Clothes Washed In The Blood Of The Lamb

Revelation 7:9-17 KJV; All Saints Sunday; There will be no more tears!

Witness To The Light

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

                                          John 1:6-8 KJV

As I live in a land and in a time where egos reign, I often think about the faithfulness of St. John the Baptist. His mission was to be a witness to testify to the light that was coming into the dark world. That light was Jesus the Christ. John was a humble man. That is not to say that he was timid. Rather, he was quite bold in his proclamation and did not worry that he might offend anyone with his words. He did not brag about himself. He did not worry about his daily or his future needs; after all, he was a wandering missionary, whose meals came from the wild and whose clothes were made of camel hair. His only concern was to announce the coming of the Savior into the world.

May God help us all to remember that our main concern is (or should be) the proclamation of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ our LORD, which was purchased for us by the shedding of his blood.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love Is Patient, Kind, And Honest!

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:5-7 NRSV)

Jesus commanded his followers to love one another. Yet, how often does that happen today? How often do Christians actually put the love of self before the love of others? How often are we willing to speak the truth in love for the sake of others; for the sake of the whole community? 

This command to love others is often misconstrued to mean that if you are going to love others you must never correct anyone because it might hurt their egos. Sometimes egos have to be bruised a bit for the long term good of the whole community. It is not loving to encourage someone to continue to damage themselves or others. Being quiet about harmful actions or lifestyles not only harms the community; but, it keeps the one who is harming others and themselves from growing in the love of Christ.

Love does not say things that are mean or spiteful; but, sometimes love does mean speaking a truth that will not make others feel comfortably for their sake and for the sake of others in the Body of Christ. 

In Hans Christian Anderson's the short story "The Emperor's New Clothes" The reality was that there were no new clothes. Everyone perpetrated the lie that the emperor's new clothes were awesome just to be nice or maybe we could say they were trying to be politically correct. In the meantime, the emperor paraded around showing his backside. The loving thing is to not encourage our families, friends, or neighbors to walk around showing their backsides; but, to speak the truth in love. 

Love is patient and kind. But, love does not lie.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Real Treaures

This cross was a gift from the Sunday School at my last

congregation. Real treasures are not things. The real treasure 

is living in relationship with God and with one another.

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt 6:19-21 NRSV)

Where is your treasure? Where is your heart? In this world? In this physical world or in the Kingdom that Jesus has prepared for you? What treasure could be greater than being reconciled to God our Father? Expensive cars? Huge homes? A closet full of designer clothes? Expensive jewelry? What? Fame? Fortune? What treasures in this world demand your attention at the expense of a relationship with God our Father, God our Savior, God our Comforter? 

Do you love God? Do you truly love Him? Where your treasure is, there your heart is! Get real! 

God grant that all eyes would be opened so that the real treasure given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord might be revealed. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Do Not Fear

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"   (Matt 6:25-27 NRSV)

There have been times in my life that I have been quite confrontational when it comes to injustice. Where others were shrinking back and warning me that I should too for safety's sake, I have advanced. I did indeed consider the worst case scenarios before I advanced. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? What is there to fear? Nothing, not even death! I have eternal life.

When considering a new venture; whether it be a new job or investing in a project or a person or whatever challenge the day might bring; again, the same question. What have I to fear? Nothing! Life in this world is temporary. It will all pass. I have eternal life.

Jesus knowingly went forward to the cross; to his death, that we might live. He could have gone in the other direction. He could have; but, he did not. He did not shrink back from saving the world; even though much of the world would reject him. He did not pretend that everything in the world was okay. He was willing to give even his life because the world was not okay.

Do not fear. Our Father in heaven loves you. Believe this and you too will have nothing to fear. You will be much more able to attempt to make radical changes within yourself and in the world around you with the knowledge that God is with you and for you. The world may abandon you. You may even lose many things in this world that you now treasure. But, there is nothing to fear. By faith, you have received eternal life.
 
