False Prophets Abound

Mark 13:5-8 KJV; Listen not to the false prophets and fake saviors. There is only one savior and know the peace that only he can give..

Willful Sin

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.                                                      (Rom 6:1-4 KJV)

Baptism is so much more than simple washing with water. It is a gift from God. When we are baptized into Christ the old man is put to death even as Christ was put to death for us. When we are baptized into the Body of Christ we receive new life in him. 

There are so many times that we willfully sin using the excuse that God  will forgive us because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Shall we really purposefully continue in sin that God's grace might abound? How ungrateful can we be? Jesus loves us so much that he would allow himself to be tortured and put to death for our sins and yet we would continue to willfully sin! We are sinners. That is a fact. We are also saints having been washed clean by the blood of Christ. Out of love for the one who died for us let us live as Christ lives reconciled to God our Father and one another doing what is right and good glorifying our Father in heaven.

In baptism the old man in us has died and a new man is born. May God help us to live life in Christ!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Give Generously

Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

                                                                                                                  (2 Cor 8:1-9 KJV)

Because of their faith in Christ who gave himself for all people, the Corinthians gave generously. 

That is the Christian duty. It is not the Christian duty to delegate generosity to others no matter how rich or poor the others might be. It is the individuals and the churches duty to give generously to those in need. It is not our place to decide whether someone is too sinful for us to help. We don't get to question whether they really deserve it or not. We just get to assist the saints in need. However, we must always remember that Jesus did not question whether we deserve his gift of life for us through the giving of his life. He gave his very life even though we most clearly did not deserve it. This, of course does not mean we should send the scam artist on the telephone or internet thousands of dollars. We do need to be careful not to allow them to steal from us so that we have nothing to give to those in genuine need. Be very careful that robbers do not take what should be used to help the poor.

Give generously. The law will, when able, according to the limited abilities of the law will hold those who take advantage of your generosity accountable. Unfortunately, the law is very fallible. The law is not perfect; but, God is. God whose abilities are unlimited will judge and hold accountable those who would lie in order to steal from the mouths of others by abusing your generosity to a point that you have nothing left to give to those in genuine need.

May God help us to love and care for his people. Give generously.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Faith Then Patience

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                                           (2 Peter 1:2-8 KJV)

I cannot begin to imagine how much patience it took to plow fields around the Ring of Kerry.

I have to admit that there are definitely days that my self-control and patience are a bit lacking. They are both more present in me today than they were twenty or thirty years ago. But, I do still fall short. I fall short because there are times when I get so wrapped up in getting things done that I forget that God is with me and I end up doing things the way others or I would prefer that they be done. Not doing God's will; but, instead doing what pleases a few people or myself usually ends up in a disaster. And... disasters can mightily challenge our self-control and patience.

So I pray that God would grant us all faith and that in faith; virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity will follow.

God Peace - Pr. J