A Fresh Start; A New Day

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

                                                                                        (Eph 4:21-24 KJV)

In the northern regions the first snow fall brings a sense of newness; of a bright and fresh start. After a few months of all that snow and cold that sense of exhilaration tends to wear off. 

As Christians we begin our life in Christ fully exhilarated by this new relationship. But, with time, this exhilaration can wane if we are not diligent in staying in The Way he leads us in. It appears to be in our natures to take for granted and even get weary of those things and even relationships that we have been in for a long time.

If and when this happens be assured that there is a new start available to you every day. It might take a bit of self-discipline to say no to those things that would pull you away from life in Christ. Be assured, though, that Christ will renew your spirit when you ask. He will help you. He will renew your mind. Steep yourself in the word and in the Word who is Jesus the Christ and life will be full and satisfying once again. You will find peace no matter how horrible your life may seem at the time.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." 

                                                                                                  (Matt 7:7-8)

If you are in need of a fresh start then ask and you will receive it. Life is worth living when we are reconciled with Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Peace Not Drama

In my distress I cry to the Lord,
that he may answer me:
“Deliver me, O Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.”
What shall be given to you?
And what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech,
that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
but when I speak,
they are for war.
Psalm 120

Some people just like drama! They like to stir up trouble and dissensions and division; even wars. I don't know why. But, some people just can't seem to live without it. So, when the drama is on the decline they will make things up, usually about other people, just to get the drama going, again. Maybe their lives are so empty that they are trying to fill them up. It's seems as though they must have their own personal soap operas going and that they must be the star. Personally, I have never made a habit of watching soap operas. I don't have the time. I have a pretty full life already and don't need to observe someone's fake life on the television daily. There are way better things to focus on in life than this kind of drama. The outcome of a lot of this drama is that the deceitful tongue that often goes with it hurts others and then it boomerangs and comes back on the one with the deceitful tongue. Everyone gets hurt.

You want a life? Skip the drama. "Live Life" in peace - in the peace of Jesus Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Growing Up In Christ

"We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love." Eph 4:14-16

To truly grow up takes a lifetime. Society, today, gives us about eighteen years to help our children grow up and then we turn them loose on society.  As Christians, we do our best to teach our children who Jesus is and what he has done for us and why. We pray that they will follow him. But, the devil prowls and not everyone would have our children go in The Way that they should go for their own and for the benefit of society. With the help of God, we do what we can and then continue to pray for them until the day we die.

It would be most helpful for our children and for society if we could all work together to help all of our children grow in the Body of Christ. May God help us to follow in "His Way."

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

What Is Truth?

"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work."
                                     (2 John 1:9-11 NIV)

Live in the truth! What is truth?

There are many ways to distort the truth so that it becomes a lie. Today, the "truth," who is Jesus the Christ, is often co-mingled with fables and fairy tales so that the "truth" becomes a lie. Philosophy and spiritism and all sorts of other fabrications of the mind add or subtract from the word that we have read and heard in the scriptures in order to justify our own sinful lifestyles. Stay away from these stories. Continue living in the truth. Continue living in his love.

In this second of St. John's epistles, he commends a woman chosen by God and her children for knowing and living in the truth even while he warns her to stay away from those who deny the truth. We are warned to stay away from those who do not acknowledge that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh. Stay away. Do not let their deceitful teachings infiltrate your thoughts; your life.

May the grace, mercy and peace of God the Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, be with you in truth and love, now and forevermore.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Keep Me In Your Way

Keep me from deceitful ways;
    be gracious to me and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I have set my heart on your laws.
Psalm 119:29-30 NIV

St. Paul wrote to the Romans (7:15-20) "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

Even when we desire to be faithful to God, without His help, we cannot do it. Without the abiding presence of Christ, we are lost.

St. Paul continued in his letter to the Romans (7:21-25) "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

And, so we pray:  Keep me from deceitful ways, be gracious to me and help me to follow in your way. 

God's Peace - Pr. J