Stand FIrmly On The Truth

Col 3:12-15 KJV; Stand on the Word of God; yet, do it with compassion and humbleness of mind.

I Am Not Crushed

Psalm 62; 17th Sunday after Pentecost; God is our rock and salvation.

Living With God

Psalm 104:28-35 (KJV)

That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

+++

Praise the Lord for all things!  I cannot imagine living without having a relationship the God and Creator of all things. I cannot imagine living without having a relationship with Jesus the Christ who has saved me from my own sinful self. And... I cannot imagine living life; without the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.

I cannot imagine living without having a relationship with God. I can't imagine it and I pray that I never will live life without him. I pray that you never will have to endure a life not knowing God either.

Praise the Lord for he has done and continues to do marvelous things! Live life with him!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Praise God!

Psalm 150 KJV

Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

+++

We have so many things to be thankful for. We have so many reasons to praise the Lord. From the beginning of the dawn of the ages he has given us life. Then in his time; when the time was fulfilled, he gave us Jesus to give us new life and the promise of life in his kingdom now and forevermore. 

Just imagine how wonderful life would be if everyone set aside their negative attitudes and expelled the spirits of victimhood. Imagine how wonderful life would be if we took the time to count our blessings and to smell the proverbial roses and gave thanks and praise to God for the good in our lives. Not everything is always as bad as we might think. 

Let us celebrate and praise God for every breath that we take and for giving us second and third and endless chances to turn to him and live life in his presence.

We have so many reason to praise God. Let us praise him with every breath that we take.

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

Be Prepared!

 

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

                                                                                     (1 Thess 5:1-6 KJV)

No one can know when their last breath will be taken. As a thief in the night, the Lord will come in full glory and we cannot know when that will take place. But, we can be prepared. 

To guard against thieves in the night there are many precautions we can take. Surely, we can at least lock our doors. I prefer it to be quiet in the house so that I am easily awakened by any unusual noises. I also do not go to bed intoxicated by anything. If someone breaks in, I would like to be of sober enough mind to at least know it and be able to either defend myself and/or at least call for help. There are many other ways that we can secure our homes and ourselves against thieves who do their mischief at night.

We can also prepare for the day when the Lord comes unexpectedly like a thief in the night. Scripture tells us we will not and cannot know the day or the hour. But, we can and should prepare for that day by reading and hearing his word. We can prepare by listening to him as well as bringing our concerns to him so that he might lead us in the way he would have us go. 

There are many ways that we can prepare for his coming. Do not delay your preparations for another day, another year, another time. No one knows when that day will come. It could be today, tomorrow or a thousand years from now. It makes no difference. Watch! Wait! But, be prepared to see the Lord in full glory!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Two Are Better Than One

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. (Eccl 4:9-10 KJV)

We do not live in a vacuum. It may sound cliche'; but, people need people. God reaches out to us through those who care about us. 

We are exhorted to: 

"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.." (Rom 12:9-10)

But, it is a very sad thing then the people around us are not filled with the Spirit of Christ; but, with spirits of evil devise. It is a sad thing when a mother would scheme to protect herself and bring harm to her child. It is a sad thing when a spouse puts their own pleasures before the commitment they made with the one they claim to love. It is a hurtful thing when anyone would bring false accusations against a friend.

King Saul became jealous of David which led to his fear of David. Saul persecuted the man who he once trusted and cared for. There was no reason for the persecution except that Saul wrongly perceived that he had to protect himself and his reign from David.

Job lost everything and when he did everyone turned away from him or against him. He said:

My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body. Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.  (Job 19:15-19)

There are multitudes of people around us who find themselves alone. It is a shame that those who claimed to love them may have turned their backs on them. But, God has not. He loves you and will be with you always.

St. Paul wrote: 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

Love the Lord your God for He is with you always. There will always be two when you are in relationship with the Lord. He will never leave you. 

