Avoid Evil; Do Good

Reading from Matthew 7:12-20 KJV; with comments... Do good to others as you would have them do to you.

Jesus Is Lord

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                        (1 Pet 5:6-11 KJV)

We are not gods. Maybe, lords of our households; but, not the King of the Universe!  But, even as lords of our households we can really mess up and cause problems for ourselves and those who live with us. The devil is aware of that and uses it to his advantage as he seeks to devour everything and everyone around us. It behooves us to trust God to open our eyes to see the evil that the devil purposes to use us for and to fight against it. We fight not with our own power; but, with the power of the Spirit of Christ in us. Jesus is the only one who has been able to resist his power. We must humble ourselves and trust in that power. He is after all the King of all kings and has authority over everything and everyone.

Let not the devil use us to devour those around us. God help us to not empower the devil by falling into the trap of judging others and causing more division. But, by the grace of God who has called us to His eternal glory through Jesus Christ, strengthen us so that we may stand against the wiles of the evil ones. For, he is like a wolf in sheep's clothing creeping up on those who are unaware to steal the peace that only God can bring to us.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

                                                                                      (Eph 6:10-12)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Adorn Yourself With A Gentle Spirit

 Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:2-4 NRSV

Although, it keeps commerce going, I have never quite understood why someone would need to have so many piercings or wear so much make-up that it distracts from the person that they are within. I am not saying that I think women shouldn't wear any make-up. But, I would think that the purpose for make-up would be to enhance one's features and not an attempt to mask who you are. 

God has made everyone and every one is precious in God's sight. Let the world see the person God created you to be. It does not matter what you look like on the outside. Appearances can be very deceiving. There is nothing more beautiful than a child of God who exudes the loving and gentle spirit that comes from knowing that they are a child of God. 

May God help each of us to cherish the lasting beauty of the gentle and quiet spirit of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Enjoy Work!

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." (Proverbs 16:3 KJV)

I have always attempted to teach my children and grandchildren to enjoy the work that they do. Work is inevitable. We must work to eat, to have shelter, to have warm clothing; and, if you really must want a lot of nice things, you must really put a lot of effort into earning that "stuff." We spend a huge portion of our lives working so we may as well enjoy it. Making a game of doing house or yard chores and doing it together helps it to me more fun.

As young people begin planning for what kind of life-long career they would like to pursue, they ought to consider what it is that they will enjoy doing. Do you enjoy helping people? How about computers or working with animals? There are so many career choices in the world today, it is impossible to comprehend them all. Whatever it you love to do; whatever talents that God has gifted you with; follow that path.

God has a plan for you. He calls you to serve him according to the gifts He gives you. Whether it is a talent and desire to be a doctor or a hostess; God provides the opportunities to be trained in the way He would have you go. And... don't forget to commit your work to the Lord. Do all things that they might glorify your Father in heaven and you will not only do them well; but, enjoy doing them.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Vengeance is God's

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:30-32 KJV)

Judgment at the hands of the living God is something that we should not take too lightly. I sometimes wonder if all the "wolves in sheep's clothing" actually realize that they are devouring God's sheep; His children. Way too often, we find dissension and division within congregations. Way too often, the division is caused by people who want to have more power because they have no real power and they do not recognize the sovereignty of God. Jesus is a fairy tale to them. They do not take the judgment or the grace of God seriously. The church, to those who would usurp authority that does not belong to them, is nothing more than a place where they can have their own egos fed. Since they do not truly believe the power of God, they have no clue that they are devouring God's sheep. If they do realize it; they seem not to care.

Jesus came to reconcile us to our Father in heaven. Those who encourage division among God's people ought to take seriously that judgment will not come at the hands of humankind; but, at the hand of the living and all powerful God. Vengeance is His! We ought to take that seriously and thank Him for the grace that He has bestowed upon all who believe through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Cross Is Foolisness To Those Who Are Perishing

"For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  (1 Cor 1:18 NRSV)

For awhile; before I went to bed each night, I would listen to different sermons on YouTube. I gave that up awhile ago. I found that way too many YouTube (as well as television) preachers neglected to preach the message of the cross. Many preachers (not all) are not seen (or heard) for what they are: wolves in sheep's clothing.

They would preach about prosperity while they get rich on your offerings. Some preach a message of fear; of hell if you don't do everything exactly right. Others preach that the Good News is all about love and if you love enough that will be counted toward your good works and you will earn your way into heaven. After all; don't all good people go to heaven? They preach about doing good works so that we can manipulate God into getting what we want out of life; again, that is usually about prosperity, sometimes fame. They neglect to preach that the Good News is the Kingdom of God purchased for you by the blood of Christ shed for you on the cross.

