Be Transformed By Renewal Of Our Hearts And Minds

Romans 12 KJV

A New Covenant

You Are Wonderfully Made

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalm 139:14 KJV)

God does not create garbage. We are not garbage. We do; however, tend to create garbage ourselves. Many even attempt to make garbage out of themselves. This cannot; this should never happen. God did not create you that way. You do not have to live that way. Always remember that you are a marvelous creation of God and so are all of the people around you. You are a child of God; created in His image. (John 1:12; Genesis 1:27)

Remember that and know that God created you for a good purpose. He also gives you the gifts to fulfill that purpose. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jer 29:11)  Hear the word of the Lord and do not let anyone convince you otherwise!  

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 1:10)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Work For Six Days?

 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 

                                                                             (Ex 20:8-11 KJV)

I have always stressed observing the Sabbath Day and our need to actually rest. But, today I am going to get a little legalistic and say something about the other six days. Lately, when doing any type of business, whether in the stores or offices or on the telephone, it seems that the employees aren't really thrilled that they have to do their jobs. They can be rude and appear to be most unhappy that they have to even be there. There seems to be a lot of people who really don't care about the quality of the services their work provides. 

When Adam and Eve were placed in the garden they actually had no work to do. God took care of their daily needs. There was an abundance of food in the orchard. But, they sinned by disobeying God and eating from the one tree they were told not to eat from. The consequence was that humankind would have to work for their food. They would also have to work so that they would have a home since they were cast out of paradise.

God had labored for six days to create heaven and earth and then he rested. In the beginning humankind had to do nothing like that; at least not until they decided that they should eat of the tree that the serpent told them would make them like gods. We could say that in part that came to fruition as now we get to work six days and rest for one even as our God worked for six days and then rested.

Today, most people (at least in the United States) would be offended by the thought of having to work six days. They simply would not do it. It seems it has become an imposition to have to work to earn an income in order to live. It takes away from the way more than one day of rest that we think we deserve to mow the lawn or otherwise take care of our homes and property. So many end up stressed out because they don't have enough time to do nothing. They end up worried about how they are going to manage financially.

Although I cannot recall the original early American author of the quote, it would do us all well to remember that we should "work not worry." If in fact we would focus more on our work; our vocations, then we will have a lot less to worry about.

May God bless your work days and grant you refreshment on the Sabbath.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Angels

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."                

                                                                                           (Col 2:18 KJV)

"Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you." 

                                                                                           (Col 2:18 NIV) 

So what about angels? Every now and then I am jolted by the reality that someone I know depends on angels more than they depend on Jesus.

Just because something or someone exists in the spiritual realms does not mean that we should worship them or put our trust in them. We do not worship the creature. Rather, we ought to worship and put our trust in the one who has charge over the spiritual realms; the one who created the spiritual realms; the one who created all things.

Angels have many purposes. Some are messengers. Some have been deliverers of God judgment. Some are ministering spirits. Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptations by the devil in the wilderness. Angels are beings created by God to serve according to God's will.

We are not to worship angels. We cannot serve two gods. Angels did not create you. They, themselves, are created beings. Angels did not die for you. Jesus did. By worshiping and honoring angels; by lifting them up more than we lift us Christ, we lose the connection we have with the head, from whom the whole body grows, who is Jesus the Christ. We are to worship the one who has charge over angels and not the angels.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."  

                                                                                       (1 Tim 2:5-6 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Tossing Sea

Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord;
    and I will heal them.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea
    that cannot keep still;
    its waters toss up mire and mud.
There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.
 Psalm 57:19-21

Always trying to stir up mud and mire; to create dirt and filth; there is no room for peace in the lives of those who plot evil.

Yet, those who pursue peace; those who assist their neighbor in the pursuit of peace, will live in peace. Those who seek to live reconciled to God and to one another will know the peace that only He can give no matter what storms the evil doers would create for them. They will know peace because God is with them.

God's peace be with you all. Pr. J

Tossing Sea

"Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire and mud.
“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
                                                                         Isaiah 57:19-21

Always trying to stir up mud and mire; to create dirt and filth, there is no room for peace in the lives of those who plot evil.

Yet, for those who pursue peace; those who assist their neighbor in the pursuit of peace; they will live in peace. Those who seek to live reconciled to God and to one another will know the peace that only He can give no matter what storms the evil doers would create for them. They will know peace because God is with them.

May God grant you His peace.

Pr. J.

My Jesus!

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Psalm 51:10-11 NIV

Happy New Year!

"My Jesus!" I don't recall what I was dreaming about last night. But, I do remember that just before I woke up, sitting around a huge round table I was asked who I would most like to be with. My response was "my Jesus."

Jesus promised to be with us always and he is. Who could ask for anything more than to abide in the presence of God for all of eternity? Living in God's presence is a gift from God. But, we are not worthy to even kneel at His feet by anything that we say or do or don't say or do. There are no new year's resolutions that are going to get us to heaven. Our hearts; are whole lives, are heavy with the burden of sin. But, thanks be to God, He can change our hearts!

And, so this new year's day we pray: create in us clean hearts, and renew steadfast spirits within us. Do not remove us from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from us. Grant that we should always live in your presence!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Wicked Are Like The Tossing Sea

Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord;
    and I will heal them.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea
    that cannot keep still;
    its waters toss up mire and mud.
There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.
 Psalm 57:19-21

Always trying to stir up mud and mire; to create dirt and filth, there is no room for peace in the lives of those who plot evil.

Yet, for those who pursue peace; those who assist their neighbor in the pursuit of peace, will live in peace. Those who seek to live reconciled to God and to one another will know the peace that only He can give no matter what storms the evil doers would create for them. They will know peace because God is with them.

God's peace be with you all - Pr. J