are about to be spit out of the mouth of God. This message could and should be heard by a goodly number of those who claim to be members of the church, the Body of Christ, in North America. There are many who say that they believe; yet, they are not on fire for the Lord. Neither are they totally cold as they will profess their faith and love for the Lord when pressed on the subject. They will say they believe; but, will not stand on or stand up for the Word of God. St. James wrote: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19)

Thanks be to God not all who profess to be Christians are lukewarm. The time is now for all who profess to the love the Lord to get hot! Get off the fence! Proclaim the Good News of God loves for all people through Jesus Christ.

He stands at the door and knocks. Don't be talking to him through a crack in a slightly opened door. Open the door all of the way and let him in and you will no longer be able to continue on lukewarm. He will set your heart on fire. Open the door and let him in!

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Faithful In The Face Of Persecution

Valaam Monastery

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

                                                                                                (John 15:19-21 KJV)

I have worn a small wooden cross for almost twenty years. I wear it to remind myself of the suffering that Jesus endured for the sake of the world. I wear it to remind myself of the suffering that faithful Christians have and continue to endure for the sake of Jesus' name. I purchased this necklace from a peasant woman at the monastery at Valaam, Russia while on a mission trip. It reminds me of the persecution that Christians endured for so many years when to be a Christian meant that you would be sent to work camps in Siberia or possibly killed.

There was no public worship allowed at times in their history. Churches in Russia for a very long time were repurposed. Some became Communist meeting halls. The beautiful Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood was used over the years as a morgue, a warehouse for vegetables, and later a museum. People met in homes, when it was possible, to worship and to teach one another. One elderly lady in a nursing home told me how her husband a pastor had been sent to a work camp. But, in spite of all of the persecution, the faithful continued to meet. She told me of a time when grandmothers would baptize the children at the cemetery. To keep from being reported for having an assembly in their homes, they would gather around the grave of a loved one so that it would appear that they were grieving for that loved one and not having the religious service that they were actually having. They gathered to worship and celebrate the Sacraments at the risk of their very lives. Today, churches have been rebuilt and new ones are growing in Russia.

But, that is not the end of the persecution of Christians. Today, people around the world are being imprisoned and killed for their faith in Christ. Many gather secretly to worship just as the women in Karelia gathered around graves and just as many of the first followers of Jesus gathered together in the catacombs. They gather(ed) in secret to worship together and so that the word of God could be shared with others and others would come to know him. But, they do know that by doing so their lives in this world are in jeopardy.

I believe that we, in the United States, all too often take our freedom to worship God a bit for granted. Maybe, a whole lot for granted. Are we not willing to suffer any hardship; any persecution, for the sake of Jesus' name?

May God grant us both faith and faithfulness even in the face of adversity.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Swift To Hear

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

                                                                                  (James 1:18-22 KJV)

We hear the word; but, do we follow through with the doing of the word? Or, maybe, you sit in worship every Sunday and neglect to hear the word as your mind wanders on what you want or have to do that afternoon. Maybe, your mind is wandering around the place you'd rather be than in the sanctuary listening to the word.

Way too many "Christians" don't bother to hear the word even while they claim that they are "good" people, implying that they do the word. They are deceiving themselves. Unless we hear it; unless we read it, we can't actually know it.

The word of God imparts not just what we are or aren't to do; it imparts much more.  It imparts forgiveness. It imparts grace; unconditional grace and mercy to all who hear and believe.

May God help us all to be hearers and doers of the word. Let us be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Glorifying God

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 15:5-6 KJV)

Now, that is a goal to be sought after! That is; for all Christians to focus on glorifying God rather than themselves. So often our focus ends up being on our political leanings rather than leaning toward sharing, with the world, what God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has done for us through Christ. 

What a patient God we have that He would forgive us for deserting Him and continue to love us so unconditionally.

May God help us to love Him and one another even as He loves us. May all God's people put aside their differences to glorify His Holy Name

God's Peace - Pr. J

Sincere Milk of the Word

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:2-3 KJV) 

As of the eighth of this month, I am a great-great aunt for the first time. Saylor will, as all newborns, desire the milk that will nourish her and help her to grow. Likewise, the first letter that is attributed to St. Peter encourages newborn Christians to desire the sincere milk of the word.

It is not just newborn Christians who need take to heart this admonition; but, all Christians. So often, once we have received the love of God, we think that alone will sustain us. But, we must consider that the world is feeding us a lot of garbage, as well. In order to be nourished and to grow in Christ we must continue to drink in the milk of the word.

Do not believe every word you hear from so called "spiritual" people on the radio or television or even in your neighborhood. If what you are hearing cannot be backed up by scripture then what you are hearing is not the word that will nourish you.  

Read the word daily. Drink it in. Every Sunday morning, somewhere, in some congregation, you can hear the word read aloud. Attend worship with the fellowship of believers and hear the promises of God for you. St. Paul wrote to the Romans:  "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17) 

Hear the Word of God speak to you; drink in the word; believe and know that the Lord is good.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Share The Good News With The Children

Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. (Deut 6:6-7 NRSV)

How are you going to teach these words to your children; to your grandchildren; to your nieces and nephews, if you don't know them?

I am amazed at some of the memes that I see posted on various sites by young people whose parents profess to be Christians. These memes, based on a false narrative of what the Bible says, are usually attempts at exposing Christianity as a lie or a fairy tale or a complete myth. These memes are often used to try to portray Christians as uncaring or bigots or racists or a lot of other not so nice things. 

Unfortunately, a lot of people get their religious views from the television and as most of you are aware not everything that is on television is the truth! If you want your children to learn about this loving God, then they need to hear about Him. Do not leave it to the world to teach them. Tell them the stories from the Holy Scriptures. Read to them. Bring them to worship. Bring them to Sunday School. Discuss, with your children, what God has done for them that they might live life in the embrace of our loving God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Light Is Jesus The Christ!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5 NIV

The light shines in the darkness.  We are nearing the end of the secular calendar year even as we have already begun a new church year.  The church year begins with Advent, the time we prepare for the celebration of the light to come into the world. That light is God incarnate.  That light is Jesus the Christ.

Those who walk in the light know that no matter what happens; God is with them.  Almighty God, through whom all things were made, has a good purpose for those who love Him.  We shall not fear no matter how dark the valley of the shadow of death might be, for we see and we know the light that has come into the world.  The darkness can never overcome that light.  The world may pass away, but the Word, who is Jesus the Christ, shall never pass away.

Scripture tells us, the Word tells us, that no one may know the when the world will pass away. We cannot know the day or the hours.  Even though, we might see the signs and know that the time is coming, no one can know their last day in advance.  But, as for Christians, for those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, seeking the Kingdom of God, this is not a worry.  This is the day of celebration we wait for with hopeful anticipation. This will not be a dark day.  It will be a day filled with the glorious light of Christ and we will rejoice when we see God face to face, when we see Him with our own eyes and not the eyes of another!

Do not fret.  Christ has come, ushering in His Kingdom.  Christ is present.  Christ will come again bringing His Kingdom in all its fullness, in all its glory!  This is good news for all who believe!

May the light of Christ shine in and through you no matter how dark the days may become.  May the peace of the LORD, Jesus Christ, be with you during this Advent and Christmas season.

Pr. J.