The message of the cross is foolishness to false prophets and to those with itching ears who listen to them. You will not hear about suffering from these wolves in sheep's clothing. You will only hear about how God wants to give us everything we want in this world. He wants to bless us with riches (gold and silver) today! But, the truth is that God has already given us the greatest gift. He has given us forgiveness through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. He has made us His children through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ. We have been made us heirs of His Eternal Kingdom! We have been saved by the power of the cross of Christ. That is the Good News. It's not about money. The Good News is not about personal fame or notoriety or personal power. And, the Good News is not about what we can do for God! It is about what God has already done for us!

Thanks be to God! It is finished! It was finished on the cross. There is no good work that we can add to the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for us that will save us from ourselves! Jesus did it all on the cross. But, this message about the cross of Christ will continue to be foolishness to those who look only to themselves. 

Consider the cross of Christ. Through Christ alone you have been saved. There is nothing more that you can do to earn your place in the Kingdom.

One more thing to consider. If you hear a sermon and never hear the name of Jesus in that sermon then it's probably time to find another preacher to listen to really quick.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God's Will Prevails

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.     (Jer 29:11 NRSV)

This morning I have been considering whether a "Christian" with no integrity should be confronted or if he should just be placed in the hands of Almighty God and let God deal with him as He will. Sometimes it can be totally left in God's hands. At other times, God will indeed use his servants to protect the sheep from any wolves in sheep's clothing. 

It is a most horrendous thing for Christians to attempt to tear down the church and the local congregations. It is even more horrendous for one who is in a servant/leadership position within the church to do that. The good news is that in the end they will not succeed in their own agendas. God's will; God's plans for the welfare of His people will prevail. We may not see it today or even tomorrow. But, His will is going to be accomplished. 

May God have mercy on those who choose to stir up strife rather than proclaim the good news by putting their personal egos and wills before the good will of God Almighty.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing!

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
                                                                          (Matt 7 15-16, 21-23 NIV)

Every congregation seems to have at least one or two antagonists. It just goes along with being Christians. If Jesus was persecuted so shall the true sheep be persecuted. Those antagonists, those sheep in wolves' clothing will often be seen in the congregation as one of the most caring, loving people one could know. That's what wolves do. 

In the fairy tale the "Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf stalked Little Red Riding Hood. Skulking behind the trees in the forest, he watched her as he concocted his plan to overpower her. His plan was good. He befriended her on the path to her grandmother's house giving her directions and stalling her. The Big Bad Wolf got to the grandmother's house in time to either tie up the girl's grandmother and shove her in the closet or eat here depending on whose version of the story you are reading. Either way the wolf is not as friendly as he appeared to be on the path to grandma's house. He then jumped into grandma's bed pretending to be here when Little Red Riding Hood got there. The sad end to the story is that the Big Bad Wolf gobbled Little Red Riding Hood all up. 

And, the moral of the story is... Way too often congregations are deceived by wolves in sheep clothing. They skulk behind the closed doors planning to deceive so that they might overpower others and have their own ways. They want control. They have no clue or desire to know what God's will is for the congregation. They want what they want and they do not care who they destroy: pastor, council members, the entire congregation. Maybe, they aren't even aware how damaging their words and actions might be. Maybe they do. Either way they are dangerous to the life and the health and the growth of the congregation. Congregations must be aware that not everyone is a true sheep or a shepherd. Not everyone is a friend of Jesus. Yes, we are to pray for them and to love them. But, we are not to allow them to damage anyone in the sheepfold. The good shepherd protects the sheep. (John 10:1-18)

How do you deal with them? A congregation that I previously served wrote into their constitutions the scriptural response to that. 

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

                                                                                  (Matthew 18:15-18)

May God help us to protect his sheepfold that none should be lost.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Conspiracy To Turn You Away From Jesus

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Matt 7:15

Oh... for sure... there are more than a few false prophets lurking about and some not lurking. Many are out there in plain view; just turn on your television set and you will hear them.

Some of the false prophets are not so mellow as sheep. They don't even pretend to be sheep. They pretend to be the shepherd who is concerned for your safety. But, if you listen closely you will find another agenda. They will bombard you with gloom and doom. They shout from their microphones that the world is ending. They will present some pretty huge conspiracy theories when in fact they themselves are the conspiracy as they would instill fear in your heart and turn your focus away from your first love who; hopefully, is Jesus the Christ. But, the sheep that belong to the Good Shepherd will not buy into these conspiracy theories. We will not fear them for we know that Jesus is with us and for us. We do not fear the end. We know that the end is nothing to fear as it will only bring a new beginning and so we focus on living life; living life in Christ.

And, then there are those false prophets who do, indeed, come to us in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. The come to us with soft spoken (a few even sickening sweet) voices to lure us away from the truth. They present to the world a new Gospel; a gospel where Jesus is not "the way." He is only one way. Be aware! Stay away from those who would tell you there are many ways. As a conspiracy of man, it is meant to make the false prophet rich in both pocketbook and esteem. As a conspiracy of the devil it is meant to turn you away from the one true God.

