Do What Is Right; Live In Peace

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

                                                                                                                  (Mark 7:14-23 KJV)

These verses seem pretty cut and dried to me. It is not what you eat that defiles you although you absolutely should make sure that you're not eating something that will make you physically ill. It is who you have chosen to be that defiles you. What is in your heart manifests into what you think and say and do and that is what causes a person to be defiled; to be sinful causing harm to themselves and others.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Phil 4:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Blasphemy Of The One God

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (Matt 26:65-66 NIV)

Jesus stood before his accusers; his judges, for blasphemy. The penalty for blasphemy? Death! Although innocent, he was crucified on account of this false charge against him.

On daily basis, I hear and read blasphemous statements. Those blasphemous statements are statements that do not respect God. Statements that do not honor His name. It has become commonplace to take His name in vain. It is even popular in some circles to deny Him in attempts to bully others who do respect the Lord. There are those who think it is a joke to use His name as a vulgarity or deny him purposefully in front of those who truly believe. It is not a joke and it hurts no one but the one who would blaspheme His Holy Name.

Jesus was crucified in our place that we might be forgiven our sins. But, remember as you are disrespecting my God and your God (and I say that because there is only one God whether one accepts Him as their God or not) that Jesus said: "And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Matt 12:31)

Be careful what you say. Be careful what you think. Give God the praise and honor due His name. There is, in fact, only one God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Holy Spirit Grows The Church

The Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Christ, grows and edifies the church

in heaven and on earth; which is the Body of Christ.

Apostle's Creed
The Third Article.

Of Sanctification.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

  http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

This past week, I felt the Holy Spirit moving in a very powerful way. Now, when the Holy Spirit moves it is good thing to go wherever the Spirit leads you; do whatever the Spirit is inspiring you to do. 

My congregation, as hopefully all congregations, has been more seriously focusing on evangelism (and ultimately church growth) for the past few months. I have been around for awhile. I have seen many church growth programs. Church growth programs tend to be one of my pet peeves. There really is no one church growth program that fits all congregations. There is not one church growth program that will have any lasting effect unless it is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We can use all the power and might; all the reason; all the energy that we can muster, and it will not avail us. It is the Holy Spirit that calls and gathers; enlightens; brings us to; and, keeps us in the one true faith. Without the Spirit of Christ we can do nothing! All the programs in the world will accomplish nothing without the Spirit of Christ. It is only Christ who saves! It is the Spirit of Christ; the Holy Spirit; who for 2000 years has brought growth to the Body of Christ. If we claim any of that for ourselves we are denying the power of the Holy Spirit. We are denying the power of God and lifting ourselves up in the place of God. Very, very, bad idea! Not only is that blasphemy, it would be a very fruitless effort.

I am not saying that we should not reach out to the world with the Good News. I am saying that we need to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that works in and through us to do that. Jesus said that he would send the helper to guide us in the truth. It would greatly behoove us to listen to the Spirit of Truth rather than the world.

May the Lord our God fill His whole church on earth with the power of the Holy Spirit that we might live and reach out to others in His truth and in His love.

God's Peace - Pr. J