Accepted or Rejected

And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

                                                                                Acts 28:16-22 KJV

There were always be those who support the servants of God and there will also always be those who will do anything and everything to subvert the message brought by God's servants.

Paul had finally made it to Rome under guard. The believers from the area went to meet him when they heard that he was there. The local Jewish leaders also wanted to hear from him. But, they wanted to hear because they have heard only bad things about this Christian sect. Whether it is accepted or rejected; Paul, the prisoner, was still provided opportunities by God to proclaim the message of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ to many people.

Sometimes, we will share the Good News with people whom we think might be open to it. At other times, we will keep our lips closed for fear that the message (and we) will be rejected. This was not the way that Paul followed. It was definitely not The Way of Jesus. The Good News is for all people. Do not be afraid to share it.

We are called and sent to share the message of forgiveness and reconciliation in the Kingdom through the sacrifice of Jesus. Maybe we should ask ourselves what news it is that we share most often with others. Is that message about our favorite sports team or politician or maybe television star or musician? 

Hmmm... We humans tend to place a lot of emphasis on false gods. What about sharing the message of peace; the peace that is received in the knowledge of what Christ has done for us? For the Christian, there can be no greater focus than on sharing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord with those who do not know him. Do not be afraid to do that! Whether the message is accepted or rejected, it is still the message that saves lives. Give them a chance to know it and to know Him!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3 NRSV
Sometimes not allowing your heart to be troubled is a whole lot easier said than done. I spend a whole lot of time in prayer so that I can be reassured by God's presence that He is actually with me and with those whom I love. I spend a lot of time in the word so that I might be reassured of God's promise of eternal reconciliation with the One who loves me and the whole world enough to die for us.

As I consider what most troubles my heart, I find that it is concern for those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. My heart is most often troubled with concern for those who do not follow in the Way. My concern is that their hearts will be indefinitely troubled. My concern is that they might never know Jesus as I know that there is no healing for the broken heart except in Jesus the Christ.

I can do nothing except for pray and continue to encourage, with the Word, those who do not follow Jesus to turn around and follow him.

My heart is troubled. Yet, there is still peace to be found in the promise of eternal peace in the home that Jesus has prepared for all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Respecting, Accepting Others

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Rom 15:7

It seems that I encounter an awful lot of people who expect me to accept them just as they are; but, refuse to accept me as I am. There are more than a few who actually will not look me in the face. They either look away when speaking to me or down at their phones. Now, I completely understand that within some cultures looking in someone's eyes is considered inappropriate. However, I have been around long enough to know which cultures those would be and most of the people whom I encounter that will not look at me when we're speaking don't fall into this category. Disrespect and general unwillingness to accept others as they are comes in many colors.

Disrespect toward others and the unwillingness to accept and support others happens not only among those who do not know Jesus as well as among those who purport to believe in him. Respect really ought to be a two-way street for anything fruitful to come of it.

Paul exhorts the Roman Christians to accept and support one another. Now, wouldn't that be nice if Christians decided they could all, at least attempt, to get along! It doesn't matter what church you go to. It doesn't matter what denomination you belong to. There is only one Church and that is the Body of Christ. All members of the Church should be welcomed in any church and welcomed warmly as a brother or sister in Christ. Yes, there are theological differences. But, the bottom line is will you really disrespect anyone who believes that Jesus died and lives again?

It appears inevitable that many of those who do not know Jesus will never accept those who do, just as they are. Jesus did warn us: "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matt 10:22)

May the Spirit of Christ teach and empower us to respect, love, and support one another in order to bring praise to God.

God's Peace - Pr. J