May God help each of us to love others even as He loves us; to be kind to one another; and to deal justly with the people around us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Sin Not

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

                                                                                      (1 John 2:1-2 KJV)

It would be best for us all if we do not sin. Sadly, we are sinners and we will continue to sin until our dying breaths. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:18) Our sins have separated us from God and from one another. They bring much division.

Yet, there is hope. For Christ came to unite us. On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus prayed this prayer: "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17:21-23)

So that we might be forgiven our sins and reconciled to our Father and to one another, Jesus offered his own life up for our sins. He died for us and not just for you and me. He died for all who would believe in his life giving sacrifice for them. He loves us that much and because he does; he stands between us and judgment declaring us innocent. He is our advocate, for it is by his blood that we are saved. 

We are sinners. That is a fact. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only Jesus can save us. Trust in him for it is by his blood that our sins are washed away.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Shout It Out!

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." (Psalms 32:8-11 KJV)

The microphone was turned a little high last night. I am usually speaking from the pulpit; but, last night I was at the lectern and the mic has been set for people who speak much softer than I do. Following the service, I was told that I don't really need a mic. For most people I don't. However, the average age of my congregation is about 80 and a few would not hear even me if I did not use one.

My grand-children often thought I was hollering at them even when I was not. I just talk that way. I usually speak pretty confidently; although, some may describe it as speaking a little too assertively. I speak loud for many reasons. The primary one is that so many people that I speak with have hearing impairments. It makes no sense to speak to them if they cannot hear me. It would be a waste of my breath and a waste of time on everyone's part.

But, there are others reasons to speak loudly and confidently. I believe what I say; otherwise, I would not say it and so I speak confidently (or assertively depending on one's point of view). I believe that God is our Father and Creator; that God is also the Son who died for our salvation; that God the Holy Spirit guides and empowers me to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God. I believe this and so I speak confidently. 

I believe what I say. I rejoice that Jesus is my Lord and so I would shout it not just from the pulpit; but, from every mountain so that all would hear and by hearing come to faith in Jesus; that all would trust in him for their life and salvation.

"Be Glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." Shout for joy so all may hear that Jesus is the Lord of Lord's and rejoice with you!

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Snooze; You Lose

This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,  speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:14-20 NIV)

I am a morning person. I prefer to get up early, spend some alone time with God and begin my work day before anyone else is up to interrupt it. If I don't get enough time for devotions my day doesn't usually turn out as fruitful as it could. But, lately it seems like I am getting up later and later each day. Don't get me wrong. I am still up and about by 6:30 a.m.; but, my alarm is set for 5 a.m.. The truth is that it is also set for 6:30 a.m. just in case I am tempted to hit the snooze alarm so many times that it quits going off. The 5 a.m. snoozed alarm and the second alarm at 6:30 a.m. give me second and third and even more chances to wake up and to rise and shine.

We are often tempted to pass by opportunities to be fruitful in the Lord: to spend time with Him and with His people. God provides us with many chances or opportunities to wake up and to rise and shine. He provides us with many opportunities to love, to worship, and to serve Him; as well as, to love and serve our neighbors. There comes a time; though, in each of our loves that the opportunities will come to an end. We do not know the day or hour when we will breath our last breath. .

When our children and grandchildren were young and didn't want to get up and moving so that they could participate in some activity, my husband would often tell them: "You snooze; you lose."

Wake up, sleeper. Don't be snoozing your life away. God gives us many opportunities to live life in Christ. We are told that He delays His coming so that we all have the opportunity to turn to Him. But, don't delay. The time is now, not tomorrow to turn to Him. Who knows if there will be a tomorrow, here on earth, for any one of us?

May God help us to grab hold of the opportunities to love and serve the Lord with all our hearts, and souls, and minds; even now. “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Breath of God Gives Life

"The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  (Ezekiel 27:1-3 NIV)

Can dry, dead bones live? Of course, they can! According to Jesus: "...with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26) In Ezekiel's vision he was told to prophesy to the breath and when he did the breath came into those dry bones. The breath of God, the Spirit of God, gives us life. It was the very breath of God that brought Adam to life. It is His breath that gives us life. It is His breath that gives us abundant life.

