God In All

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

                                                                                       (Eph 4:1-6 KJV)

There is only one God and Father of all. He is above all, through all, and in us all. Worship him and with all humility. Serve him and one another in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

We Are One

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:27-28 KJV)

Divisions abound! But, they do not have to. According to St. Paul's letter to the Galatians all who have been baptized into Christ are one. We are not divided rather we are united. We are one!

It does not matter who you are or what you do, we are one in Christ Jesus!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Stop, Look, Listen

Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. 

                                                                          (Psalm 113:1-3 KJV)

I was up early this morning to witness the beauty of Venus and the moon set against the dawning sky. Such beauty God has created! Too many miss it. They never get to witness God awesomeness in his creation. Some miss it because they are in cities where the lights of the sky overwhelm the lights that God has placed in the skies. Others miss the beauty of creation because they are just too busy. They are so busy pursuing their own desires that they fail to see the gifts that God has already given them. Maybe, they are just sitting in a darkened room playing on electronic games.

Years ago, I brought some teenage boys from a correctional facility for a hike around Bond Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They were a bit nervous about it. When I asked them what was wrong, they admitted that they were thinking that maybe I'd brought them out into the wilderness to lose them or to do them harm otherwise. They did think that maybe we were lost because they could not see the rarely used path before us. They were also very amazed. They had never seen a waterfalls in their lives. They had never been out in the woods. Now, that amazed me even as it reminded me how fortunate I was to be able to get out and explore these things.

But, it is not just the beauty of the creation found outside four walls that is often missed. We often miss the awesomeness of God's creative work in one another. Again; too busy with our own agendas to have time to stop and look and listen to one another. 

Stop, look, and listen to what all of God's creation would share with us. Stop, give thanks, and praise the Lord for all that he has given us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Questions of Identity

Identity: Children of God through the
Blood of  Christ

'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."  (Gal 3:28 KJV)

Although my most recent ancestors are to a large degree of Finnish ethnicity, I am pretty much a mutt. You see, my forefathers really did not racially discriminate when it came to choosing life-long partners. Most people that I know today are of mixed ethnic backgrounds.

When first applying for the ministry, I had to fill out some forms and of course the question of ethnicity was on the paperwork. I chose other and wrote in "Christian - Holy Nation." We are who we are and I am first and foremost a member of the Body of Christ, a member of a Holy Nation.

I have struggled with this gender identity question. I was born in a female body. I will die in a female body. I have thought about this alot. Yet, I have no clue what it means to feel like a woman in a female body. I also do not know what it feels like to be a man in a female body. I only know what it feels like to be me. That is not to discount those who feel otherwise about themselves. I have friends who consider themselves to be transgendered. They do not make an issue of it. They do not announce to everyone that they must be referred to by any specific pronouns. They just continue to live according to who they are and according to the gifts they have been given. They are who they are. We all are who we are. But, of primary importance is that we are children of God.

There have been times when I would have preferred to be a man. As a woman, I have been discriminated against on way more than a few occasions. A position I applied for once was closed and they hired no one at the time as I was the most qualified for the position. They really had not wanted to hire a woman for the position that was, at the time, a position that was traditionally for men. For a few years, I owned a business that did outdoor maintenance (parks, cemeteries, snow-plowing, etc.) I often received calls from men who wanted to talk to my husband about a contract although my husband had no part in the business.

I have received traits passed down from both males and females from my ancestry. We all have. Color of skin, ethnicity, gender; all parts of our genetic inheritance that help to determine who we are as individuals. But, in the end these individual traits within each of us cannot become the priority in the lives of the members of the Body of Christ. What is of primary importance is that Christ lives and dwells within us. We are one in him. As children of the heavenly Father; as members of the Body of Christ, we use whatever gifts we have been given to glorify God.

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
                                                                                           (Gal 3:26-29)

Who we are or think we are (that would be our egos) is not so important as knowing that we are children of God. Our identity lies in our baptisms into the family of God. Our identity lies in Christ. There is no blood that is thicker than the blood that was shed for us on the cross. Live life in Christ for in him and because of him we live and have our being. 

"And (God) hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

                                                                                          (Acts 17:26:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Patience

"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph 4:1-3

There are times when my patience really wants to fly out the window. It can be a struggle to be patient with those who continue to make the same mistakes over and over again and wonder why they are having such a hard time in life.

A friend of mine once warned me that I should be very careful what I asked God for because He answers our prayers and we may not like the way in which He answers them. She was warning me against asking God to give me patience. She had asked for patience in caring for her family and He had answered. He helped her to learn to be patient by refining. As things grew even more troubled in her family, she learned to be patient with others even as she continued to care for and love them. She also learned to trust God in all things.

