Our Adoption Was Costly

Galatians 4:4-7 KJV; Adoptions can be very costly; but the joy is great! Our adoption into the family of God cost Jesus his life.

Love For The Children

Galatians 4:4-6 KJV; Even as God has loves us, His adopted children, we love and care for our children.

As Family Gather Together Often!

Matthew 12:48-50; Hebrews 10:24-25; Whether birth families or families of God it is needful to gather together often.

Listen To Him

Psalm 1:1-4 KJV

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

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God's will; His way, is for the good of all who listen and follow in that way. When we decide that we would rather do our own thing than listen to him things don't always go so well for us.

According to the prophet Isaiah:

"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."  

                                                                            (Isa 55:2-3)

And when Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus being transfigured and speaking with Moses and Elijah on the mountain they heard a voice that told them that they were to listen to him.

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." (Matt 17:5)

This is His beloved Son. This is our beloved brother and our savior. Listen to him for all that he has done and is doing is out of love for humankind; for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

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.

Grace-Filled Saltiness

In Christ We Have Been Set Free From Sin,
Death, And The Power of The Devil

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Col 4:5-6 KJV)

Being a bit salty is not a bad thing! But, being too salty without any grace can be a very bad thing! Usually the latter means a personal agenda is being relayed rather then the unbiased truth.

There was a time when being salty meant speaking the truth and living by it.  It meant being unpretentious; being yourself and true to your calling. Sometimes that saltiness bothered people who would prefer that everyone live by the acceptable standards the world had set. They were not willing to accept anything the they deemed the slightest bit eccentric. Today being salty means something more akin to being nasty and disrespectful. That, I think, could be because today when someone is salty they leave out any grace. There is no kindness in the way they present what they perceive to be the truth to others. 

When we speak the truth or live it, we may appear to be a bit salty to others so it is imperative that our speech and our actions always also be filled with grace so that the truth, which can definitely be a bit salty to those who hear it will actually be heard or seen. When we speak the truth to those who are not of the family of God we must speak it with gentleness; not shouting at or belittling others. They will shut you down and refuse to digest anything that you might say because of the overdose of salt we are dishing them out.

I have been worshipping with a congregation that has been being led by a grace-filled; yet, salty pastor. Brother Asa speaks the truth; gracefully, gently yet firmly with a bit of salt reminding us that we are all sinners in need of redemption and then full on grace.... in Christ we are forgiven our sins. 

Paul wrote to the Colossians that their speech should be seasoned with salt; but, always with grace. Be too salty and people get offended. 

May God grant us the wisdom to know how much salt we should or should not use to season our conversations with others.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Brother's Keeper

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." 

                                                                                       (Matt 7:9-12 KJV)

"And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9) 

After killing his brother, Cain would not answer the Lord directly when asked where his brother was. His retort was "Am I my bother's keeper?" Consider today if you are your brother's keeper. And, are you your brother's children's keeper? I hope that you are answering in the affirmative.

Our lives can be full of chaos and not just ours. Everyone has down times. Let us not be the ones to bring those down times to others. Let us not harm those close to us by considering our own desires above the needs of others. May God help us to remember to look out for not only our needs but for the needs of those around us as well.

Yes, you are your brother's keeper. If you, yourself, are a child of God then you would respond in the affirmative when it comes to helping those around you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

WORK WITH INTEGRITY!

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. (Prov 18:9 NIV)

I and many others (but, not all) of my generation were taught by our parents to put our all into the work that we do. Whether we volunteered or were hired to do a job, it was about integrity and honor; it was a lot about keeping a good name. 

Today, I do not get to witness that integrity in the work place so much. There is often no loyalty to the one who has hired you. It is just a job after all; something necessary to help you to exist in this world. Why, one might wonder, should I do a great job at something when a good enough job will get me by? To do a "just so" job; to not even attempt to complete it to the expectations of the one we are serving, is the same as stealing from them. We are stealing our wages when we do not work for it; but, sit around thinking of ways to get out of doing everything we are asked to the best of our ability. We are destroying their livelihoods while we sit around and steal ours. 

The same goes not just for the business world; but, for the church and any other charitable non-profit as well. Whether we are employed and drawing a wage or volunteering and garnering recognition do it for the love of God and for the love of others, not half-heartedly because it is an obligation that you have made. 

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. (1 Sam 12:24)

I was taught and taught my sons that work is such a part of our lives that we should enjoy it. We ought to put our whole hearts into what we do, so that we might our whole lives lives most fully. From what I see of the way my sons work, they both learned that lesson well.

