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 Good Shepherd

Psalm 23 KJV; 4th Sunday of Easter; The Shepherd's Psalm. The good shepherd is with us always.

Be Sober; Be Vigilant

1 Peter 5:6-11 KJV; Be sober; be vigilant for your adversary the devil seeks to devour you. Have faith that the Lord will give you strength and lift you up!

Our Refuge And Strength

Psalm 46 KJV; Reformation Sunday; Humankind's actions are harmful to one another; but, God is our refuge and strength. The Lord of hosts is with us.

Heal My Unbelief!

1 Timothy 1:12-17 KJV Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

The Word Made Flesh

Reading from the Gospel of John 1:12-14 KJV All who believe in the Word made flesh, who is Jesus the Christ, are given the power to become the children of God!

He Is From Everlasting

Micah 5:2-4 and John 1:1-3 KJV

My Soul Thirsts For The Lord

As a deer longs for flowing streams,

so my soul longs for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and behold

the face of God?

Psalm 42:1-2 NRSV

Life can get pretty hectic and confusing at times. Which way to go? What to do next? When I get like this, and I do at times, I remind myself to seek the Lord. There is only one way to go and that is to the Lord. I long to see His face more fully; to hear and understand His Word and His will more completely. I long to be more fully in His presence; to see Him face to face.

There is only one who can satisfy our thirsty souls. Seek the Lord and His Kingdom and He will show you the way to eternal peace in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Stand On What Is Right And Good

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?." 

                                                                       Matt 6:25-27 KJV

There have been more than a few times that I have been quite confrontational when it comes to injustice. When others were shrinking back and warning me that I should too for safety's sake, I advanced. I did indeed consider the worst case scenarios before I advanced. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? What is there to fear? Nothing, not even death. There is so much more to life than what we see or hear or feel in this world. I have eternal life.

When considering a new venture; whether it be a new job or investing in a project or a person or whatever challenge the day might bring; again, the same question: "What have I to fear?" Nothing. Life in this world is temporary. It will all pass. I have eternal life.

Jesus knowingly went forward to the cross; to his death, that we might live. He could have gone in the other direction. He could have. But, he did not. He did not shrink back from saving the world; even though much of the world would reject him. He did not pretend that everything in the world was okay. He was willing to give his life because the world was not okay.

Do not fear. Our Father in heaven loves you. Believe this. Know that you too have nothing to fear. You will be much more able to attempt to make radical changes within yourself and in the world around you with the knowledge that God is with you and for you. The world may abandon you. You may even lose many things in this world that you now treasure. But, there is nothing to fear. By faith, you have received eternal life! By faith in Christ you have inherited your place in the Kingdom of God.

May God help us to always stand in His truth; in His Way, no matter what possible dangers may lay before us. Following in the "Way" means to stand on the truth; doing justice out of love for others. Micah reminds us:  "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

May God help us to always remember that we have nothing to fear in doing what is right for through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, we have eternal life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

He Was; He Is; He Is To Come

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

                                                                           (Micah 5:2-4 KJV)

The one who was promised has come. Jesus has come. He is here. He will come again. He has always been and he will always be. He abides even now in the world and the people around us.

There are those who would say that Jesus' life began when he was born. But, according to scripture that is not true. Micah prophesied that one who was to come is "from of old, from everlasting."

The Gospel according to St. John begins:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."  (John 1:1-3)

He has come. He is present even now. He will come again in full glory. S Thanks be to God for his abiding and eternal presence for without him we would have no hope; we would have no peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Walk Away

And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

                                                                  (Mark 10:29-31 KJV)

Walk away. Sometimes, one has to walk away from everything for Jesus' sake. It will not be easy. But, sometimes, it is necessary.  If those you love are dragging you down; if they are doing their best to extinguish the light of Christ within you then for the sake of Christ you may have to walk away. In order to continue proclaiming and living the gospel you may have to walk away.

