To Know Christ More Fully

19th Sunday after Pentecost Philippians 3:4-14 KJV; Paul's desire for a greater knowledge of Jesus was so great that he was willing to put his old life, even his status in society, for that relationship with him.

Jesus Wept

Gospel according to St. John, Chapter 11; KIV 5th Sunday in Lent; Jesus wept because he was saddened by the grief of Lazarus' family and friends.

We First Suffer

Psalm 2:6-12 KJV; Transfiguration Sunday. Our egos our self-serving desires must first suffer and die before we can truly live life.

The Good Shepherd Gives His Life For His Sheep

John 10:11-18 KJV; The false shepherds run when wolves approach; but, the Good Shepherd stays and protects the sheep. He even lays down his own life for them.

To Be With Christ Is Far Better

Philippians 1:20-24 KJV; To be with Christ is far better; but, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Jesus Bids You Take Up Your Cross

Luke 14:25-35 KJV  "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."  (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Consider the cost of following Jesus. It is not a commitment that we should take lightly.

Love Him And Cleave To The Lord!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 KJV: Choose life! Love the Lord and put away your false gods.

To Live Is Christ; To Die Is Gain.

Philippians 1:20-24; We desire to see Christ face to face; but, for now we are satisfied knowing that his abiding presence produces fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Offending God

Matthew 16-22-26; Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. It's better to die to self so that you might live in God's presence.

Before Abraham Was, I Am

Trinity Sunday reading from John 8:48-59 KJV and brief message. They attacked Jesus because he said before Abraham was, I am.

The Gates Of Righteousness Are Open

Commotion

John 12 We Must Die To Self

Why Jesus?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Rom 8:35 KJV)

I was blessed in being able to take some time away this week to attend the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Pastor's Conference in Orlando.  The theme was "always be ready."  Be ready for what?  How about always be ready to share what you believe?  Always be ready to share the good news with others.

One of the speakers, Rev. Dr. Dennis DiMauro, wondered if we were prepared to respond to someone wanting to know what is so different about Christianity, what is so great about Jesus.  Rev. DiMauro summed it up in one word: love!

Nothing, as Paul wrote to the Romans, can separate us from the love of Christ! It does not matter what we have done or even what we do today or will ever do. Jesus will always love us. He loves us so much that even knowing how we would reject him and deny him over and over again he was willing to be persecuted, suffer, and die so that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven.  It is not something that we can earn for ourselves. But, he could. He did it out of his great and unconditional love for all human-kind.

Other religions tend to have some kind of works based system whereby we can earn our way to heaven by our works. Some believe that we can change ourselves. No... It does not work that way. We are sinners through and through. There is nothing we can do to pay for our sins. Ours sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ painfully; yet lovingly, shed on the cross for us. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!

What is so different about Jesus! Jesus loves us enough to die for us and nothing can separate us from his love! While we were dead in our sins he gave his us his all. He gave us his life. He gives us life. He gives us love.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Dead But Destined To Be Fruitful

They will be fruitful

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom 5:3-5 KJV)

 

A couple of years ago I was given the banana trees in the photo as a Mother’s Day gift. Almost two years and still no bananas. They have died twice. 

During the first summer after I planted them it rained and rained and rained. Unfortunately I had planted them in a low spot in the yard and they drowned. But, I had hope. So I planted them in a higher spot when we came home from an extended vacation with hope that they would live again.  They did. 

I watch the weather forecast daily for all kinds of possible events including frost. A few weeks ago, as should be expected from experience, the weather forecast was not correct and I woke up to a major frost covering everything. The buds on my orange and grapefruit trees were dead. Thankfully, the trees themselves were not. But, the banana trees had major damage to them. That is what we are looking at dead or dying trees. I still have hope because you see banana trees reproduce themselves. Their roots put out outreach roots and grow new plants called pups. I learned this from the experience with their first death by drowning. Kind of like the Christian who is drowned in the waters of baptism and then given new life. Even though these little trees look pretty bad and they look dead I have hope that they will still live and produce fruit. 

Like the banana tree, the faithful Christian reach out with underground offshoots that produce new growth. By the abiding presence of Jesus the Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we reach out sharing the Good News of eternal life in the Kingdom of God for all who believe and the Body of Christ continues to grow. 

Even though we die, we shall live. Have patience, it may look devastating at times; but, the truth will never die no matter what kind of enemy comes up against it. .I have hope that the truth will live for all of eternity. In fact it is more than hope. I know that because the truth is Jesus Christ who is the tree of life and he himself likened us to the branches of a magnificent tree. We are not so unlike the runners off of a banana tree that reproduces itself.

