Follow In The Way!

Psalm 139:23-24 KJV; He knows our every wicked thoughts and way; yet, he would desire to lead us on the way to everlasting life.

One In Christ

Reading from Galatians 3:23-29 KJV for the 2nd Sunday of Pentecost. Christ did not discriminate when he died so that all who would believe in him would be one in him. Nor, should we discriminate against others.

God's Will; Not Ours

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Rom 12:1-2 NIV

Those things that may please man do not necessarily please God. Often when we as human beings made decisions or even offer an opinion we do with our personal best interests in mind. But, God who is merciful and just considers a bigger a picture; a picture so big that we cannot fathom it.

In order to even begin to grasp God's will there must be, by the power of the Spirit of Christ, be a transforming of our minds. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be better able to have a better sense of how we are to glorify God.

A general rule of thumb that I have used when making decisions is this:  Will it glorify God or is the purpose to glorify me? When making decisions for the church the rule is this: Will it glorify God or is it meant to satisfy and glorify the church on earth? You see, we will usually pick what is most comfortable for us. Without the transformation of our hearts and minds, we will most often decide to take short cuts. There were no short-cuts for Jesus on the road to Golgotha and it was not a comfortable and easy journey. But, what Jesus did, he did for the sake of many because it was his Father's good and perfect will.

Only those who have had a genuine renewing of the heart and mind, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are able to begin to discern our Father's good and perfect will, for without the transformation that is brought about by the Holy Spirit we will always decide for ourselves. Without the Spirit of Christ to lead us on our journey's, we will most often take what appears to be the easy road.

May God empower us through the Holy Spirit to know and do His good, pleasing and perfect will for His glory!

God's Peace - Pr. J

We Can See The Goodness Of The Lord!

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

I remain confident of this:I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart
 and wait for the Lord.

It is an election year and there are times when between the politicians and the news media we might wonder if we will ever see goodness any more. Yet, we will. If we would open our eyes; if we actually listened with our ears, we would see and hear it all around us.

God is very good. He has blessed us abundantly. Let us give thanks to the Lord for all that He has done for us. Let us give Him thanks and praise. May He empower us all to live actively sharing His goodness that the evil one's face is not the only face that we can see.

Help us Lord to see and live your goodness, even here, in this land and all around the world.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Wisdom To Make Right Choices

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:7-8

We often make poor choices. We do it hastily, without considering the bigger picture. We often make these poor decisions based on what we want now without considering what is really good for us and others around us. When we make wrong decisions that are based mostly on our feelings and what we think will make us happy, we get to experience the results of those decisions, whether the short and long term consequences are good or bad. Some of those decisions affect our physical condition. Some of them affect our emotional, mental, or our spiritual health negatively. Some affect our whole beings.

The Lord knows what is good for us. He has, indeed, given us guidelines and a path to follow.

May God grant us the wisdom to see the path that He has set before us and empower us to make the right choices.

God's Peace - Pr. J