That sounds un-Christian to many. It even sounds downright evil to many. But, what is more evil? Is it more evil to walk away from those you love and genuinely care about or to turn away from God?

That does not mean that you should despise those you have chosen to keep your distance from. But, often it is much easier to continue to love and pray for them when you are not caught up in the web of dysfunction you find yourself in when you are close in proximity to them.

Continue to love them. But, do not let them interfere with your first love; the one who lived and died and lives again for and through you. Remember the one who has purchased for you eternal life, by the shedding of his blood; Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love As Christ Loves

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 

                                  (Eph 5:1-2 KJV)

Love others as Christ loves you. What does that mean? 

Jesus gave his very life for our sakes. He gave it because he loves us. So what exactly does it mean to love like he does?  At the very least it means that we put the well-being of others before our own selfish desires. At the very least it means that we respect others without calling them names because we disagree with them. We can disagree without being ugly to one another. It is not love that calls us to  persistently judge or persecute others because we do not agree with them.

That does not means that we should say nothing when someone sins by harming others. Saying nothing can be construed as approving of something that is most harmful. Jesus did call out people in their sins. He called out the Pharisees and Scribes. He called out the moneychangers in the temple. He called out those men who were getting ready to stone an accused adulteress. But, he did not call for their deaths. He did not plan their downfall behind their backs. What he did was sacrificed himself by dying for them just as he died for all people that whosoever would believe in him would receive forgiveness of sins and life in the eternal presence of God in the heavenly kingdom.

Real love means caring for others even if you don't like or agree with everything they think, say, or do.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

By Grace Through Faith In Christ

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

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.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

                                                                                       (Gal 2:16-21 KJV)

Forgiveness of sin is a free gift from God. It was given to us through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus the Christ. So, if you have any notion that just because you think you are a good person; just because you think your good works outweighs your sin; think again... We are all sinners forgiven by God's grace alone.

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Rom 3:10)

"And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God." (Luke 18:19)

Christians live; they love God as Christ loves them. It is the abiding presence of Christ in us that loves and through us it is he would does good works. Without Christ we would be lost. Without Christ any good works would be worthless. Without Christ it is we who live in vain.

Do not frustrate the grace of God. He has sent his only begotten Son to die that we might receive forgiveness of sins and so that we might live life in his eternal presence; in his kingdom. If we could, which we can't, do enough good works to earn these things by our good works, Christ has died in vain. For those who live by faith he did not die for nothing. 

We live life by faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave himself for us.

Please think again if you think somehow we have earned God's grace; that we have earned life in his presence! We have eternal life by God's grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Gladness Springs

Psalm 34:1-3

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

+++

Gladness springs from our very beings when we consider what God has done for us. His gifts to us are endless; but, the one gift is truly eternal. That gift is the gift of eternal life in his presence through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, for us. 

Bless the Lord always and join together often to exalt his holy name with songs of joy and praise!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Life In These Old Tents

 

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

                                                                            (2 Cor 4:14-18, 5:1 KJV)

Day be day these fleshly tents we live in grow sick. They grow weary as we advance toward the day when we will shed these earthly tabernacles to live in the eternal heavens; the kingdom of God. Even as the bodies advances toward destruction; the spirit does not. The spirit continues to hope for the kingdom which is not seen while in the body; while in these old tents. 

No matter what troubles we may face in our daily lives we know that they are temporary. The trials of this world are temporary; but, in Christ we have eternal life! We have eternal peace. For now we endure the light afflictions even as we look to the day when "...God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev 21:4)

Life in these old tents can be trying for sure; but, there is also a lot of joy in the life that we live today. While we wait for that day when the things we do not see become completely realized in our lives may God help us to live life with the abundance he has given us for life in these earthly tabernacles he has provided us with.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Every Knee Will Bow

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

                                                                                     (Phil 2:5-11 KJV)

Who would not honor one who saved their lives? I am really not sure why one wouldn't. But, there sure does seem to be a whole lot of people who don't take what Jesus did for us all that seriously. Yes, we can chalk that up to a lack of faith. 