May God help us to always stand in His truth; in His Way, no matter what possible dangers may lay before us. May He help us to remember that we have nothing to fear for through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, we have eternal life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Works Follow Faith

   What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

   But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

   Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

    As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

                                                                                    (James 1:14-19, 26 NIV)

 

Martin Luther had a bit of a problem with James. Given the state of the church that he belonged to, it was not unreasonable for him to worry that some might misunderstand James to say that we need faith plus works for salvation. After all, it was a time when people thought that if they gave the church enough money (a good work) they would be saved. This is definitely not the case. There are no good works that we can attempt to do that will save us. The only good work that can save us is the work that Jesus completed on the cross for us. We are saved by faith in Christ alone!

However, if we truly believe that he died for our salvation, we will love him. We will love him as he loved us. He will love us so much that his love in us will overflow as service to others.  Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me." "Yes," Peter responded three times. Jesus said simply: “'Feed my lambs.' 'Take care of my sheep.' 'Feed my sheep.''' (John 21)

We are not saved by our works. But, we will work to care for his sheep if we truly love the one who gave himself for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Of This Generation, Consider The Word Of The Lord

"You of this generation, consider the

     word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel

    or a land of great darkness?

Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;

    we will come to you no more’?

Does a young woman forget her jewelry,

    a bride her wedding ornaments?

Yet my people have forgotten me,

    days without number.

How skilled you are at pursuing love!

    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.

On your clothes is found

    the lifeblood of the innocent poor,

    though you did not catch them breaking in.

Yet in spite of all this you say, ‘I am innocent;

    he is not angry with me.’

But I will pass judgment on you

    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’"

                          Jeremiah 2:31-35 NIV                                         

Stand your ground! I read in the local news last night about a man who is appealing his conviction of murder by using the "stand your ground" defense. He claims the man he was arguing with, who was standing on his own property on the other side of a fence, was threatening him. Indeed, they were arguing. But, the man that was shot and killed did not have a weapon. The man who claimed it is was not murder but self-defense was carrying a weapon. After arguing with his neighbor, he had gone into the house purposely to get the gun to threaten his neighbor. He came out and continued to argue with his neighbor with the end result being that he shot his neighbor five times, killed his neighbor, and then claimed self-defense. He had been found guilty. Yet, he still claims that he did no wrong. He did not sin. 

Just because we think our stories will justify us does not make it so. We do a lot of justifying of our sins. We would really like our sins to not be considered sins. It would be nice if everyone (including God) smiled upon our sins and let us keep on keeping on as we were. It would be nice to be able to do whatever we want; whenever we want; to whomever we want without consequences. But, it does not work that way. There are consequences for sinning against others and there are consequences for sinning against God.

Jeremiah reminds us not only how it is that we sin against man; but, how we neglect and sin against God, as well. He reminds us to consider that there are many who would say that they worship the one true and Almighty God. Yet, they neglect and forget to give God all glory and honor; while they would never forget to put on their jewelry before they leave the house! They forget to worship the One who gave His very life, that we might drink from the waters of life; eat from the tree of life. Is the life of Christ less valuable than our jewelry? 

Yes, we are free to roam wherever we please. We can do that. But, remember that there are consequences in this world and in the next for our actions and inactions. Confess your sin and return to the LORD destroying the false gods that you worship that you might be truly justified by the blood of Christ shed for you. The lies and the false gods can do nothing good for you! They can do nothing! They are worthless! But, the One who loves you enough to save you from your sins, by dying for you, can and does do all things for the good of those who love him. Trust him!

God's Peace - Pr. J  

Take Away Our Disgrace!

In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" (Isaiah 4:1 NIV)

Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem and Judah would lose so many men by the sword in the judgement that was to come that women would be willing to share their men just to have a man's name to bear.

That was a different time. We have no shortage of men today. And, women in the United States have long fought the battle to be able to care for themselves. Since, it appears to me, that many may have forgotten, let me remind you that the battle has been won. The only thing that will keep women down now, is women themselves, who believe the lie that they are less than and will not stand up for themselves...  It is discouraging to me to see that so many women have climbed the so-called ladders of success by allowing men to use and abuse them. This has hurt not only themselves; but, society as a whole. Stand up to the injustice for the sake of all people! The generation of the women's suffrage (do our young women even know what that is) made a giant step forward and for a couple of generations there continued to be progress. But, sadly I see many (not all) women of this younger generation taking two steps backwards. There is no disgrace in being a woman alone. That stigma was from generations ago and I had thought it died. But, no. It is still alive and well.

