Jesus Is The Gate To Eternal Life

John 10:1-10 KJV; 4th Sunday of Easter; Jesus, the Good Shepherd is the door to the kingdom. Follow him rather than anyone who attempts to sneak in another way.

The Strait Gate

Luke 13:22-30; John 10:9 KJV; Do you know Jesus? Have you entered through Jesus into the Kingdom of God. He is the only gate by which you can enter.

Ask Your Father In Heaven

The Gospel according to St. Luke 11:5-13 KJV We can trust our Father in heaven to care for us.

What A Vision!

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

                                                          

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 

                                                                          (Isa 6:1-8 KJV)

Who will go? With a vision like Isaiah had of the Lord I'm thinking that we would all go if we saw the same! 

But, we don't get to have the same vision Isaiah had so who will go? Who will bring the message of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ to the world? Oh, yes... that would be the clergy. But, not just the clergy. Every single person who knows the truth who is Jesus the Christ will bring the truth to others. We do this because we know the awesomeness of God and we want to share it.  We know the great love that Jesus has for us; a love so great he was willing to die for us. And... because his love so overwhelms us we cannot do anything but share the knowledge of his love with others. 

The presence of God Almighty in Isaiah's vision overwhelmed him so much that he was willing to do whatever God asked of him. The presence of God in our lives will do the same. Once you know this God who loves you your love for him will overflow and you will go wherever he sends you. Everything else will take second place. When God asks you to go you will go. If at first you say no and this is most likely going to happen, be aware. He will keep on asking. He never gives up on us.

Isaiah's vision was tremendous. Here is a tremendous picture to consider:  A child born in a manger grew up. This innocent man was persecuted, tortured, and hung on a cross to die for our sins. He was found guilty. We were acquitted so that we could receive the inheritance of eternal life in our Father's house; in the Kingdom of God where Jesus reigns! Now, that is a vision to keep focused on!

When he calls you to deliver this message of the Kingdom; will you go?

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The One Good Shepherd

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 

                                                                      (John 10:7-14 KJV)

Are you still wondering when that abundant life is going to be yours?  Have you considered that just maybe you are following the wrong shepherd?

Even in times of trouble those who follow the good shepherd, who is Jesus the Christ, will know peace. They will know peace because they know that Jesus is with them and no matter what dark valleys they travel through he will bring them to lie in green pastures and beside still waters. Jesus will restore our souls.

There is only one good shepherd. Follow him and live life in an abundance of peace!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let That Light Shine

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

                             (Matt 5:14-16 KJV)

I have seen a few social media posts lately from younger people talking about where they hid to smoke their weed when they were still living at home.  The only thing I hid when I was a teen-ager was the light of a small lamp. So yes, indeed, I hid my light.

I was an avid reader. But, my parents were very strict about when lights out should be.  Lights out was at 8 pm. Sometimes on weekends, as I got older, I could stay up until 9 pm. That definitely curtailed my reading time. So I put a chair and lamp in my closet and shut the door so I could extend my reading time for at least another hour. I don't think my parents ever found out.

Sadly, in many countries the light of Christ is hidden or at the very least dimmed. The light who is Jesus the Christ cannot be as openly shared as it ought to be for fear of persecution and even prison or death. They meet in secret even know their lives and the lives of their families are at risk. Although, they cannot always share the good news with their lips; they can glorify our Father in heaven by living the good news; by loving their neighbors; by helping those in need. 

We are still fortunate in this country to be able to let our lights shine. But, many who profess to be Christians do not. They are afraid to be laughed at or persecuted and indeed that does happen all too often. Christians are mocked by those who have no clue what we actually believe. There are those who not only would dim the light of Christ they would put it out if they could. Thanks be to God they cannot.

Jesus was mocked. He was persecuted. He was executed for sharing the good news; for bringing into and being the light in the world. Many do indeed fear and hate the light because it means change. It means we will no longer be living in the darkness where we have been comfortable for so long. 

Consider the orchid.  It lies in the darkness for months without any growth; but, when it is brought back into the light of the sun it sprouts new growth and will bloom again. 

Christ is the light of the world and that light shines on and is in all who believe. Let that lie shine so not just you; but, those around you might blossom to the glory of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Try Jesus; You Just Might Love Him

Open The Door And Let Him In

 

Psalm 34:4-8 KJV

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

+++

There are some social media posts going around that want to know what foods you like and which ones won't you eat. I haven't found anything that I won't eat or at least try. There are a few that if I have a choice I would definitely choose something else. The reality is that unless you try it you will never know if you actually like it.

