Advent: Be Prepared

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

                                                                                            (Luke 21:25-36 KJV)

On this first Sunday in Advent we look to and prepare for the day we will celebrate the birth of our Savior on Christmas day. We are also reminded to prepare for the day when he will come again in full glory.

The gospel according to St.Luke reminds us to be prepared. Stay away from the things that will steer us away from our preparation to receive Christ and his kingdom in all of their glory. 

The things of this world can be great distractors from living our lives in the Kingdom of God, in the presence of God. Stay awake! Be aware! Prepare for the day that you will meet your maker and savior face to face.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Fruit Of The Spirit

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

                                                                         (Gal 6:7 KJV)

If we plant and tend a flower seed a flower will grow. If we plant and tend a thistle bush as thistle bush will grow. Inevitably we all plant something. We can plant seeds of harmony or seeds of discord. We can plants seeds of love or seeds of hate. We can seeds of truth or the seeds of lies. Whatever we plant is what we will harvest. Discord or peace; which is it that the world actually desires?

There is a war going on inside our very beings. The one side looks after ourselves. It looks after our own gratification no matter whom we might hurt in pursuing our personal desires. The other side hopes for peace and desires to sow the seeds of peace. 

In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul warns us against sowing the seeds that gratify the flesh. He extols the fruit that comes from fruit of the Spirit.

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

                                                                            (Gal 5:17,19-23)

We live in the flesh and that same flesh tells us to get what we want no matter who we hurt by it. But, the better way is to live by Spirit whom God has given us. The better way is not to trust what our flesh tells us we should have; but, to sow seeds that will produce fruit of the Spirit for not just ourselves but for those around us. Yet, it is not we who have the ability to do this; but, according to St. Paul: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)

May God help us to produce good fruit by the power of the Spirit of Christ that we  all might live life in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Live In The Light And Love

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

                                                                       (Rom 13:10-14 KJV)

I do not recall Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. protesting in the dark of night. I do not recall him marching after midnight. He marched peacefully during the light of the day. 

Peaceful protests occur during the day. Peaceful protests can encourage change. Those who protest in the dark of night may be seeking change; but, what change is that? Is destruction to private and public property; attacking law enforcement and others who are there to serve society; doing harm to people that one does not even know, going to bring about positive change?

Much of the world is in lock down due to the Corona Virus. We are told it is for our health and safety. Yet, in cities around the country and even the world people are not safe from those who choose to continue to riot and destroy that which is not theirs to destroy. 

St. Paul wrote to the Romans and ultimately to us. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor." To live in the light is to love your neighbor and do him or her no harm or to their property. 

May God help us help us all to learn to live in His love, to live in the light, who is Jesus the Christ. Amen

God's Peace - Pr. J.

No Law

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

                                                                             (Gal 5:18 - 23 KJV

There is no law against being nice. There is no law against caring for others. But, there are both God given laws and man-made laws about doing otherwise. 

Some not so joyful or peaceful consequences often follow breaking these laws. 

It is just so much easier to be nice and do what is right; do what is good for you and for others and we will all experience a whole lot less turmoil and drama in our lives for it.

May God help us all not to spitefully use or abuse others in any way. And, may His love, joy, and peace be with us always!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Fruit Of The Spirit

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. (Gal 5:22-23 NRSV)

There is no law against being nice. There is no law against being good. Wouldn't it be great if we got to truly enjoy the fruits of the spirit instead of being so focused on the works of the flesh which are according to St. Paul: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these? St. Paul warns us that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)

Life can be pretty rough. But, it doesn't have to be. We cause a lot of strife and damage to our own lives by not living according to the fruit of the Spirit which is a gift from God. Do we not consider that once we set aside our petty (and many are truly petty) differences and personal preferences the fruits of the Spirit would be much more evident in our lives and in the world around us? Once our ego dies and we become more concerned about the welfare of our neighbors we will rise with wings like an eagle and truly live life!

We are free, in Christ, to live fruitful, Spirit filled lives. There is no law against that. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Losing Friends For Living With Christ

Do good! Do what is right! 