Neither the heavy handed or the sickening sweet prophet need be pastors, either. Remember, Jesus said beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing. These false prophets can be clergy; but, they can also be the supposed sheep within a congregation. They can also be one who claims to follow Jesus; but, hasn't seen the inside of a church building in years. Sheep in wolves clothing come to us in many ways. No matter what their agenda or method is; all false prophets conspire against you to drag you down; to pull you away from the one who truly loves you. Do not listen to them! Keep your first love close in your heart and mind so that the devil cannot sway you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

False Shepherds Destroyed

In the 50th chapter of Jeremiah we read the word the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon. Babylon is about finished. God is about to destroy her and His people will turn their faces, once again, to the LORD and to the land that He has given them; to the covenant that He has made with them. They were once lost, living in exile; because of their hard-heartedness and eagerness to follow false gods, false shepherds. But, now God will destroy those false shepherds who led them out of the land He had given them.

“My people have been lost sheep;
    their shepherds have led them astray
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill
    and forgot their own resting place.
Whoever found them devoured them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, 

   the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’" (Jer 50:6-7 NIV)

No more! Those who say that they are not guilty, that they have no sin; those who have divided and scattered the flock will fall. Babylon will fall! The wolves in sheep clothing will fall! The Good Shepherd, Himself, will lead the remnant home.

“Israel is a scattered flock
    that lions have chased away.
The first to devour them
    was the king of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones
    was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

"I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king of Assyria.
But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied
    on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
    but none will be found,    
for I will forgive the remnant I spare." (Jer 50:17-20)

There are many false shepherds out there. Beware! If any prophet would put his own will and desires before the will of God, do not follow him. If any shepherd would put the ways of the world before The Way of Jesus, do not follow him. His own path will lead him to destruction and you do not want to be with him when he falls. Follow only in The Way that the LORD has prepared for you. "The LORD is our Shepherd, we shall not want. He makes us to lie down in green pastures. He leads us beside still water. He restores our soul..." (Psalm 23)

May God help us to keep our faces turned toward Him and to the Kingdom that has been promised to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Keep Alert!

"Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering." 1 Peter 5:7-9 NRSV

There are some in family who are not totally comfortable with my vigilance. They think that I am too cautious because I usually take the time and make the effort to look past what I see at first glance to what is really going on around us. I like to know who the people really are that are involved in their lives. Social media; the internet as a whole, just as it is used by many employers to see who it is that they are really hiring, can be a very useful tool for parents, grandparents and pastors. I use this tool because I am well aware that sometimes the adversary might come like a roaring lion and sometimes the adversary comes dressed in sheep's clothing. Even wolves in sheep's clothing can be recognized if we know what we are looking for; if we know God's word and discipline ourselves to follow it. I like to know and be prepared for any attacks that my come against my loved ones and that includes all of the people I serve.

There are wars all around us. Some of them are plainly seen. The wars being fought in the unseen realms are not so easily discerned. Often, people are not even aware that they are being attacked. They are won over to the enemy's side without even being aware of it. The adversary knows his enemy. He knows us. He knows what desires and temptations will crumble us. It would be beneficial for us to also know the enemy so that we can recognize him when he rears his ugly head whether he comes to us as a roaring lion or dressed in sheep's or shepherd's clothing.

The more that we discipline ourselves to know the word of God, the more alert we will be to recognize the adversary when he attacks. Discipline yourself in the word. Read the Holy Scriptures daily; hear His word proclaimed at Worship; and then discipline yourselves, to follow the Word, who is Jesus the Christ and you will have no need to fear the adversary.

May the Lord keep you from the adversary; even as He keeps you in the Word.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

I Believe In God The Father

The First Article.

Of Creation.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)



God, our Father and Creator, cares for His whole creation. He loves and cares for us. He has provided us with all that we have. That is everything! Not just a just a blessing here or there or now and then. Everything that we have are gifts from God.

 

If we truly believe that all that we have, even our ourselves and our family and friends; even our churches, are gifts from God, then we will care for them as though they were precious treasures, for in truth they are blessings from God. 

 

God is not just a God of beginnings. He did not just create and then us alone to our devices. He is an active Father providing not just the material things of life; but, spiritual gifts as well.

 

May our Father's love for us, inspire us to love and cherish Him for all that He has done for us. May God help us to love and care for His whole creation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

What Do You Treasure?

"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 do you invest your time; your talents; all the gifts that God has given you? Do you enjoy those gifts? There is only one place where you will find real joy. That place is in relationship with Jesus Christ and with others around you. Some things are necessary: food, shelter, heat, clothing. Others things are not. They are luxuries. They can be excess baggage that steal away our time and our opportunity to be in caring and loving relationships. 

The greatest treasure of God is being able to live in relationship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Kingdom of God. May God help us to seek His Kingdom that we might know what a treasure living in His presence really is.

God's Peace - Pr. J