Glorify the Lord!

Psalm 148:1-14 KJV; 2nd Sunday of Easter; Glorify the Lord! Praise His name!

 

Trust The Lord Above All Others

Psalm 62 KJV; 17th Sunday after Pentecost; I trust the Lord above all others. 

Tribulation Worketh Patience

Romans 5:1-5 KJV; Tribulation; patience, experience, and hope. Don't fret about the trials. Through faith in God they will bring you closer to Him.

All God's Children Praise The Lord

#Psalm 149 KJV; Despite our sinful natures God loves his children.

Dominion Does Not Mean Subjugate

Psalm 8:1-9 KJV; Trinity Sunday; God did not intend for us to control his creation; to subjugate any of it; but, to care for it.

He Created All Things

Psalm 8 KJV; Trinity Sunday; He created all things in the heavens and earth. God help us to care for all that he created including our friends and neighbors and don't forget the answer to the question: "Who is our neighbor?"

The Lord Is Upon Many Waters

Psalm 29 KJV

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

I woke up this morning to a beautiful red sunrise. Here on the river every morning is beautiful as well as quiet. The perfect place for hearing God's voice. We sometimes consider selling the place as it can be a lot to take care of. But, then I remember how fortunate we are to have it. When we first found it, I remember thinking that it truly was a gift from God. It is our sanctuary. It is a place where God can be heard whether it is but a whisper in the stillness or in the sound of thunder over the waters. 

When we first looked at this place, my husband was not impressed. Not one bit! He did not want to own or take care of property in a cedar swamp so he quickly had a pond dug at our camp hoping that would satisfy my yearning to be near the water. That pond is beautiful, as well; but, it was not the same. The home in the cedar swamp was falling apart and was meant at first to be only a place for rest; for quick retreats, and not our home. Thanks to help from his brother, it has become a home and a real place of rest. Something we need as our years continue to increase. Thanks be to God he has learned to love this place about as much as I do. 

It is a joy to be able to witness the beauty of God's creation each and every day whether the sun is shining or the storms are raging. 

All glory belongs to God! Thanks be to God!

God's Peace Pr. J.

The Messiah; The Christ; Follow Him

And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 

                              (Luke 9:18-20 KJV)

Who is this Jesus? Jesus wanted to know who his disciples thought he was. Peter confessed that Jesus was and is the Christ; the Savior sent by God. Do you also believe this? If you do, what are you going to do about it? Will you share that Good News? Will you follow Him? Will you be His disciple?

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)

Following Jesus is not an easy road. But, Christ went before us and is still with us on the journey so I'm thinking following Him is the best journey to undertake. He is after all, the Messiah; the Christ!

God's Peace - Pr. J

We Will See His Glory

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18 KJV)

Time are rough for a lot of people. But, looking back at history, there have been times that were a lot worse. Who; but God, can tell what the future has in store for this world? The future may be even worse. It might also be better. No matter what our circumstances are right now those who know Jesus know that they will get better. They will be absolutely awesome when the glory of God is revealed in its fullness for all the world to see. 

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Pet 4:12-13)

Rejoice and be glad that the Lord, our God, has a plan. It is a good plan. Remember, also, that included in that good plan was the death of his only begotten Son for us. That Son told us "..., If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

During WW II, Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a part of the resistance and ultimately died for his actions against the Reich wrote in the "Cost of Discipleship:" “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Life on earth is not always going to be easy. There will be many trials and tribulations. But, we a called to stand on the truth, following in the footsteps of Jesus no matter how hard it may get. Life on earth may not be easy; but, we have hope as we look for the glory of God to be revealed in its fullness!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Us Pray

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

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 3:14-21 KJV)

God is not a mere abstract figure. He is above all and in all and through all. Jesus is the one who is able to do all that we ask and more according to the power of the Holy Spirit that works in and through all of our Father's children. 

May God grant all of his children the knowledge of who he is and what he has and will do for us so that we might learn to depend on his grace and his power in all things.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Fireflies And Stars

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

(Psalm 19:1-4 KJV)

 

It was just amazing! The stars appeared to have descended upon the earth!

 

I have heard that fireflies are in short-supply in these latter days. I have not found that to be true. whether I am at home in Florida or Michigan I have found there to be an abundance of them.

 

I enjoy being outdoors. In fact, I get a bit antsy being cooped up within four walls. I know of nothing that God has created that has square corners. I absolutely love being present in His natural creation. That is where I am most at peace. In witnessing the beauty of His creation, I am reminded of his great love for all of His creation and my hope is renewed. 

 

So last night, around 11 o'clock, I stepped outside to see what beauty God had prepared. The sky above our camp was filled with stars. The area around me right up to the edge of the horizon was filled with fireflies. The lights of the fireflies and the stars had no beginning and no end. They were one. It was awesome!

 

It can be a very renewing experience to step outside of our little boxes and experience all of God's creation. The natural creation that surrounds us as well as the people He has given us to live this life with.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Vision Of The Multitudes

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                                (Rev 7:9-12 KJV)

What a vision the multitudes praising God must have been. I cannot wait to see it for myself with my own eyes. That great multitude who have come though the tribulation and have been sealed by God are promised:

"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev 7:16-17)

Thanks be to God for salvation belongs to our God and we will live with Him in His kingdom forever!

