Rejoice With One Mind In Christ Jesus!

Romans 15:5-13; Matthew 28:18-20; KJV; Jesus calls us to proclaim the Good News!

 

Worship The Lord Together

1st Sunday after Christmas; Psalm 11; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 1:7; Romans 10:17; KJV; Gather together often to worship the Lord.

Wisdom And Knowledge

Romans 11:33 KJV; Let us pray for knowledge and wisdom that we might follow in the way more faithfully.

Provoke Love And Good Works

Maundy Thursday; Hebrews 10:15-25 KJV; Romans 7:14-25 NIV; follow in the footsteps of the one who died for you provoking love and all good works.

He Chose To Die For Us

Matthew 20: 17-19; Matthew 16:24; Romans 12:1-3 KJV; He went to Jerusalem to die for our sakes.

Love Is The Fulfillment Of The Law

1 John 3:11; Romans 13:7-10; KJV; pretending sin is not sin is not loving. We can love one another without enabling sin.

Help Others

Rom 12:1; Luke 6:31; KJV; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Be Like Minded

Romans 15:1-7 KJV; Consider the needs of others.

The Spirit of God

Acts 2:1-21 KJV; Pentecost Sunday; The Spirit of God on Pentecost.

Love Thy Neighbor

Romans 13:8-10 KJV; Love is the fulfillment of the law.

By Faith Not Works

Romans 3:20-28 KJV; We are saved by faith in the work of Jesus the Christ on the cross for us and not by the work of our own hands.

Weep With Them That Weep

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. 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.  (Rom 12:15-18 KJV)

I find myself grieving over the death of George Floyd. I did not know him. I do not have to have known him or anyone else to grieve for him or with others. I do not have to have known him to weep over such a horrific event. It pains me to be reminded that not all of our law enforcement have the public's health and safety as a priority. It pains me to know that there are renegades within our law enforcement system that choose to flaunt their authority and use it to willfully damage and even destroy others.

This is not true of all law enforcement. I know many who work in law enforcement. At one point in my life, I worked in Administration for the Criminal Investigation Division at Camp Lejeune. I am still friends with some of the investigators. They were and are honest men and women with integrity. 

Unfortunately, the saying that bad cops get good cops killed is very true. What could and should be peaceful protests in Minneapolis has turned into rioting and looting that endanger not only good officers' lives; but, the lives of those who are protesting with the desire to have their voices heard in a peaceful manner. Destroying or looting local, privately owned businesses because of one (or four) bad cops definitely comes under the category of  paying evil for evil. It will not bring about peace or any justice in the world. 

On the other hand, I have also known others who have been victims of police brutality and believe it or not some of the victims were white and not all of them were male, either. It is so sad that some of our law enforcement communities end up including officers with so little empathy and very little integrity. They are for sure in the minority. Overall, the officers that I know have a great deal of integrity and empathy. People without those attributes tend to stay away from me; probably, because I have a low tolerance for bullies with big egos and I do not have a problem confronting them myself. But, there is a wise way to confront those who disturb peace and justice and there are ways that escalate the situations. When we confront evil, we must be wise in doing so or even more people may get hurt.

It is time for good cops to start exposing the bad cops to ensure that the people of their communities and they, themselves, are safe.

Many of us grieve today. Although, we did not know George Floyd, we weep that there could still be so much discrimination in the world today. We weep because there is so little peace and all too often not enough justice.

Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans that we are not to be high-minded; thinking that we are better than anyone else. We are to not to repay evil with evil. We are to live honestly so that we might all live in peace and then we shall all rejoice!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

What God Does For You

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph 3:20-21 KJV)

It is absolutely amazing what God can do and has done for us! The most amazing of all is that though we were lost in sin and continue to sin our Father continues to love and care for us. He loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to give himself as a sacrifice for our sins that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven. How amazing is that!? No matter what you may have done, Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins that you might be saved. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Eph 2:8)

That loving God is with you today and tomorrow and everyday looking out for you. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Time To Laugh And A Time To Weep

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (Rom 12:15 KJV)

I have noticed that there seems to be a really strange idea in the world today. That is that the goal of life is that everyone must be happy, happy, happy all of the time. No. We do not have to be happy, happy, happy all of the time. Sometimes, even often, people suffer from great tragedies and there is much sadness. To think that we should go to them and make them happy is a very sad thing in itself. Nor, should we avoid them because we're uncomfortable with too much grief and we really like to be happy instead of sad. When people weep, we weep with them. We walk with them as far as is possible. 

The shortest verse in the Bible is two words. they are "Jesus wept." (John 11:35) When Jesus was greeted by Mary after her brother Lazarus, died he wept. He wept with her and probably for her loss. He knew that he would be raising Lazarus from the dead in a short while which would bring joy to all of his loved ones. But, in that moment of Mary's sadness, Jesus wept with her.

We walk beside our brothers and sisters. We "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (Rom 12:15 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

God's; Not The World's Will

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 12:1 KJV)

Do we really want to good or do we just want our neighbors to be good and acceptable and perfect so that we don't have any injustices inflicted upon us? 

Jesus tells us, "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (Luke 6:31) Do we treat others as we would like them to treat us? Do we get upset if someone gets in our way a bit as they struggle with something or do we help them? Are we understanding when someone is ill and is not able to do what we'd expect of them? 

The world's way is to take care of ourselves first. Indeed, we have to take care of ourselves. But, do we include taking care of our frivolous desires as a necessary part of taking care of ourselves over and above helping our neighbor in genuine need?

Lot's of questions on my mind this morning. I pray that we would learn to be a little bit more understanding of others and begin proving what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God with both word and deed. How fruitful the world would be!

God's Peace - Pr. J

I Cannot Pray

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom 8:26 KJV)

It can be most unsettling to have so many things going down at once that you're not even sure what to pray or how. Everything comes bubbling up within your heart and mind at one time lending to confusion. At times like these it feels as though you cannot pray. 

But, thanks be to God, when we cannot pray, the Spirit knows how and what we or those we grieve for needs. The Spirit makes intercession for us in times like these.

God's Peace - Pr. J