Years ago I was overseeing one of my granddaughters as she was participating in an online history class. The historical Jesus was talked about and yes this was an online public school. She looked at me and said. "Jesus really was real?!" That really floored me. She had been brought up in a church; attending Sunday School and Worship just about every Sunday. I was her pastor as well as her grandmother. Her reaction caused me to wonder where I had gone so wrong that she thought I would dedicate my life to teaching and preaching about something or someone that was nothing more than a nice story; a fairy tale. Until this public school teacher relayed to her that Jesus had been a real live person she simply could not believe any of it.

There are a whole lot of people who do not know or believe that Jesus died for us. There are a whole lot of knees that do not bow at the name of Jesus. But, one day they will. One day they will see him and know that he is not just a myth. One day every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God our Father.

That day will come when he returns in full glory. On that day every knee will bow before the one who gave his life that we might have life in the eternal presence of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

My Help Comes From The Eternal One

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 

                              (Psalm 121:1-3 KJV)

There are very few hills here in Florida to look up to. But, there is the sky. My  morning prayers usually takes place while out walking as the sun begins to rise. I often look up towards the heavens and am reminded of how eternal God is. He is everywhere and He is in every time. He has no beginning either in time or space. He does not sleep; but, watches over us at all times and in all places. We may make missteps and fall; but, He is there to pick us back up and put us on the right path again if we will let Him. He does not force Himself upon us. We can reject His help. But, who does that!? Who would reject the hand of one who would pick us up out of the dirt? Sadly, many do.

As for me, I trust the Lord, who created the heaven and the earth to pick me up and keep me on the right path whenever I trip up and fall.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Our Own Way

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:5-6 KJV)

Yup! That's what we like. We prefer to do things our own way. For some reason we have tendency to think our way is better than God's way. It is not. According to the Gospel of St. John: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

When we follow in our own ways, we often end up in a heap of trouble. We end up on some really dangerous paths. But, when we follow in the way that Jesus has set before us the path leads to reconciliation and peace with our Father in heaven.

Jesus was sent to us so that we who had turned our backs on our Father could be reconciled to him and live in his eternal presence. It was not a mission that any of us could complete. This innocent man was punished for our sins. He was tortured and executed for the sins that we commit. Simply put: he died that we might live.

Let us live life in thanksgiving for all that he has done and continues to do for us. Let us be wise enough to follow in the way that he would have us go.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Dust To Dust

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

                                                                                   (Gen 3:17-19 KJV)

We begin the season of Lent remembering that from dust we have come and to dust we shall return. We will all face death. As Adam and Eve sinned against God, so do we all. Intentionally or unintentionally we turn our backs on God and on one another all of the time. 

Our Lenten journey to the cross can be a tough one as we remember what Jesus did for us and how much God truly loves us even in our sinful states. But, the journey must be made, for without it; without these forty days, without Holy Week, without Good Friday, we would not be able to truly experience the relief and miraculous joy of Easter Sunday. 

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23) Thanks be to God for His great love for us!

We do not deserve life. Yet, by faith alone in Christ alone it is God's gift to us. Lent is yet another opportunity to get to know the one who lived and died and lives for us. Don't let that opportunity to get to know the one who loves more than all others do pass you by.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Jesus Is The Truth

1 John 1:8

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  (John 8:31-32 KJV)

The truth can be a hard thing to admit even to ourselves. Acknowledging the truth about things we may have done or left undone can leave us feeling very guilty. That is... unless we accept the love of God who gave His only begotten Son; unless we accept the fact that through the sacrifice of His Son we are forgiven our sins. Eternal life; life in Christ is truth for all who would believe  on him.

Do not be afraid to acknowledge the truth that you are a sinful human being. It is a first step in acknowledging that Christ died that you might receive forgiveness for your sins. 

The truth that you shall know is that Jesus is the truth. Know him and he shall set you free!

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

God's Peace - Pr. J.