May the work of your hands be blessed, as well.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Pray For Your Enemy

Those who surround me lift up their heads;
   let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Let burning coals fall on them!
   Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!
Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
   let evil speedily hunt down the violent!
                                                  Psalm 140:9-11 NRSV

We find the author of Psalms a little more than upset this morning. He wants the persecution against him stopped. He wants vengeance in a big way!

My memory tells me that I have indeed prayed this way myself. But, I know that there is a more excellent way. According to Jesus, we are to "...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt 5:43-45)

It is undeniable that there are many who persecute the children of God. The arrogant lay out snares for the innocent seeking to damage or utterly destroy them. But, anger and vengeance only propagates the enmity. Pray for peace; pray for protection; pray for mercy; pray that the LORD will be your strong deliverer; but, also pray for your enemy. Pray that those who hate and persecute you will repent. Pray that they will come to know the LORD and then you will have lost an enemy and gained a brother or sister in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

There Is Jesus!

   Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
   She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher).
                                                                                                                John 20:16 NIV

   Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
   Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
                                                                                                               John 20:28-29 NIV

Yesterday, a memorial service was held for a dear friend of mine. Years ago, she and I studied books together at the local swimming pool. We prayed a bit. We studied a bit. We swam a bit. We had lunch together afterwards.

One of the books we read together was "Practicing the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. There was nothing that Brother Lawrence would have preferred to do than to be in the presence of God and so his life was lived as though he were.

After Jesus' resurrection, Mary and Thomas both had those "aha" moments when they recognized that they were in his presence. Mary, full of sorrow at the tomb and who shows up? There is Jesus. He is standing there. He is alive!

Thomas was quite sure Jesus was dead and not coming back. But, there he is in a locked room with his fellow disciples of Jesus and who shows up? There he is! There is Jesus standing among them. He is alive!

Jesus lives! As each year passes I spend more time in the Word and more time practicing the presence of God, talking and listening and walking with God, this God whom I cannot see as Mary or Thomas saw. After all; is there anyone more pleasant and comforting to be with than Jesus? As each year passes the more often I am able to experience those "aha" moments when I feel the real presence of God with me. Something will happen and I think: there he is still working among us. That has to be Jesus! Here he is! He lives! 

We cannot see him as Mary or Thomas saw him; but, we can and do live in his presence even today as we look to the day when we will see him face to face. We will seem him with our own eyes. 

May You always be cognizant of God's presence no matter where you are or what you are doing.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
   When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
   “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
   Jesus wept. 
                                      (John 11:32-35 NIV)
                                                                                                              
The shortest verse in the Bible is but two words: "Jesus wept." Upon seeing Mary's grief over her brother's death, Jesus wept. Surely he was not weeping for Lazarus as he knew full well he would be raising him from the grave very shortly. He wept to see such sorrow in Mary and Martha. His relationship with the sisters and their brother Lazarus had been a very close relationship. He loved them and he wept for and with the sisters. His heart went out to these two women who loved their brother so.

There is very little that warms this old pastor's heart more than hearing a member of my congregation or a friend talking about Jesus with tears in their eyes. To hear and feel their love for our Lord brings tears to my own eyes. It fills my heart to overflowing to know that those whom I shepherd love him that much.

Jesus loved Mary and Martha so much that he felt their pain. He had compassion for them. He loved us so much that he was willing to take upon himself the pain of our sins. He had compassion for us and was willing to take upon himself the penalty of our sins that we might also be raised from the dead.

May God help us to have a love for one another that we too might know the pain and suffering of the people around us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Stay Away From Temptations!

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. Matt 14:6-12

Herod was just a little worried (maybe a lot worried) that John the Baptist spoke the truth when John condemned Herod's divorce from one woman and his subsequent marriage to Herodias, the ex-wife of his half-brother. Herod was afraid that John was indeed a prophet and servant of God. Although, Herod wanted to keep John from stirring up trouble against him, he did not want him executed. But, carried away with excitement over watching his step-daughter dance for him, Herod promised to give her whatever her heart desired. Her heart's desire, was her mother's heart's desire: the execution of John the Baptist.

We need to be careful as to how impressed and excited we get with the things of this world. Before we know it, desires of the heart may have carried us to a place that we never intended or wanted to go. We can get caught up with temptation without even realizing it until it is too late and what we would not desire to do has already been done.

The best way out of these situations is to not enter into situations that will tempt us in the first place. Do what is right because it is the right thing to do. Do what is right because it will glorify God.

God's Peace - Pr. J