John 4:5-26 KJV; 3rd Sunday in Lent; Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that true worshippers will worship in Spirit and in Truth.

A Little Salt Is Good!

 

Matthew 5:13-20 KJV; 5th Sunday after Epiphany; It may take a bit of saltiness to proclaim the truth who is Jesus the Christ.

Live More Fully As Christ Lives

Romans 12:1-5 KJV; We are all one in the Body of Christ. May we live to serve God and one another even as does Christ.

Don't Be Tooting Your Own Horn

2 Corinthians 12:17 KJV; Do not commend yourself. Only those the Lord commends is approved.

God Knows In Advance

Genesis 18:17-29 KJV; God knows in advance who will be faithful or not.

Not By Bread Alone

Matthew 4:1-4 KJV; We live by the Word of God, who is Jesus the Christ.

Stand Fast On The Word

Philippians 3:17-4:1 KJV; 2nd Sunday of Lent; Stand fast on the Word who is Jesus the Christ. 

Our Hope Looks For The Second Coming Of Christ

1st Sunday in Advent; Luke 21:25-36 KJV; Our hope looks for the second coming of Jesus the Christ.

Bread of Life

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

                                                                       (Matt 4:1-4 KJV)

That old tempter can be pretty sly. What may appear to be good is not always what is good.

Jesus went forty days without food. He was hungry. The devil shows up and challenges him to prove that he is the Son of God by changing the stones into bread. Jesus refuses saying that to live life we need more than physical food to eat. The word of God is necessary for an abundant life; for eternal life. Jesus is the Word of God that is necessary for such life.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

                                                                                        (John 1:1,14)

Jesus is the bread of life. He said:  "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)

The tempter would have us believe otherwise. He would have us challenge the reality of God by challenging God to prove himself. All the proof has already been given to us through the inspired word of God. It was given to us when Jesus hung on that cross for us; was buried; and, rose from the dead. It was given to us as the witnesses watched him ascend into the heavenly place. All this was done for us. Nothing more than the Word of God who is the bread of life is needed for an abundant life in him. Anything more is distraction by the tempter to keep us from trusting the Lord.

Trust the Lord to provide for you and live a grace filled life in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

We Cannot Live By Bread Alone

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matt 4:4 KJV)  

Hungry? Thirsty? Eat, eat, eat and never get satisfied; only want for more? 

Food was meant to nourish our bodies.  It can be a pretty strong temptation to eat way more than one needs to meet their physical needs. Food might give you temporary satisfaction; but, that sense of satisfaction will be forgotten within an hour or two; maybe less. One meal; not even two or three, will not last you a lifetime. But, the Word of God will nourish you soul for all of eternity.

The tendency to give in to the temptation of momentary satisfaction can lead to all kinds of problems for us; particularly if it goes against the word of God. Temptations to depend on momentary happiness rather than the Word can lead to disasters for us.

After Jesus had fasted in the wilderness for forty days after his baptism; he, like we too often are, was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread so that he could eat. He; unlike what we would do if we had the ability, refused. "... he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

No, most of us do not have the strength to refuse a temptation like that. If we could we would. But; then again, most of us do not have the fortitude to fast for forty days and nights, either. Our cravings are too much to attempt that. 

Heavenly Father, "... lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matt 6:13)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Teaching Sin

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 the 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. And, if someone sins against you, forgive them. 

Read again 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 to not 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 having a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea.

Forgive generously; but, love others enough to teach them that although sin is forgivable because of Jesus' great love and sacrifice for us, it is not an acceptable path to willfully choose.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Trust In God

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. (Psalm 56:4 KJV)

After awhile, a person can get pretty worn out trying to do it all under their own power and might. We are just not made to confront chaos or brick walls for too many years and still be able to stand. We are human with many weaknesses. We succumb to various fears which weakens our ability to be as fruitful as we could be. 

We are not gods. Without the help of the one true God; we can do nothing. It is better to begin trusting God while we are young so that we might do His will for many years more.

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