Why Do I Want To Go To Heaven?

Psalm 72:25, 26, 28 KJV: Why would I want to go to heaven?  

Do No Harm

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

                                                                                   (Rom 13:9-10 KJV)

St. Paul wrote to the Romans that we should do no ill to our neighbors. Those neighbors include everyone and not just those who live next door. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus tells us that the one who not only does no harm; but, shows mercy and helps the one in need is the good neighbor. You don't have to know them to help them. You don't have to live next to them to have mercy.

It also follows that sometimes our actions harm people we aren't even aware that we harm. Lately,  I have been hearing "Do no harm" a lot. What does this mean? For those who remember their confirmation class days you might remember that purposefully breaking the commandments does harm to others. Unintentionally breaking them does as well. But, as Christians we try not to break them even as we acknowledge we are not always successful in those attempts.

These attempts to follow the law can be most fruitless if we follow the law for the sake of the law. The law will not save us. Only Jesus saves. His love saves us. It is love for others that will empower us to do what is right and to not harm others. It was love for us that drove Jesus to the cross for us. It is his love; the spirit of his love, that empowers us to do good rather than to harm our neighbors. 

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."  1 John 4:7-12) 

Do no harm. Cast off the ways of darkness and live life! Walk honestly and strive to do no harm to your neighbors both known and unknown to you. Be kind! "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (Luke 6:31)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Support Those Who Are Falsely Slandered

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. 

A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. 

                                                                             (Prov 16:28-29 KJV)

Somewhere, somehow, we must take a stand and protect the innocent from slander. There is so much slander, so much aloneness in this world, and so much depression resulting from it. It often comes from one source: the ego or maybe it would be more accurate to say the devil who resides within us. Those in whom the Spirit of Christ does not reside often attack their neighbors; their friends; their enemies unjustly, causing much chaos, pain, and sorrow. Standing idly by because you do not want to become involved or become the next target is not all that helpful. Rather, as most of us confess on Sunday mornings, we end up sinning by what we have not done; by not supporting and helping our neighbor in need. 

We should not support sin. We do need to confront those who would entice others in a way that is not good even while we support and protect those who are falsely accused. 

We teach our children in Sunday School and in Confirmation classes that the eighth commandment; "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." We also teach them as Luther taught that this means: "We should fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, lie or gossip about our neighbors, but defend them, speak well of them and put the most charitable construction on all that they do." How soon we forget what we have learned!

May God help us to love our neighbors and not cause them to suffer any form of anguish because of our actions or inactions.

God's Peace - Pr. J

We All Need To Grow

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

                             1 Peter 2:2-3 KJV

It is not just babies who need good nutrition to grow so does everyone who has lived for decades. All kinds of ailments attack bodies that do not feed themselves properly.

As Christians grow older, all too often they do not feel the need to read or hear the word of God. I have heard on more than one occasion that someone does not need to read the scriptures because they learned it in Sunday School or Confirmation classes. That is totally absurd! No one can know it all. Even most pastors know that they need to continue reading and studying the word in order to grow in faith as well as in love.

The small catechism that we use to teach children and new members was written by Martin Luther for parents to use to teach their children because he found that pastors in his day really did not have a clue about the word of God.

Have a clue! Many churches have closed due to the corona virus. Start a new habit. Open your Bibles and read the word. Hold a daily Bible Study with your family and grow in faith!

In times like this we worry about our physical health. Let us not neglect to care about our spiritual health. Stay in the word. Crave and seek the spiritual milk of the word of God so that you may know the grace of God through our Lord Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love Him; Worship Him

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut 6:4-5 NRSV)

What brings you to worship and serve the Lord? Is it tradition; the fear of death; or love for the Lord? 

There are many reasons to show up at a worship service. Sometimes, it is just because that is the way you were brought up. It is what you must do. But; once you get there, your ears and heart and mind are closed to the love that God has for you. Or, maybe it is the fear of death and you figure that just in case their really is a heaven and hell you're going to be buying a guarantee by making your presence known? Neither of those things will save you. Only, faith in Jesus, the one who lived and died and lives for you, saves you. That faith in him, itself, is a gift from God. 

There are various reasons for people to attend worship services. They sometimes show up to have their children baptized and then we never see them until confirmation, a wedding, a funeral or maybe Christmas Eve. I've known people who attend worship services to get political votes. I've also known people who attend worship in order to promote their businesses. There are many reasons people show up to worship at churches. Hopefully, it is the love of God that stirs them. But; if not, all people are welcome; both believers and unbelievers. Faith comes by hearing the word and if we hear it enough, even if we try not to listen, the Holy Spirit will work in us all the awesome gift of faith and love for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Whether one believes or not; the Lord is our God. Welcome all people so that they might come to know Him and love him with all their hearts, and souls, and might.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Confess Your Own Sins

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42 NRSV)

One of my former confirmation classes really got hung up on the commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain." Sure they knew that they shouldn't actually use God's name to curse anyone or anything.  But, they really didn't realize how often they actually did it by the use of various slang words to replace the name of Jesus and how often they used that infamous f.... word in conjunction with the name of Jesus or how often they damned others in the name of God.

These young people were also friends. They hung out with each other not just at the church; but, at school and after school, as well. They decided they should start policing each other's vocabulary. They began coming back to me; letting me know how others in the group had sinned by using God's name wrongly.  

It was all in fun at first; but, then it got so bad that I finally had to tell them: "You do not get to confess your neighbor's sins. You only get to confess your own." 

We only get to confess our own. Unless we are called as a witness for something or have to report a crime that's been committed or about to be committed, in addition to not taking the Lord's name in vain, we do not get to confess the sins of others. We do not get to gossip. 

One means of "evangelism" that particularly bothers me is when "christians" use examples of what other people do and what they should not be doing as examples of what is not the Christian life. It is done with this reverse maneuver in an attempt to get them to understand what is an acceptable Christian life-style and how this life-style is beneficial. This sort of evangelism, where the sins of others are confessed, is not sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God for you. It is the preaching of morality. Our good works and our supposed morality will not save us. Only Jesus saves.

Confessing the sins of others to make ourselves look better than them will not save us. Plucking at the speck in our neighbor's eye will not remove the log in our own. Plucking at the speck in our neighbor's eye only reveals to the world, the log in our own. If you are willing to share the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ then share the Good News. Do not point out to everyone, their sins. Share the Good  News and let the Spirit of God do the rest.

We are not to be pointing out the speck in the eyes of others; it is probably only a reflection of the log in our own eyes, anyway. This is something all Christians might want to consider before they open their mouths to proclaim anything other than the Kingdom of God for you and for all who believe through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Morality does not save us; only Jesus saves.

God's Peace - Pr. J