God Is Our First Priority!

1 Corinthians 7:29-35 KJV 3rd Sun after Epiphany; Time is short! Make God your first priority; receive Him as your first love!

Sermon on the Hillside

Matthew 5:21-37 KJV; We are sinners that's for sure! None of us can keep the spirit of the law. Thanks be to God for the sacrifice our Lord Jesus made for us. 

Pastors Are Not The Head Of The Church; Christ Is

1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 1 Corinthians 12:7-14; KJV; 6th Sunday after Epiphany; All parts of the Body are equal. They may all have different gifts; but, all gifts and members are necessary. 

Saved By Faith In Christ!

Psalm 119:1-8 KJV; Not by keeping the law are we saved for no one can keep it perfectly. We are saved by faith alone in Christ!

Jesus Christ Is The Light That Shines!

Matthew 5:13-16 KJV; 5th Sunday after Epiphany; also, John 8:12. What good is salt without its saltiness? What good is light that does not shine? 

Fasting

Isaiah 58:3-9a KJV; 5th Sunday after Epiphany; Exactly what kind of fasting does God call us to?

He Will Teach You How To Fish For People

Matthew 4:12-25 KJV; Gospel lesson for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany. Jesus calls the fishermen to follow him and he will teach them how to fish for people. They immediately drop their nets and follow.

One Baptism

1 Corinthians 1:1-18; Ephesians 4:1-6 KJV; We are united in one baptism; by faith. It is a gift from God!

Christmas; Epiphany; Three Kings

They followed a star.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. 

                                                                               (Matt 2:1-2, 7-11 KJV)

The season of Christmas ended yesterday with the observance of Epiphany or as known to some Three Kings Day. My little tree will hopefully come down today although it will be a very busy day. I have banana trees to move before some landscaping begins today. There is an online grocery order to pick up. And, I have to go shopping for a new washing machine. Mine quit! Yesterday was even busier; therefore, the tree is still lighting up the living room this morning.

The reading from Matthew tells us that the wise men traveled far to meet this king and to bring him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I've always kind of thought me that if we are going to give gifts at all why not give them on the day that we celebrate the gift-giving wise men rather than Christmas. Christmas, when celebrated, I believe, should be focused solely on the precious gift that was given to us with his birth. Many churches don't even have a Christmas Day service so that families can be together, children can play with their toys, and moms and grandmoms can start cooking.  

However, despite the questionable background of our Christmas traditions, the season prior to Christmas does give us greater opportunity to remind the world that Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world, came into this world as a fully human baby, lived among us, and then died for us. What great gift could we possibly receive.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saved By Grace Through Faith

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith."  (Rom 1:16-17 NRSV)

Today, as many of us celebrate the "Reformation," we remember the words of scripture that were Martin Luther's "ah ha" moment; that were his epiphany. These life-giving words, "The one who is righteous will live by faith," changed the life of Martin Luther and they changed the church. Through these life-giving words, people finally came to understand that there were no good works that they could do to wipe out their sinful pasts. They could not purchase their own salvation with their good works nor could they purchase it with any amount of money. 

Not a one of us is better than the next one. We are all sinners. Yet, there is one without sin. There is one who could and has purchased our salvation. Jesus purchased it for us and for all who believe when he willingly shed his innocent blood on the cross for our sins. He was and is our sacrifice. Through his blood we are washed clean. Through him we have been declared innocent. In him and only in him is found our righteousness. 

"But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus."  (Rom 3:21-26)

Rejoice! The gospel is the very power of God for salvation! We are not saved by anything that we can or do not do. We are not saved by our wealth or our status or any power of our own. We are saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in the one who gave himself for us.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J