Jesus Seeks Out His Flock

Ezekiel 34:11-15; 22-24; Psalm 23 KJV The Shepherd seeks out his flock. That good shepherd is Jesus.

My Peace I Give You

Reading from the Gospel of John 14:27-31 KJV for Pentecost Sunday. Do not be troubled; do not fear. Jesus grants us peace even in the face of the evil one; the prince of the world.

The Light Has Come

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

                                    (Isa 9:2, 6 KJV)

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 

                                                                       (Matt 4:15-20 KJV)

Straightway the fishermen left their nets and followed the light who is Jesus the Christ! Sadly, many are comfortable in the dark forever complaining about the valley of the shadow of death.  That's all they know so they choose the darkness of what they know over the unknown albeit brilliant light that had come into the world. The fishermen were ready and they were willing to live in the light of Christ. They followed the light. They dropped their nets and followed Jesus.

The world can be a very dark and gloomy place. But, it doesn't have to be. The light has come born as a sweet baby in Bethlehem so many years ago. The light has come. Step out of the darkness to follow Jesus and live life in the light of Christ.

God's Peace and Merry Christmas!  Pr. J.

Merry Christmas!

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6 NRSV)

Presents will be given and received this morning as people around the world celebrate Christmas. People will be celebrating the birth of Christ into the world for us. Prayerfully, they will be celebrating the Holy Day and not merely the holiday that has become very secular. For unto us the greatest gift has been given; Jesus Christ, that baby born in a manger, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Rejoice! The Promise Is Fulfilled

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordon -

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness

    a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation

    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle

    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
    will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this.

                                Isaiah 9:1-7 NIV

This promise to the Israelites has been fulfilled. This promise to all who would believe has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord. As we celebrate the coming of God into the world as a baby born in a barn; let us remember that what it is we celebrate is that Jesus Christ is born and he is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Let us rejoice this Christmas Eve and tomorrow and every day for Jesus the Christ has been born for you and for me.

May God bless all of your Christmas celebrations!

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Know The Truth! Live In It!

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21 NIV

Those who know God; who know the truth, and ignore it tend to try my patience just a bit. They get into trouble because they have ignored the truth of God. They get into trouble for following after and spending their time and money worshipping false gods. They not only do this themselves; but they also approve and teach others to reject and/or ignore God to everyone's detriment. They get into trouble and then they wonder why.

The why is because they follow trouble. They worship it. Chaos and drama are a way of life. For those who want peace; there is a way. God has given us a way. Quit ignoring Him. Stop rejecting the Prince of Peace, for peace can be found only in living in relationship with Jesus the Christ, who is our peace. You want trouble to go away; then depart from doing what is evil and glorify God. Evil begets evil. Steer clear!

You know the truth. You know the way. You know how to live life. Willful sin is not the way. Willfully ignoring and rejecting the truth of God is not the way. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Quit suppressing the truth and embrace it; that you, too, might have abundant life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

For Christ Or Anti-Christ?

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Matt 12:30 NIV)

A friend of mine had hung a poster in her classroom at a juvenile correction facility that read: "If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Jesus said if you are not with him then you are against him. Logic would tell us that if we are not with Jesus then we are the anti-Christ. 

Those who are with him; those who abide in him and he in them actually gather people into the Body of Christ. They are the fishers of men that Jesus promised to make of those who would follow him. (Matt 4:19) So, what about those who are in the habit of attempting (and sometimes succeed) to scatter those who would follow Jesus; of dividing them; or separating them from one another and from the whole Body of Christ? Are they not those who are against Jesus?

Jesus made the statement regarding being with or against him after healing a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute.
     All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
     But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
     Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?"           (Matt 12:23-26)

Indeed, every city or household, every visible church on earth divided against itself is going to have a very rough time standing, if it can. Eventually, if we continue to choose to be against Christ; if we choose to continue to divide and scatter; families, churches, communities, entire kingdoms will fall.

Consider then if you are with Christ or against him. Are you gathering or dividing and scattering?

May we always abide in Christ and he in us that as servants of the most high God we might be part of the solution and not part of the problem. May God use us as instruments of his gathering so that all people might abide in the peace and unity that comes with knowing and being for Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Merry Christmas!

Christ Lutheran Choir

photo by: Al Blanks

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Today, we celebrate God incarnate! Today, we celebrate that the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Peace has come to us, born into this world as a baby in a barn.

As you celebrate the birth of our Savior, remember that he is the only reason for the celebration. All that we are and all that we have are only thanks to the God who loves us so much that He would humble himself enough to walk with us, live with us, and not just for those years that he lived on earth as true man; but, eternally as our one and only true God.

Today we celebrate the Lord our God as we should every day!

Merry Christmas and may the peace of the Lord be with you always!

Pr. J

Mary's Song; Our Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. Luke 1:46-47, 49 NIV 

Mary's song ought to be our song. He hears our prayers and He answers. But, He has done and continues to do so much more than we can even imagine or ask for.

Mary was indeed blessed to be chosen to be the mother of God. What a fearsome and awesome gift that must have been. Yet, we are also greatly blessed in that God is with us always. That gift to Mary is also a gift to us.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this."
                                    (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Let us rejoice and be glad for our Savior has come and his Kingdom shall never end. May all of our souls glorify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior and King!

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Sunday of Hope

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

Long before Jesus was born as a mere baby in a barn, the people of Israel trusted that he would come. They believed God's promises long before anyone saw it come to fruition with their own eyes. The people of Israel had hope.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. It is the Sunday of hope. The celebration of Messiah's birthday is but a few weeks away. We look for the celebration of his birth even as we wait in hope for him to come again. If the Israelites could wait for generations with confidence in God's promise that he would come to reign over them, we who have been made aware that he has come, ought to be able to live our lives in the confidence; in the hope that he has come, he is here, he will come again.

May God grant us all hope that God is even know accomplishing all things for the good of those who love Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.