God Resides In His Temple

2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 KJV God resides in His temple. He lives in us. Hear His promises and be born again as children of God.

Peace Like A River

Peace Like A River - At Home For The Summer

This is what the Lord says—

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“I am the Lord your God,

who teaches you what is best for you,

who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you had paid attention to my commands             

your peace would have been like a river,

your well-being like the waves of the sea.” 

                                    (Isa 48:17-18 NIV)

The hymn "When Peace Like a River" or "All Is Well With My Soul" is a favorite among many. It is one of my favorite hymns. It was written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873. Not long before he wrote it; his four daughters had died in a collision with another ship as they crossed the Atlantic. His wife survived and sent him this message, "Saved alone." Later, as he, himself, crossed the Atlantic and neared the spot where his daughters had died, he was inspired to write this hymn. The LORD, in His mercy has taught us that no matter what befalls us, it can be well with our soul. All who abide in Christ will know the peace that only He can give.

We have returned to Aura for the summer. It is my peaceful place. I do not recall a day that I have been here that I have not thanked God for landing me in this awesome place. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to be doing in my retirement; but, I know that many of those days will be spent in peace.  Since Lake Superior and it's bays appear to be at an all time high water level, I will be able to launch my kayak right from the back door! I will not have to navigate around anything to get out into the bay; no dragging it through the marsh. Smooth sailing! Peaceful paddling.

Thanks be to God for all that He has given us!

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Lesson From Sodom And Gomorrah

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

                                                                           (Gen 19:15-17, 22-26 KJV)

Escape for your life! There are many lessons in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. One that is often over-looked is that Lot and his daughters escaped with their lives. But, his wife did not. They were told not to look back. She did. She looked back toward the home she left behind and was destroyed.

There are times and situations in all of our lives where we end up stuck in muck and mire and it pulls us down whether we always realize it or not. We need to take notice of what is happening in our lives. Even if our intentions are good and good for the people around us as well; there are times we need to walk away, shake the dust off of our feet, and not look back lest we get pulled into the pits of destruction with those who are determined to go that way; lest we get led away from the path which we should be on. 

Yes, of course, we should (and must) be willing to go into all places to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. However, if rather than share the good news we end up sucked into a lifestyle that is turning us away from God we must leave that place; that situation. If you find yourself surrounded by people who refuse to hear, then it is best to leave so that your breath nor your life will be wasted. There is a whole world starving for real hope and for those who know Jesus you have something to offer. You have Jesus to offer. Share him with those who are willing to hear. 

We have hope in the kingdom to come; the kingdom that has already broken into this world. That kingdom is our true home. We look forward; not backwards. We look to life in our Father's house. Straying from the path and settling for and accepting a life-style that will bring only destruction is not the way that is good for any of us.

Share the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus with all people. But, make sure you that the light is shining in you. Be careful that the situations you allow yourself to be in is not dimming or snuffing out the light of Christ in you. 

A lesson from Sodom and Gomorrah is that there are times we must walk away and not look back; for our sakes; for the sake of the Gospel; for the sake of those whom we love.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Living God

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:15-16 NIV)

Today is the day to rejoice for our God is a living God. He is not a god made with human hands or imaginations. He lives and he loves us. He loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to die that we might be saved from our sins. 

Believe Him. Believe in Him. Trust Him. Rejoice, for the living God loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to live and die for that we who were not His sons and daughters might be his sons and daughters. 

With Peter and all of the saints let us all confess, "Jesus is our Savior, the Son of the living God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Peace Like A River

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
    your well-being like the waves of the sea.”" (Isa 48:17-18 NIV)

The hymn "When Peace Like a River" or "All Is Well With My Soul" is one of my favorite hymns.  Not long before Horatio G. Spafford wrote this hymn in 1873, his four daughters had died in a collision with another ship as they crossed the Atlantic. His wife had survived and sent him this message, "Saved alone." Later, as he, himself, crossed the Atlantic and neared the spot where his daughters had died, he was inspired to write this hymn.

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."

The LORD, in His mercy has taught us that no matter what befalls us, it can be well with our soul. All who abide in Christ will know the peace that only He can give.

 

Today, Isaiah reminds us that we are to turn from following after false gods, and to trust in the LORD, our God, and all will be well with our soul. Our peace will be like a river. But, for those who turn their backs on Him, there will be no peace. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

When will we turn from our stubborn, stiffnecked ways to live in peace? To live wholly for and in Christ? "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Eph 2:14-18)

And... all is well with my soul! May it be well with your's.

God's Peace - Pr. J