God's Blessings Upon You

Psalm 67 KJV

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

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Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

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

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

Amen!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Us Not Be Weary

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:9-10 KJV)

As I consider how weary are our law enforcement officers and our firemen and others who are busy trying to put out the fires that began as peaceful protests and were infiltrated by others with not so peaceful agendas, I become weary. 

But, this morning I give thanks to God for the outstanding and peaceful way that the protests here in Flagler County and next door in Putnam County, Florida were held. I am grateful that the organizers of the protests and local law enforcement were able to coordinate their efforts together and walk together, as well.  

If we take the time to talk with (not at) one another and walk together there will much less weariness. So many people have been harmed these past couple of weeks that it has become a time of grieving for much of our population.

Life in this world will never be perfect. We will never know perfect peace. But, that does not mean we should not strive for a more peaceful way to live, caring for one another; caring for all people. "...let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
                                                                              (Num 6:24-26 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

False Witnesses

“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established." (Deut 19:15 NKJV)

"Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses." (1 Tim 5:19)

In spite of the many false witnesses who testified against Jesus, Herod found him to be innocent. But; because Herod worried about his own future, Jesus was crucified anyway.

Lives can be and often are destroyed by slander; by false witnesses. It has most likely been so since the beginning of time; otherwise, why would the law of Moses have insisted upon at least two witnesses? Why would Paul recommend that an accusation not be heard if there are not at least two witnesses? 

Evil abounds. Let us not contribute to evil by repaying evil with evil. May God help us to discern what is good; do what is right; do what is just; and not what is profitable for ourselves. If others act unjustly, we must remain just. 

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

                                                            (Romans 12:19-21)

May the Lord protect us and keep us. (Num 6:24) May the Lord deliver His servants from the evil one. (Matt 6:13)

God's Peace - Pr. J

His Blessings; His Peace

There are a lot of people hurting in this world. So much so that many are so lost in their own pain that they do not even consider that their neighbors; their loved ones might also be hurting.

What can we do to help? How do we reach out to others? How do we reach them? How do we get others to understand that the Lord desires that all people would receive his blessings and live in his peace? We cannot do a thing for anyone without the Lord's help. But, with him all things are possible.

Let us begin by asking God's blessings on others. Let us begin with prayer for and with others. Let us pray...

"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." Num 6:24-26

God's Peace - Pr. J

Which Is Easier?

"For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?"  (Matt 9:5)

I often see, posted on Facebook, comments about how someone did not have to use Algebra at all that day, insinuating that it is a wasted study on our young people. It apparently was and is for those people who have to ask me to do some mental math for them. After all, there's no need to learn something if someone else will do it for you. Actually, math problems run through my head sporadically throughout the day, especially when I am sitting around waiting for something. It can be something as simple as counting the tiles on a ceiling or floor and figuring the area of a waiting room. I don't do too many complicated equations; just what I can do in my head. I like numbers! I enjoy the challenge of solving problems in my head instead of on paper or on a calculator. I taught myself mental math when I was very young and to tell you the truth I sometimes wonder why others have not shown an interest in learning it when it can be so much easier than the traditional ways we've been taught. It is way easier than the methods they are using to teach Math in elementary schools today. But, there will always be those who always prefer to do things the hard way.

The scribes were a bit upset when Jesus forgave a paralytic man his sins. They judged that he was blaspheming. His response was "which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven; or 'Stand up and walk?'" Indeed, which is easier? Four simple words and they are not as difficult to say as one would expect and when said they heal a multitude of wounds. "Your sins are forgiven!" Practice saying them. It is easier to forgive than to be angry or to hold a grudge the rest of your life. Forgive those whom you are angry with; whether, you feel justified in your anger or not. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Jesus died so that this might happen. He worked out the problem of sin. He did all of the work. Don't be trying to work things out according to your sense of justice. That is the hard way and the wrong way. Step out in faith and receive your forgiveness. Step out in faith and forgive others their trespasses against you. Step out in faith and receive wholeness! It is easier than staying angry your whole life. With Christ, it is easier than one might expect.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Here Comes The Sun

It's all right, here comes the sun.

One of my favorite Beetles songs was "Here Comes the Sun." It speaks of smiles returning to our faces when the sun shines. There are times in life when we are confronted with one challenge after another. Even when the sun is shining, there are times when we don't even notice because the challenges can bring a darkness that overshadows the sun.

But, the light of the Son of God cannot be overshadowed. His light shines in the darkest corners of the universe; in the deepest and darkest corners of our lives. When dark times threaten to overshadow you; rejoice! For, here comes the Son with his light to shine upon you!

“The Lord bless you and keep you;The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Num 6:24-26 (NKJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J