So if you're feeling pretty dried out and dead, ask and you shall receive. Jesus told his followers: Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:23-24)

So what will it be: a dried out life or a life filled with love, joy, and peace in the Body of Christ? So many people running (more like crawling) around filled with depression and gloom and doom; angry with the world, when they could live filled with the breath of God, the Spirit of God, united with one another in love, peace, and joy. It is unimaginable, to me, that more will not walk in the way that brings eternal life in Christ, even now.

Dry bones, get up, receive the Spirit of God, and live life abundantly.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Dem Dry Bones

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  (Ezekiel 27:1-3 NIV)

Can dry, dead bones live? Of course, they can! According to Jesus: "...with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26) In Ezekiel's vision he was told to prophesy to the breath and when he did the breath came into those dry bones. The breath of God, the Spirit of God, gives us life. It was the very breath of God that brought Adam to life. It is His breath that gives us life. It is His breath that gives us abundant life.

So if you're feeling pretty dried out and dead, ask and you shall receive. Jesus told his followers: Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:23-24)

So what will it be: a dried out life or a life filled with joy and peace in the Body of Christ? So many people running (more like crawling) around filled with depression; decreeing and declaring gloom and doom when they could be living filled with the breath of God, the Spirit of God, united with one another in peace and in joy. It is unimaginable, to me, that more will not walk in the way that brings eternal life in Christ, even now.

Dry bones, get up, receive the Spirit of God, and live life abundantly.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Like Fleeting Shadows

Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,    mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
    their days are like a fleeting shadow
Psalm 144:3-4 NIV

We are most blessed! Why, indeed, would the Lord care for us? We strut about like we are the center of the universe and nothing and no one else matters. Yet, we all matter to the Lord. His love and concern for us is so great that he was willing to die for us.

We fail to recognize that our lives are like fleeting shadows upon the earth. We are here one day and gone the next. Only the most prominent of men will be remembered centuries from now. In the end; by ourselves, we are of little consequence to the world. But, in Christ and with Christ we have hope for ourselves and for others.

Our lives in this world might be like fleeting shadows; but, all who abide in Christ receive eternal life with him. We are most blessed! The Lord, indeed, cares for us; enough to die that we might live.

May God help us to always remember that we are like a fleeting shadow. Tomorrow may be too late to love your neighbor; it may be too late to love and honor our Father in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Gift Of Life

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thess 5:9-11

We have received an amazing gift of life from God, in Him. He breathed the breath of life into humankind and we live in this world. It is a wonderful world. Life in this world is a marvelous gift from God, stained only by our sinful natures. But, God in His mercy sent His only begotten Son to die for us that we might be redeemed from the power of sin and live in His presence, in His Kingdom for all eternity.

In Christ, sin has no power over us. Death has no power over us. All who believe in Jesus' life giving sacrifice shall live in him whether these mortal bodies continue to breath or not; whether we are awake or asleep.

Let us live an abundant life! May God help us to always abide in Christ as we encourage one another to do the same.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Gift Of Life

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thess 5:9-11

We have received an amazing gift of life from God, in Him. He breathed the breath of life into humankind and we live in this world. It is a wonderful world. Life in this world is a marvelous gift from God, stained only by our sinful natures. But, God in His mercy sent His only begotten Son to die for us that we might be redeemed from the power of sin and live in His presence, in His Kingdom for all eternity.

In Christ, sin has no power over us. Death has no power over us. All who believe in Jesus' life giving sacrifice shall live in him whether these mortal bodies continue to breath or not; whether we are awake or asleep.

Let us live an abundant life! May God help us to always abide in Christ as we encourage one another to do the same.

God's Peace - Pr. J