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.                                                                                                                        1 Peter 4:1-4 NIV                

No, you won't be too popular if you leave behind those things that the pagans choose to do; but, you will be much more at peace with yourself as you begin to live in Christ.

As a former substance abuse counselor, one of the toughest things to deal with is that when someone finally decides to trust God for their recovery they lose most, if not all, of their old friends. It can be a lonely time. It takes a bit of work to realize that the only reason they hung out with you was because your substance abuse justified theirs. Once that is gone, they are out of there. "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you." (vs 4)

But, new friends will come with time. Friends that will share in the joy of living as a member of the Body of Christ with you. In Christ you are a new creation. "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19)

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Live in his peace and ignore the drama this world would throw at you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do What Is Right!

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

                                                                                                                          1 Peter 4:1-5

 

Do good! Do what is right! "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry." (vs 3) No, you won't be too popular if you leave behind those things; but, you will be much more at peace with yourself as you begin to live in Christ.

As a former substance abuse counselor, one of the toughest things to deal with is that when someone finally decides to trust their higher power (God) for their recovery they lose most, if not all, of their old friends. It can be a lonely time. It takes a bit of work to realize that the only reason they hung with you was because your substance abuse justified theirs. Once that is gone, they are out of there. "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you." (vs 4)

But, new friends will come with time. Friends that will share in the joy of living as a member of the Body of Christ with you. In Christ you are a new creation. "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (vs 19)

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Live in his peace and ignore the drama this world would throw at you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love, Joy, Peace

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

                                                                                                                        Galatians 5:16-23 NIV

Love - a fruit of the Spirit of God! There are days that I just shake my head in wonder at the lack of love that I witness around me. People using people to get what they want. I believe that everyone wants love but they have no clue that gratifying the desires of the flesh isn't going to get it. Sexual immorality, anger (temper tantrums and tirades), idolatry, etc. isn't going to get you love. Love is of the Spirit, not of the flesh. Love is not self-seeking. Love seeks unity with one's neighbor. Love seeks good for others and not harm.

According to St. Paul: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." He warns us that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

On the other hand, those who live by the Spirit of God, will have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. They will produce fruit of the Spirit. "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." 

May God help us to love others, even as He loves us. May His Kingdom come; His will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Good! Do What Is Right!

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. (1 Peter 4:1-4 NIV)

No, you won't be too popular if you leave behind those things; but, you will be much more at peace with yourself as you begin to live in Christ.

As a former substance abuse counselor, one of the toughest things to deal with is that when someone finally decides to trust their higher power (the one true God) for their recovery they lose most, if not all, of their old friends. It can be a lonely time. It takes a bit of work to realize that the only reason they hung with you was because your substance abuse justified theirs. Once that is gone, they are out of there. "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you."

But, new friends will come with time. Friends that will share in the joy of living as a member of the Body of Christ with you. In Christ you are a new creation. "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19)

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Live in his peace and ignore the drama this world would throw at you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Elders Shine!

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Tim 3:1-3 NIV)

This morning at our congregation council meeting two members will be appointed to the board. We thank God for bringing us these two new council members. Discerning who it is that God would call to these positions can be difficult at times.

No, not everyone within a congregation should be on the slate of elections as an overseer (council member, elder, etc.) of the congregation or a denomination. It is not always easy to find potential willing candidates for some of these positions of leadership; but, that does not mean that we should not be discerning in whom we choose to lead and serve our communities of faith. It is often more prudent to allow an office to go empty than to call someone whom God has not gifted and called. They must be faithful to God, willing to set aside their personal desires and ambitions in this world. Jesus comes first, always!

St. Paul outlines some basic guidelines for Timothy to use in his position as a leader of the church at Ephesus. They must be faithful to their spouse, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not given to drunkenness, not violent but, gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money.

It is necessary for our servant leaders to be able to conduct their personal lives in a way that the light of Christ and not deeds of darkness is seen by others. We are not; after all, a social club. We are the Body of Christ. Let your light so shine! And... thanks be to God for the faithful members whom He calls to serve as council members and elders.

God's Peace - Pr. J