The psalmist tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How do you know he's not to your liking if you've never really got to know him or to be in relationship with him? How will you know if you've never opened the door to your heart even a crack to let him come in? In St. John's vision he heard:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

He's there. He loves you. He want you to be in a loving relationship with you. He wants to help you. Trust him. Let him in. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are you who trust in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ask The Right Person; Ask Our Father

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.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

                                                                                          (Matt 7:7-11 KJV)

We do not live in vacuums. There are people around us and there is God our Father who is with us and for us. When things go terribly wrong life just seems like it is not worth it, maybe we should consider who we are depending on; who we are trusting, to walk with us through this life. Are they helping or hindering? Are we trusting someone to be there for us when they are not even there for themselves? 

Are you looking for peace in your life? There is one who can help us. That is God our Father who was willing to give us the most precious gifts of life and salvation through the sacrifice on the cross of His only begotten Son. When we are in dire need of help, ask Him. Ask our Father who loves you that much. He can and He will help you on the path to a life of peace.

Most of our earthly fathers would help us according to their abilities. That is what love is. How much more will our heavenly Father help us in our hour of need!

When in need, it would behoove us to ask the right person for help. Turn to Him and find relief; find peace; find joy in His eternal loving presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Looking For Jesus

The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

                                                                            (John 6:22-24 KJV)

What are you looking for? How hard would you look to find it?

It makes me a bit crazy when things are lost and I or someone else cannot find them. I cannot do anything else until it is found.

The crowd was looking for Jesus. They knew he hadn't left in the boat with the disciples. They had not seen him walk on the water to join the disciples in their boat. They wanted to find him. They wanted to see him. They wanted to hear him. They wanted to be healed by him. So, the whole crowd got into boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. They were trying hard to find him. They were trying hard to follow him.

How far would you go to find Jesus; to follow him? You really don't have to go far. It's not that hard to find him. He is with you and for you now and always. 

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Let Him In!

Open the door and let him in.

And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 

And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

                                      (John 6:16-21 KJV)

Who wouldn't be a bit afraid if you were out in the storm and someone came walking on the water toward you? The disciples were just that. They were frightened. But, Jesus speaks to them, "It is I; be not afraid." They recognize his voice and they let him in the boat.

Jesus is anxious to get in the boat with you. He is knocking at the door. He is already with you and for you. But, he will not force himself on you. It is not enough to know about Jesus. Let him into your small boat so you have a chance to really get to know him. 

There are many who profess to be Christians; however, they have no real clue who this Jesus of ours is. They may have heard of him; they may know about him; but, they wouldn't recognize his voice if he spoke to them because they don't know him. There is a difference between knowing who Jesus is and knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is about having a relationship with him. His sheep will hear his voice and answer. His friends will hear his voice and answer. 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Answer the door and let him in so that you might have a relationship with the living God; the Almighty God, our LORD and Savior. Do not be afraid. He is there for you in the storms that you encounter. Let him into your boat, open the door, and let him in. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Dressing The Garden

  

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Gen 2:15 KJV)

There are all kinds of gardens. Being on vacation, I've been able to work a little bit in the garden I've been attempting to create for the young girl who lives next door.  In order to put their home on the land, a lot of trees had to be cut and consequently there were a lot of stumps! Many of the stumps were removed; but, it's not an easy chore getting rid of them so I decided to do something with a few of them. There are a few mushrooms in the garden made out of stumps and round bottom bowls. There are also a few fairies and gnomes. We're getting to the flowers slowly but surely.

After school she usually takes a peek in the garden to see if anything new has appeared. She likes her garden. I enjoy working in it, as well. I cannot think of anything much more pleasant to do than to dress the garden for the little girl next door on my vacation . 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Salty

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Col 4:3-6 NIV)

Being seasoned with salt has a variety of meanings today. For a younger generation than I, it may well mean being disrespectful; even a bully. Being a bully is not being salty. It is evil. Salt; after all, has been used over the generations in many cases to drive away what is evil; to purify; to preserve.

When I was growing up, I was taught that being "salty" meant to be a unique personality; a character. He or she spoke the truth, not to hurt anyone; but, because it was the truth. They lived and spoke in a way that was true to themselves and the truth is that not everyone understood them. Being salty means to me speaking and living the truth in a way that will benefit others by  bringing others to Christ.