My friend has gone through a lot of trials. Yet, she is patient and kind and has an uncanny gift for maintaining unity in the bond of peace.

May we all bear one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Patience

"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph 4:1-3


Here is Paul, in prison, begging the Ephesians to lead lives with humility, gentleness, and patience bearing with one another in love. Paul met his imprisonment not just with patience; but with joy that the Lord had opened many doors in that prison so that he could proclaim the Good News to those who would not otherwise hear.


Some of the things that we lose patience with are pretty trivial compared to the troubles others suffer in the world. It would be best to ignore these minor obstacles and just move on past or over them. Don't let them interfere with what God has called you to do. Some of these minor inconveniences can make big breaks in our relationship with God and with one another when we allow them to. Rather, we ought to take advantage of what might seem to be a hindrance; because, it just might be a door opening for you. Those hindrance just might be a blessing rather than a curse. Live life!


May God help us to wait patiently, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.


God's Peace - Pr. J

Growing Up In Christ

"We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love." Eph 4:14-16

To truly grow up takes a lifetime. Society, today, gives us about eighteen years to help our children grow up and then we turn them loose on society.  As Christians, we do our best to teach our children who Jesus is and what he has done for us and why. We pray that they will follow him. But, the devil prowls and not everyone would have our children go in The Way that they should go for their own and for the benefit of society. With the help of God, we do what we can and then continue to pray for them until the day we die.

It would be most helpful for our children and for society if we could all work together to help all of our children grow in the Body of Christ. May God help us to follow in "His Way."

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Patience

"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

                                                       (Eph 4:1-3)

 We all go through various storms in life. For many people it seems that life is nothing but one big storm or a series of storms right after another. It can be a struggle for me to be patient with those who continue to make the same mistakes over and over again and wonder why they are having to weather another of life's storms. 

A friend of mine once warned me that I should be very careful what I asked God for because He answers our prayers and we may not like the way in which He answers them. She had warned me against asking God to give me patience. She had asked for patience in caring for her family as many of them were going through some pretty rough storms in life due to very careless decisions. There was no way she could help them any longer when they kept making the same poor choices no matter what she did to try to save them. She had asked for patience and He had answered. He helped her to learn to be patient by refining. As things grew even more troubled in her family she learned to be patient with others even as she continued to love them. She also learned to trust God in all things and to wait patiently for His will to be done.

My friend has gone through a lot of trials. Yet, she is patient and kind and has an uncanny gift for maintaining unity in the bond of peace.

May we all bear one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love That Surpasses Understanding

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph 3:16-19 NIV)

Is not Paul's prayer for the Ephesians the same prayer that Christian parents around the world pray for their children and grandchildren? Is it not the same prayer that we pray for our neighbors and for all whom we love?

What greater gift could we ask for than that those whom we love should know the love that surpasses all knowledge and understanding? What greater gift is there than for all whom we love to be filled with the fullness of God?

May you be filled with the Spirit of Christ, that he might dwell in your hearts, establishing you; establishing your life, in the love and in the power of God. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

They Fell Down Dead

  
  Now a man names Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

  “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

  Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

  At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.    (Acts 5:1-10 NIV)

Lately, I have heard the phrase "My word is my bond" a lot. I wish that were true. I have been lied to and about so many times that there is no way that I can even begin to count the times. Frankly, it makes me a bit weary. Sometimes, the lies are used to make someone look like someone they are not; like they are in the right and are doing good for others; while they, in truth, are not. They are only trying to lift themselves up. Often I am able to tell if someone is lying to me is if they are glorifying themselves and the works of their own hands rather than glorifying God. No one is as good as they would suggest.     

Ananias and his wife Sapphira attempted to glorify themselves unjustly. They attempted to make themselves look righteous. They wanted to look as generous as the others who had sold their property and gave the proceeds to the church for the good of all of the people. But, they had withheld some. Their sin was not just in keeping some for themselves. Their sin was in attempting to lie to God the Holy Spirit. God knows everything we say and think and do. It is just a bad idea to try lying to God. The humans that we might tell lies to; usually know that we are not telling the whole truth; but, not always. But, God always knows the truth.

The rest of the story for Ananias and Sapphira was that when they lied to Peter and to God, they died. They died immediately. When we lie to protect ourselves and our own egos; to make ourselves look more righteous than others, a bit of us dies inside, as well. When we cause harm to others and to the church with our lies, we may or may not get away with it here on earth. But, God knows what we have done and those who speak without integrity will answer to Him.  

May God help us to speak with integrity at all times that His Name might be glorified.

God's Peace - Pr. J