With Kindness Receive One Another

"Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."                                                                                 

                                                                               (Rom 15:5-7 KJV)

Be likeminded toward one another. Be nice! Receive one another as a brother or sister instead of attacking one another because you don't believe like them or live like them work together that you might live together in peace and glorify our Father in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

New Creatures Are Reconciled

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

                                                                                  (2 Cor 5:17-21 KJV)

Reconciliation seems to be the last thing on most of our politicians minds. They really seem to like attacking one another. One would think they have better things to do. As they call for unity, they stir up division. The devil must be enjoying himself immensely.

For God our Father calls us to unity. He calls us to be reconciled to Himself and to one another. He desires it so much that He sent His only begotten Son, who knew no sin to be sin for us. Our sin was crucified on his cross. Yet, it seems like we really want our sin to be resurrected as we continue to live in sin. 

Have the old things really passed away? If not, we have the opportunity to start anew every single minute of every single day. We have the opportunity to repent; to change our ways. 

If we are new creatures in Christ then let us be ambassadors for Christ, proclaiming the Kingdom of God purchased for all people through his blood. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Pray For Peace Among The Elected

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

                                                                                        (Phil 1:9-11 KJV)

Here is my daily prayer (at least one of them): I pray that our elected officials might abound in loving judgment; that they would worry less about attacking each other and calling each other and supporters of their opponents names and get on with the business they were elected for. 

I am just very tired of the news again this morning. It is so devastatingly unrighteous and hurtful to the unity of this county.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Election Day Peace

How very good and pleasant it is

    when kindred live together in unity!
                                    (Psalm 133:1 NRSV)

Today is election day. I am pretty sure that there will be very few, if any, who are completely pleased with the election results. When all of the ballots are in, I pray that we can accept the voice of the people who have taken the time to vote. We do have a voice in who our elected officials will be. It is expressed on election day. It can also be expressed through opinion throughout every day. However; let us do this respectfully; without bullying; without threatening; without trampling on the rights of others.  As the author of the Psalms reminds us "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!"

Even though we may not like (not even one iota) everyone who will be elected to public office today, according to scripture we are to give them honor and respect. Yes, we can and should speak our minds about their policies, we have the freedom to do that. But, we should do it out of love for one another so that we might live in the bonds of peace. 

In the first letter of  Peter to the Christians in Asia Minor, he reminds that that: "As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:16-17)  He advised them to honor and respect those in authority; but, as Christians we must put God even above those whom he has placed in authority. When the two conflict; go in the way that the Lord has shown you. That way is Jesus Christ. 

We are to follow in the footsteps of the who went to the cross to bring unity to all who believe in him; to reconcile us to God and to one another. "The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:22-23) 

Jesus was not in the habit of physically attacking people just because he did not agree with them. Rather, than threaten to kill anyone who disagreed with him, he went to his death instead. He freely died so that others might live. He did not send his followers out to threaten anyone. He sent them out with the Good News of the Kingdom of God; a Kingdom where all God's children would live in peace and harmony.

So, this election day and in the coming years; let us live in unity, respecting the voice of the people; honoring those who are elected to office whether we agree with them or not. Do continue to speak out against injustice; but, do so with justice in mind and not hateful revenge because you didn't get what you wanted. Hateful revenge is not justice. Physically attacking or threatening to attack your neighbor because they don't agree with you will not bring about any peace or unity. The bullying must stop. 

We may be unhappy with some of the results today; but, for the sake of the Body of Christ; let us be kind; listening to one another; honoring those whom God has put authority over us; that we might live in peaceful unity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

In God I Trust

Be merciful to me, my God,    
     for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
    all day long they press their attack.
My adversaries pursue me all day long;
    in their pride many are attacking me.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me

                                   (Psalm 56:1-4 NIV)

In whom shall we trust? The Lord our God is our defender. We do not have to fear those who would pursue us and attack us. Admittedly, things can get pretty rough at times. We are often attacked by those who think that they must lift themselves up above others; even above God, to make themselves look better than others.

Thinking that he was equal to or above God was Satan's sin and so he became an outcast; the fallen angel. The world has not changed much over the centuries. It seems that there will always be those who will unjustly attack others to protect their own image or maybe to get a step ahead of the rest of the world. Those who are the victims of such attacks should not fear. Those who would attack you unjustly; those who would say all kinds of false things against you, are the ones who should fear. They ought to think and be concerned about what they are doing for "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

It is in God we trust. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J.