Salt is not just a seasoning. It has numerous uses. I use it to chase ants and other bugs out of my yard. A little salt sprinkled on an ant hill will convince those pesky pests to find a new location for their home. But, salt is also a preservative. It helps to keep our food from rotting away. It helps to keep food consumable for a long time to come for our benefit. A little salt is a good thing. Too much salt, as in the case of bullying, can destroy.

Likewise, conversations seasoned with a little salt can help the soul from developing rot from the inside out. Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossia that they were to season their grace-filled conversations with salt.

Yes! Yes, indeed! We ought to make sure that our conversations are filled with grace; but, not just grace for the sake of not offending. We cannot lie for the sake of grace because that is no grace at all. We must proclaim the truth and sometimes the truth will make us sound just a little salty as the lies of the devil are uncovered. It is the truth, who is Jesus the Christ, that will make us whole. Our words and actions should always be full of grace; but, we cannot forget to season them with a bit of salt when necessary. And... it is often necessary so that the mystery of Christ can be proclaimed most fully. As it has been said: grace, grace, and only more grace is no grace at all. We cannot accept anything that will lead others away from faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot say that it is all good. Not everything is good; so sometimes, we need to be reminded to season our conversations with salt so that the truth can be proclaimed and the truth will set others free to be children of God.

May God help us to season our words and our actions with enough salt that the truth, who is Jesus the Christ, will be proclaimed so that those who hear will know the truth and the truth will set them free.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Seek

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Matt 7:7-8 NRSV

This morning I would really like the Lord to produce a sermon for me. It would be nice if I didn't have to focus on writing it; but, that's not how it works. God is not going to send a sermon directly to my printer. I must do some listening, some searching, in order to know what He would have me say at worship on Sunday.

God does, indeed, gift us with good gifts without our asking. He gave us His only begotten Son without our asking; without our even realizing that we needed him. But, sometimes we must ask in order to for us to be open to hear His word and His will for us. It is not a matter of God not giving them to us freely for He surely will. However, it is a matter of whether we are willing to receive them or not. And... so we finally ask when we are finally ready to receive.

The older I get, the more I realize that in order to know and do God's will I have to actively seek to practice the presence of God so that I can hear Him. I have to actively seek Him because my human nature would shut Him out as I attempt to go it alone, without Him. This, I have found, is not a very wise idea. Of course, God is always with me; but, there are times when I shut the door on Him and I do not listen; I do not hear His word or His will. Without Him, I can do nothing good. But, with Him all things are possible.

So ask the Lord to open your ears and your heart and your mind so that you can know God's good will for all people. Then spend some time in His word and in prayerful listening so that you can know Him for there is nothing more precious than knowing the Lord. For this reason Christ died for us that we might be reconciled to God our Father through him. 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:33

God's Peace - Pr. J

Lying To God

Lies invite darkness to descend upon the soul;
even upon the world.

 

  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

  “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

  Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

  At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 

                                                                                                                              (Acts 5:1-10)

I have been lied to and about so many times that there is no way that I could even count the times. We all have. Frankly, it makes me a bit weary. Sometimes, the lies are used to make someone look like someone they are not; like they are in the right and are doing good for others; while they are in truth, not.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira attempted to make themselves look righteous. They wanted to look as generous as the others who had sold their property and gave the proceeds to the church for the good of all of the people. But, they withheld some. Their sin was not so much in keeping some for themselves. The sin was in attempting to lie to God the Holy Spirit. God knows everything we say and think and do. It is just a bad idea to try telling God lies. The humans that we might tell lies to; usually know that we are not telling the whole truth, as well. We may not be able to prove the lies; but, God knows the truth. Lying to God, to others, and to ourselves can be very detrimental to our lives, to our futures.

The rest of the story for Ananias and Sapphira was that when they lied to Peter and to God, they died. They died immediately. When we lie to protect ourselves and our own egos; a bit of us dies inside, as well. When we tell untruths we are not who we were or who we can be in Christ Jesus. Make every effort then to speak and live in the truth with integrity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Reject The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"                                                                                                                      (Luke 11:9-13 NIV)

I grant you that sadly there are parents in this world today who would give their children a snake instead of a fish or a scorpion instead of an egg. But, our Father in heaven, is not one of those parents. He desires good things for all of His children. He gives Holy Spirit to all who ask.

Sadly, there are also many children in this world today who ask for gifts from their parents and once they have received whatever it is they wanted; they put it on a shelf never to be used again or they throw it or give it away. They ask just for the sake of asking; then take the gift and the giver for granted.

