Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is Lord

Psalm 33:12-22 KJV; 9th Sunday after Pentecost; Corrupt governments will never save us; but, the Lord will bless the nation whose God is Lord.

Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The Lord

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12 KJV)

Today many of us celebrate the independence of our nation from Great Britain. We celebrate that we live in a country where we are free to do so many things people of other countries do not have the privilege or right to do. Others are not so celebratory. They appear to be attempting to tear down, whether intentionally or unintentionally, all that has been built up by others over the years. It has taken over two hundred years to get us where we are today. We have come a long way and there is still much change that is needed. But, tearing down what has been built upon the blood, sweat and tears of others does not guarantee that the changes will be a good change. Forced changes will only bring about more animosity; more division. 

There is chaos in many cities; in many states; as well as in many churches. We, as Christians, often forget that we are a people of God. We forget that Christ died for all people. We forget that God's will is a good will for us. We do not worship or serve Him as we ought. We too often serve our own imaginations and have created the chaos in the darkness of our own hearts and minds.

Christ did not just die for a few. He died for all people; that all who would believe in him might be saved. Riots and the destruction of others and the property of others will not change anything for the good. As has been seen with the riots of late, no one has been saved; but, many have been harmed; too many have died as a result.

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of serving the devil his response was: "...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." (Matt 12:25) We might want to consider those words when we consider in what direction our country is going. We are a divided people. Will we continue to stand? Will we continue to grow? And, if that is our desire what will accomplish that? The answer can be found in the word of the Lord to Solomon.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron 7:14)

From what we've been experiencing, especially in this year 2020, our land is in serious need of healing. Let us begin by humbling ourselves and praying for our beloved country and indeed the whole world.

The Lord bless us, and keep us:

The Lord make his face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace.

                                                                 (from Numbers 6:24-26)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Not The Sun Go Down On Your Wrath

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

                                                                                            (Eph 4:26-32 KJV)

Every time I hear or read George Floyd's name mentioned in conjunction with the ongoing unrest or riots, I cringe. That, in itself, is an injustice to his memory. George Floyd was a victim. By reports of friends and family members he was an active Christian. He did not incite any violence against his neighbors or this country. Yet, his name is being used to incite and condone it.

We all should be upset and even angry about his death. But, we should not be involved in anything that would condone the destruction and theft of property that belongs to others. We should not in any way condone actions that cause bodily harm or death to others.

Be kind to one another and live in peace!

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

Liberty Is For Serving One Another

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

                                                                                                   (Gal 5:13-14, 25-26 KJV)

It is Independence Day! We remember and celebrate our freedoms. However, there are many who though set free from bondage continue to cry that they are still in bondage. That is true. Many are still in bondage. We are in bondage because we look to the law rather than love to set us free. If we look to the law and governments to give us what we want we will remain in bondage. It is only love that can set us free from self-inflicted bondage; from self-pity; from self-aggrandizement. It is necessary to take care of oneself so that we are able to love others. But, we must be careful that caring for ourselves does not mean stepping on the liberty of others. Often, our elected representatives listen to lobbyists that can benefit them and their particular concerns putting forth agendas that might make some people or groups free to do a little more of what they want even while they restrict the freedom and rights of others. In other words, many of our elected officials would indulge some while putting others under a yoke of bondage. Those law are not about loving all of the people of this country. They are about worrying about themselves and how they're going to get elected the next time around. Those laws are created solely out of concern for themselves.

Jesus cared enough about others; about us, enough to free us from bondage; particularly from the bondage of sin that separates us from God and one another. 

He died to set us free and he tells us that we are to follow in his footsteps. His footsteps lead us to a place where we are willing to even die so that others might live with liberty.  

Today we celebrate that men and women were willing to give everything: their property and their lives, risking even their families lives, so that generations to come would not live under the tyranny of a dictatorship; a government without representation.

Thanks to their sacrifices, today we live in a country where everyone has a voice. Some do not use that voice. Others use that voice for self-serving purposes. Even others use that voice to spew hatred rather than love.

We celebrate today, that the blood of many has given us and preserved for us liberty from countries and governments that would take away our freedoms. Let us not forget that the blood of Christ has set us free to live free from the bondage of sin, death, and the power of the devil. Let us live in love for even our enemies. Let us live in peace. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Whippoorwill's Joyful Noise

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

                                                                          (Psalm 95:1-3 KJV)

My new home is relatively quiet. I am in the country; but, not really. It is certainly not city dwelling. There are a lot of trees and birds around. There are also a lot of sounds. There is the sound of the television, usually way too loud and very rarely joyful. Almost daily, I can hear the sound of someone target practicing in the distance. The airplanes from the airport in Daytona Beach pass over the house almost continuously and then there are the helicopters that circle overhead quite often looking for someone in need of assistance. Most of these sounds I can ignore or maybe I've already gotten so used to them that I rarely hear them.

But, the sound that is so sweet to hear is the sound of the Whippoorwills singing before the sun rises and after it sets as I wander around the yard spending some quiet time talking with God. The sound of the Whippoorwills' music is not disturbing in the least. It is the sound of joy! "Wake up and rejoice,: they sing. "A new day has come!" And, in the evening, "Rest peacefully tonight in this place that the Lord has given you."  

Let us always rejoice for the Lord is a great God and He has done marvelous things for us!

God's Peace - Pr. J