Two years and no fruit from the banana trees. But, I have patience and I have hope that one day they will produce fruit. The ones you see here may not produce the fruit directly; but, they will through their offspring; through their pups I will see fruit one day. We may not also always get to see the fruit produced when we share the Word of God. But, fruit will be produced whether we get to see it or not. It will happen so don’t give up. Have patience and hope. Just because you can’t see or experience the fruitfulness of something doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. After all, God did tell us through Isaiah the prophet: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Have patience; have hope, and share the word of God so that it might produce fruit for the glory of God! God’s Peace and hope be with you all. Amen!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Trust The Lord Above All

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

                                                                           (Jer 17:5-8 KJV)

A confession for this morning:  As I child I trusted just about everyone. As a young adult, who got burned many times by others, I began to trust no one. But, as I grew to know the Lord I began, once again, to trust others. I could trust others not because humankind is so trustworthy or good; but, because God is. Too often human beings will take the road that they think will benefit them no matter how much it might damage others. But, the Lord does not. He who loves us and cares for us was willing to die that we might be forgiven for the very sins that we commit against our neighbors out of selfishness and greed. 

I trust the Lord to take care of things that I cannot control and the things that others would take control of to the detriment of not just myself but humankind as a whole. I have been able to regain trust  in others because above all my faith, my love, my trust is in the Lord. While others would lead us to useless salt lands the Lord will make us to lie down in green pastures and lead us beside still waters. (Psalm 23)

I have learned the lesson, though, that when others willfully go against God's good will for others it is not the time to sit back and allow them to have any type of authority over myself or anyone else. There are times that we must stand up for what is good and right even if it requires a sacrifice on our part. God; after all, often does work through his people. 

We can live and work and even play with others because before them all we trust the Lord who loves us and gave himself for us.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord "for he is good and his mercy endureth forever!" (Psalm 136)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Time With God

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. 

                  (Psalm 59:16-17 KJV)

Early morning is my time with God. He is with me all day and I pray often throughout the day. But, in the early morning hours it is quiet and still enough that I can spend intentional time with him without interruptions.

And... when I do spend intentional time with him in this way, I find that I am more aware of his presence throughout the day. Every day brings at least a challenge or two; but, I know that God is with me. He is my defense.  When the challenges come, I find my mind going to the promises found in scriptures and more and more lately I find myself singing songs of praise and thanksgiving as I meet those challenges.

God is with you. He has a good purpose for your life. He will defend you. He will lead you through each trial. If out of love for us he would send his only begotten Son to die for us; to die for our sins, would we suppose that he would not continue to protect and care for us?

He has shown us mercy through the shed blood of Jesus. He continues to show us mercy. He is our refuge and strength.

Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy endures forever!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Once Was Enough

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. 

                                                                                                   (Heb 7:23-28 KJV)

Pastors come and go. They do not live to serve the world forever. We live. We die. But, Jesus lives!. He is risen! He is ascended! He is with you now and always!

The ancient priests interceded for humankind. Prayers and blood offerings were made on the behalf of the people. There is no more bargaining with God. We can't buy Him off because Jesus paid for the price for our sins. He was the ultimate sacrifice. The only begotten Son suffered and died for us and that was enough.

We are saved by God's grace through faith in the one who lived and died and lives again for us!

Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Answers Prayers

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. 

                                                                              (James 5:13-20 KJV)

Pray and praise the Lord for in His he hears or prayers and answers.

What ails you? Pray to the Lord for healing and wholeness. Then thank him with songs of praise for answering your prayers.

It is difficult for one who refuses to acknowledge their own sins; yet, complains about the sins of others to have a deep faith. How can we say that we have faith in God when our faith lies in our own actions or inactions? How can we say that we have faith in God when we insist that we are not guilty of any wrong-doing?

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)

If we have no part in the injustice and ills of the world; if we are not guilty of committing sins against God and our neighbors then why did Christ die for us?

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal 2:21)

Let us not frustrate the grace of God! Christ did not die in vain. He died so that we might be forgiven our sins and reconciled to God our Father in heaven. Confess your sins; pray for healing and God in Christ Jesus will make you whole.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Living With God

Psalm 104:28-35 (KJV)

That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

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Praise the Lord for all things!  I cannot imagine living without having a relationship the God and Creator of all things. I cannot imagine living without having a relationship with Jesus the Christ who has saved me from my own sinful self. And... I cannot imagine living life; without the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.

I cannot imagine living without having a relationship with God. I can't imagine it and I pray that I never will live life without him. I pray that you never will have to endure a life not knowing God either.

Praise the Lord for he has done and continues to do marvelous things! Live life with him!

God's Peace - Pr. J.