God's Peace - Pr. J

All Glory And Honor

Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. (1 Chron 29:11 KJV)

Thine is the glory, O Lord!  

It is God and God alone to whom all glory belongs. We often lift up personalities in this world as being savior-like. It is a lie to depend on any man or woman to save us. Only by faith in Christ can we be saved. He has the authority and the power to save. 

As a pastor, I was always a bit leery about lifting up any one person's good works. That is because only God is truly good. It is also because most Christians try to do the best they can to serve God and the community of saints. One individuals' attempted good works is not better than another person!  God gives each of us gifts. We serve according to His will and the gifts that He has given us. So, also, we must be careful about lifting up and showing preferential treatment to those who give materially more than others. The faithful will give according to their ability. Because someone seemingly gives much because they have much does not necessarily mean they are giving generously in proportion to the their actual ability. I refer you to the story of the widow's mite and how Jesus pointed out that though she gave little, she gave everything she had.  (Mark 12:41-44)

Our habit of lifting up individuals for special honor whether they are in the congregation or not is often done to gain personal favors or special favors for the church or other organizations. It is also a very sad form of idolatry. It is important to thank people for their service. But, we are not to be discriminatory in giving that thanks for service rendered by lifting up one individual over another when all that they have done is what they have been called to do. 

Remember, that whatever is done ought to be done for the glory of God not for our own glory and not for the glory of people we have decided to personally hold in high esteem. 

All glory and honor belongs to God. We can do nothing that deserves that glory. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31) 

Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. (1 Chron 29:11 KJV)

Trust in the One who can do all things. Trust in the Lord, your Savior and King!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Pleasing Others In Community

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

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.

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

                                                                (Rom 15:1-7 KJV)

Again or still, I have been thinking about community as most of the country has been mandated to avoid community. In a very real sense, keeping our distance can be for the good of and to please our neighbors. However, we will have a difficult time helping the individual in need if we never see them. There are many social organizations that we can assist in helping others by making donations online. Sadly, some of these organizations have closed their offices due to the mandates. Church offices come to my mind.

We cannot please everyone all of the time. But, in order to please or help them in any way, we usually need to have contact with them. We need to be in community with them. Jesus calls us to feed his sheep. Social media is fine for feeding others the word; but, other then making donations to large agencies who will use a large percentage of our donations for operating costs rather than directly feeding and sheltering those in need, social media isn't all that helpful when it comes to taking care of physical needs.

In order to know what people may need we need to be in community, in communication, with them. Long distance, remote communication really does not do the trick. It is difficult to receive someone as St. Paul exhorts us to do when we can't actually be with one another.

I have joked about being a hermit more than once. I really do appreciate my quiet times with God! But, I also appreciate and give thanks to God for having had so many opportunities over the years to please others by helping them in person when they needed someone who was near and not far away; when they needed someone to feed them whether it was spiritually or physically.

Let us all give thanks that many of the social distancing guidelines are being relaxed and we can get on with living in community to the glory of our ever-loving God our Father.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

All To The Glory Of God

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal 6:14 KJV)

Our egos can be our biggest downfall. Striving to make ourselves look better than others just causes dissension. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. We all sin. But, because our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to take on the penalty for our sins, we are found righteous in the sight of God. 

There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Our good works add up to nothing  for we can do nothing good without Christ. 

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

                                                                                             (Gal 1:16-20)

God's Peace - Pr. J

The God of Power and Glory

Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. (1 Chron 29:11 KJV)

So, your life seems totally messed up? The whole world is against you! Everything bad that happens is someone else's fault. If so, just maybe it's because you are worshiping a false god. I know, you are a Christian. The reality is many Christians don't really comprehend what it means to follow Christ. It means he comes first. He comes first before us. He comes before our personal desires that actually go against the will of God.

God is the greatness, the power, and the glory! When we put anyone or anything else before him we are deluding ourselves and setting ourselves up for a fall. We are short-changing ourselves and setting ourselves up to live in a very dark place. 

May the light of Christ shine in and through all of His children that He might be exalted in all of the earth.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Flattering Tongue

He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. (Prov 28:23 KJV)

There are definitely times when I ignore "stuff." I do not bother to flatter them. I do not bother to rebuke them. There is just some "stuff" that I witness that I know that it would be a waste of breath to say anything. My response is more like an eye roll or a glare and I walk away. They usually get the point. However, there is some "stuff" that I cannot help but rebuke. It's who I am. If others don't like it, they can do the eye roll and walk away.

But, when I listen to undue compliments and the flattering tongue aimed at me, I become a bit nauseous. Yes, I have learned to take a compliment now and then. But, the persistent compliments are not deserved and definitely unnecessary. 

If you're going to glorify someone, glorify God. It is He, not me, who can do all things. 

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)

God's Peace - Pr. J

My Redeemer Lives

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:" (Job 19:25 KJV)

What comfort those words from Job can bring! When life feels desolate; when peace seems like a distant dream, we can look forward with hope to the day when there will be no more suffering and pain because we know that our Redeemer lives! We can look to the latter day when every knee shall bow before the Lord. We can look to the day when we see Jesus in full glory.

May God grant you hope for a future of joy and peace in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J