So, it seems to go with many within the church, as well. We know that if we ask for the Holy Spirit, our Father will surely give us the Holy Spirit. We are also aware that we were anointed with the Holy Spirit at our baptisms into the Body of Christ. But, what is done with the gift of the Holy Spirit once the Spirit is given? I believe that way too often the gift of the Holy Spirit and the giver are taken for granted. Many might ask for the Holy Spirit; but, then they don't know what to do with this gift. They have their own lives and really don't have time to be following the lead of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is put on the proverbial shelf; hidden away and given no opportunity to work through the one who has received this great gift.

The Holy Spirit is a person; the third person of the Trinity. Will you hide this person in the closet like a child would throw a gift that they don't want to the closet floor?

Ask and you shall receive and after you have received do not disrespect the Holy Spirit. Do not disrespect the One who sends you the Spirit. Do not despise nor reject this great gift from our Father in heaven; but, get to know the Spirit. Get to know the Holy Spirit personally so that you might be guided and comforted and sanctified and so much more in all that you say and think and do.

Ask and you shall receive and then allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you. Do not reject the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Kingdom Comes!

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
                                                                                                                            (Matt 27:50-52 NIV)

Rip! The sound of the temple curtain being torn in two. Do you recall how St. Mark described what happened after Jesus' baptism? "Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." (Mark 1:9-11) So what exactly is the significance of the temple curtain being torn in two at Jesus' death?

I was taught, as a child, that it meant that we now all have direct access to God. We are free to directly communicate and relate with and to God. The High Priests are no longer needed to stand between us and God. As Jesus died on the cross for us, he freed us from our sins so that we are worthy to come before God. That is good news. But, I believe there is more to it than that. When a door is open it is open to everything and everyone on both sides of the door.

Behind the temple curtain was the Holy of Holies; God's earthy dwelling place. The tearing of the temple curtain signifies that with Christ's death God's dwelling place on earth was no longer contained to a specific place. His dwelling place; his Kingdom, rushed out into the world as Jesus breathed his last breath.

The gate to the Kingdom has been flung wide open. The Kingdom of God is truly at hand. Live in it!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Helping Or Enabling?

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Gal 6:7-9 NIV

I remember hearing a pastor preach on doing good, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. I could not believe my ears! I thought that maybe he was making it up. How, as a Christian, could one show this kind of partiality, I wondered. So, I looked it up and there it was.

As the years have passed, I have come to understand this a whole lot better. Scripture does not say that we shouldn't help those outside of the family of believers. We should. But, I have also learned over the years that sometimes we can spend so much time and energy helping those whose only goal is to please their flesh; that, we have no time to build up the members of the Body of Christ who may be truly in need. There is sometimes a rather fine line between helping someone and enabling them to continue in their sinful pursuit of the flesh to their destruction. We ought to be careful not to be enabling those who have no love for God or others in their lives; rather, we ought to help those who are concerned about their eternal life and are truly in need.

I know... Much of the world thinks that Christians should be some kind of door mats and are here only to be taken advantage of. Jesus did not appear to think so. In the sermon on the mount he warns us: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Matt 7:5-7

This does not mean that we should not help everyone in need. We just ought to be careful that we are actually helping and not aiding anyone on the path to their destruction.

May God grant us the discernment to know whom He would have us help and who it is that is truly in need; to discern when our help is truly help and when it might lead to another's destruction.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Realm Of the Spirit; The Abiding Presence of Christ

Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  (Rom 8:8-10 NIV)

We often hear that someone is going to heaven because they are such good people. The reality is that without Jesus none of us are good. We are only made righteous because of his sacrifice on the cross for us. Without faith in him and in the power of his blood, we cannot be made righteous. 

No matter how many good works one might strive to do, unless Christ abides in you, your good works will not please God. The Spirit of Christ is knocking at the door of your heart. God does not desire for anyone to be lost. Open the door! Let him in! Let the Spirit of Christ abide in you that the whole world might know of his love and his peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Invite Strangers

Is the stranger truly welcomed?

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."  John 6:32-33 NIV

Friends, Strangers, and Angels at the Table is the sermon title for this Sunday. The lessons this morning speak of being hospitable. Jesus points out that we are to welcome strangers to our table. We might think we are welcoming people; because, we all get along with each other. That is we welcome those whom we already know. But, what happens when a stranger comes into our midst? What happens when a stranger comes knocking at our door?

As Jesus welcomes all people to his table, let us invite and welcome anyone and everyone who might cross our paths to eat with us; whether at home or at the table set for us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. The Epistle lesson for this morning is: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16