Trust That God Is In Charge

Job 37:1-7 KJV; God is in charge of the wind and rain. He is in charge of the snow. We do not control them. He does. Trust him in and through all storms of life for he loves you and does all things for the good of those who love him.

Snow, Be Thou On The Earth

God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. (Job 37:5-6 KJV)

There are some things that we can control; like the many daily choices we make each day. That doesn't necessarily mean we can control the outcome though. There are also many things that we have absolutely no control over; like the snow and rain, even though it has been tried. Attempting to control things that God is in control over just makes for a mess.

God is God over all of the earth and all of the heavens. It is best to trust Him and quit working so hard to control things that were not meant for humankind to manage. We have enough that we can do in caring for the world around us without interfering in His plans and attempting to destroy the great things that He has done.

We can be stewards of His plan. But, He is the Lord over all things. God help us to remember that we are not in charge. He is.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Vengeance Will Be God's

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water..."

                                                                                     (Isa 35:4-7a KJV)

I am sorry for my attitude; but, I am waiting for that day that the Lord will come even with vengeance to save his children who are persecuted and killed all day long.  How evil can the world be to turn a blind eye to those who are suffering; to those who are being hunted down and persecuted?  Of course, not everyone has turned a blind eye. But, so many do, especially those in power and control of others. Minimizing the suffering of others to make oneself look good is just so totally political. It has nothing to do with doing what is right but what is good for the politicians and their behind the curtain puppet masters.

I wait for the day when all eyes and ears will be opened to see and hear how the choices of these few men and women have destroyed the lives of others. Will it ever happen in my lifetime here on earth? Will we ever see real justice? Will we ever see a time when we do not turn our backs on those who are being hunted down and persecuted  and even killed because they do not think or believe or live like those in control think that they should? Genocide by any other name is still genocide! It is a crime against all of humanity.

Will we ever really see the widow and the orphan protected and cared for no matter who they are or where they live? We talk a lot about it. But, will this generation ever see it?

Just because someone lives half way around the world from us; does that mean we should not be there for them?  My heart and mind hears the cries of the many in hiding today: "Help us! Why have you deserted us?"

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God will bring vengeance upon those who have caused so much fear in the lives of others. It is promised that he will deliver those who are fearful. May God bring that promise to fruition quickly! 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love Does Not Abuse

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 

                       (1 John 4:18 NRSV)

There are more ways to abuse someone than physical abuse. Emotional, mental, and spiritual abuse can also destroy the person being abused. It is also devastating to the people who truly do love them.  

There are many ways in which abuse other than physical abuse occurs. 

1. Do they tell you often that you are stupid or crazy? 

2. Do they refuse to talk about your hurt when you are feeling down and do you feel down a lot because they keep reminding you that they think you are stupid or crazy? 

3. Do they find excuses for you to not to visit friends or family without them? Are they isolating you from those who truly do love you and who would be your support system?

4. Do they find excuses to go out with their friends and leave you behind making you feel like you are not good enough to be seen with them or to be around their friends?

5. Do you have to have every penny that you would spend approved by them while they are free to spend... spend... spend?

6. Do you spend an awful lot of time crying alone?

Abusers tend to be narcissists and control freaks. They want to control your life as well as everything else around them to please themselves. Whether it is from low self-esteem or egos that are too large; they will do and say everything they can in order to control your life in an attempt to make themselves look good in their own eyes. Abusers do need our prayers as much as the abused do. The manipulation and control they attempt to exert upon others often falls back on themselves causing them not only more inner turmoil; but, sometimes legal consequences, as well.

7. Are you afraid that if you don't do and say everything that the one you loves expects that you will lose them?

If so, maybe it is time to let them go. This is not love. Love casts out all fear. Love does not insist on having its own way. It will not make excuses for not doing what is right when it wants to do what it wants to do.

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 13:4-7)

8.  Have they managed to convince you that faith in Christ is a myth and that you should have faith in them alone so that you no longer trust in God's love for you? 

Live life in the light of Christ's love. His perfect love casts out all fear! His love does what is right and good for the ones whom he loves.

God's Peace - Pr. J

It's Time For The Old Adam To Die

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!" (Matt 18:6-7 NIV)

I was watching an episode of Last Kingdom last night. It is fiction based on the life and reign of King Alfred the Great. A couple things occurred to me while watching it:

1. That all those wars and rumors of wars that I hear are escalating today really have been around for a long, long time. As King Solomon said there really is nothing new under the sun. The hateful lust after power; control; and wealth turning humankind against God and neighbor is not a new thing. The sinful nature of humankind has been around since Adam. It has not gotten better. It doesn't appear to have gotten much worse, either. It is just there. Sin continues to reign in the hearts of many and atrocities occur. Woe to those

2. The church was not any different than the leaders of the various tribes and regions. The lust for power was immense and so false teachings prevailed. I pray that the church is different today. Unfortunately, the old Adam still reigns in many hearts and the lust for personal power creeps in and the focus is switched from the cross of Christ for the reconciling of the nations to God and one another to worldly endeavors; to personal power; to absolute control; for financial success. When the church focuses on such things it causes many to stumble.

Woe to the person who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble by their false words and deceptive actions. Woe to those who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble.

May God help us to always lift up the cross of Christ; proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God through the loving sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J