Running after and subjugating oneself to men, after so many women, fought and suffered that they might have the same rights and responsibilities as men is quite disheartening.  That is the disgrace. But, women must also remember that along with the equality of rights; also comes the equality of responsibility. Maybe, that is the problem for some. There are a few who want the rights; but, not the responsibility and make it hard for those who are willing to take on the responsibilities, as well.

Unfortunately, although women often accept sex discrimination as a matter of fact, men also play in hand as they are usually (not always) the perpetrators. I have been truly amazed since I moved southward how much sex discrimination there actually is. I've only been living here for a year and a half and I can't even count how many times I've heard (from both men and women) that something is a man's job or a man's responsibility and women can't handle it. Say, what! I have held so many positions that many would consider a "man's job" that it is unbelievable to me that there is still discrimination. I truly thought it had all but disappeared. I, of course, have encountered it myself. But, it did not stop me from pursuing what I set out to accomplish and I did not belittle myself to do it.  Sadly today, many women do indeed still get paid less in many instances for doing the same job as men. 

Despite the lie that many men and women believe that women need a man to get on in this world, women do not. Men do not need women to survive for that matter, either. What we need is for men and women to come together and to support one another, working along side one another. 

There is no need for women to run after men because they think that they cannot survive without one. Women, too, are created in the image of God. No one ought to do anything to debase that image. Women were created to be help-mates to men; not slaves.

I apologize if this sounds like a tirade. It is. Women running after men just to have a man and allowing themselves to be used and abused by men; and men willing to use and abuse women really is a sore point with me. Another day, I will consider how men are used and abused by women for that truly is a tragedy of today's world, as well. We really need to learn to treat each other with more respect.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Be Afraid!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life."  (Matt 6:25-27 NRSV)

There have been times in my life when I have been quite confrontational when it comes to injustice. Where others were shrinking back and warning me that I should too for safety's sake, I have advanced. I did indeed consider the worst case scenarios before I advanced. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? What is there to fear? Nothing, not even death. I have eternal life.

When considering a new venture; whether it be a new job or investing in a project or a person or whatever challenge the day might bring; again, the same question: "What have I to fear?" Nothing. Life in this world is temporary. It will all pass. I have eternal life.

Jesus knowingly went forward to the cross; to his death, that we might live. He could have gone in the other direction. He could have; but, he did not. He did not shrink back from saving the world; even though much of the world would reject him. He did not pretend that everything in the world was okay. He was willing to give even his life because the world was not okay.

Do not fear. Our Father in heaven loves you. Believe this and you will have nothing to fear. You will be much more able to attempt to make radical changes within yourself and in the world around you with the knowledge that God is with you and for you. The world may abandon you. You may even lose many things in this world that you now treasure. But, there is nothing to fear. By faith, you have received eternal life.
 
May God help us to always stand in His truth; in His Way, no matter what possible dangers may lay before us. May He help us to remember that we have nothing to fear for through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, we have eternal life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Lord Provides!

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!" (Luke 12:27-28)

The Lord provides! He finds many ways and many people to do this. Sometimes, it is through grandparents. Sometimes, it is through others. But, for those of us with even a little faith, He does provide.

It has always kind of amazed me that often those with very little feel abundantly blessed and those with an abundance sometimes feel and act like they live in poverty. They do not recognize the gifts that God has already given them. They do not treasure what they already have.

Jesus reminds us that God clothes even the grass of the feel with beautiful flowers; He will also clothe us - we who have such little faith. Trust in the Lord and give thanks for all that He has done!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Is Jesus Welcome?

Is Jesus welcome at your table?

When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."

Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me."

Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, "Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited."

Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?"

He will answer them, "I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me."

"Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Matt 15:31-46 The Message

God's Peace - Pr. J