Quicken Us, Lord!

Psalm 80:7-19 KJV; 19th Sunday after Pentecost; Quicken Us, Lord! Save us and we will be saved!

Heal Us; Heal Our Land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV; If we would only humble ourselves, pray and seek the face of the Lord that we might hear his good will for us and all of the land.

Have Not Seen Yet We Believe

John 20:19-31 KJV; 1st Sunday after Easter. Although we have not seen Jesus with our own eyes; we believe the testimony of those who did.

He Did Not Turn Away

Isaiah 50:4-9 KJV; Palm Sunday; He did not turn away; but, faced his persecutors.

Enemies Surround Us!

Psalm 31:9-16 KJV: Enemies surround us. Who can save us?

He Will Heal Our Land

Saved From The Deluge

Psalm 80 KJV

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

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I am pretty convinced that the season of Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, is fraught with difficulties.  I seem to spend a lot of time doing things many times; things that actually shouldn't be up to me. The couch in my office is full of projects; that is paperwork, as I wait for "professionals" to take care of what they are being paid to do. Nothing seems to be getting done. I have filed the stuff a few times the last few months only to have to take it all back out so that I can advise the "professionals." I would take it personally; but, I have a feeling that some of these "professionals" are working from home and may have a few distractions that are keeping them from focusing on their jobs during their paid working hours or maybe they have new help and that help is just inexperienced. I don't really care to hear that they don't think they should do the best they can because they don't think they get paid enough. If you accept a job then you do it. It is as simple as that.

I have to admit that there are times when I feel a bit overwhelmed with it all. So I wouldn't mind a prayer or two. But, as a retired pastor I am also aware that others are having a much more difficult time. There are multitudes of homeless in this world who don't have a couch to lay their paperwork on. They don't have enough food to eat. Others are losing their homes due to job losses or in some cases because of a snafu in paperwork that they just can't figure out how to fix. People are dying from many things including random shootings. Tornadoes have recently taken the homes and livelihoods of many. The list goes on...

What is the answer?  We keep going in the knowledge that God will cause his face to shine and we shall be saved from the deluge this world brings upon us. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

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.

God's Blessings Upon You

Psalm 67 KJV

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

+++

Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Amen!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Will See Our Savior Face To Face

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

                                                                          (Rev 1:4-8 KJV)

We give thanks to him for with his own blood, Jesus washed us from our sins in order to make us kings and priests to God. Because of this precious gift of salvation, when he comes again in full glory we will weep. We will weep for joy at seeing our savior face to face. Others may weep in fear; but, all who believe in his life giving sacrifice will not be afraid. We will rejoice!

That is not to say that Christ is not present with us now. When Jesus gave us the great commission (Matt 28:19-20) he promised us that he would be with us until the end of the world. Yes, the world will end one day. It could be today. It could be a million years from now. In the meantime we wait for the day when we will see our savior with our own eyes as those first disciples did after he rose from the grave. For now we give thanks that he has promised to be with us even today.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Lord Is Your Helper

Psalm 54 KJV

Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

+++

It doesn't matter what you face, the Lord will not leave your side. He is with you and for you. He is your helper and the helper of all who would support those who love him.

Trust him for he will deliver you out of all of your troubles. He will bring down those who unjustly persecute others.

May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your life.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Everyone Will Know He Is Lord

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 2:9-11 KJV)

You may not bow before the name of Jesus now. You may not confess that Jesus Christ is Lord now. But, there will come a day when you will. There will come a day when you will come face to face with God Almighty and you will recognize that Jesus is the truth and he is the way that was meant for you to follow. Prayerfully, on that day, when you meet him face to face, you will already know him and love him. 

Many will say that I do not need love. I do not need anyone. The truth is that we all need to be loved and to love. We were not created to live in isolation. Without love, we may exist. But, we will not thrive and God intends for us to thrive. He intends for us to live abundant lives and not so much abundant in more things that we need or even can use; but, to live life in peace and with joy in communion with God as well as in community. 

Make no mistake; whether you will bow at the name of Jesus now there will come a day when everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Don't wait too long to live life knowing our Lord and Savior.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Blessed Are Those Who Believe By Faith Alone

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

                                                                                  (John 20:24-29 KJV)

He knew Jesus. He heard his promises that he would rise from the dead. He was there. Yet, Jesus' word had not been enough. Thomas doubted the resurrection. He did not believe the witness of the other disciples. He would not believe it unless he could see Jesus face to face.

Many today disbelieve that Jesus is risen from the dead because they have not seen him face to face. Well, we will all see him face to face one day. For better or worse we will all see him. Why wait for that day when you can know him and life with him today? Just because you yourself have not seen something does not mean that it is not true. There are just some things that we accept by faith alone based on the witness of others.

God grant you faith and a perpetual knowledge of the abiding presence of the living Christ in and with you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

His Face Shone; They Were Afraid

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.

And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 

                                                                          (Exodus 34:29-35)

An encounter with God can last for all of eternity! 

For whatever reason, God chose Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. He chose to reveal himself to Moses, first in a burning bush and then later on the mountain when he gave Moses His law. These encounters were life changing and not just for Moses. Yes, they changed his life. The encounter on the mountain actually changed his countenance. His face absolutely shined. The glow of the light on his face was so much that the people were afraid to go near to him. 

Moses' encounters with God not only affected him but also had an effect on the people of God. Although he was never able to enter the promised land, he led the people there. He was with them to let them know what God was promising them as well as what God expected of them. 

No matter who it is that God reveals himself to that person is changed for all of eternity. God has revealed himself to us through Jesus. Encounters with Jesus; getting to know him will change us forever. And, yes... people will be a bit wary of the followers of Jesus. Some will even be afraid of those who follow him. Not everyone will understand. 

No matter what people may think of you remember that you have the light of Christ within you.  "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4:6)

Do not be afraid to let others see the light of Christ that shines through you. Do not worry about what they may think. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt 5:16)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Witness To The Light Of Christ

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6 KJV)

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

                                                                                      (John 1:6-8 KJV)

John drew in the crowds but he didn't draw them in for his own glory. He drew them in to bear witness to the Light who is Jesus the Christ. He humbled himself and pointed to the one who was coming who was greater than he; greater than all of humankind.

As Christians we are also called and sent to bear witness to the Light who is Christ. But, do we? Is that our true purpose? Are we willing to humble ourselves so that God many get the glory?

The numbers in the flock that come to hear our witness are worthless if we are only bearing witness to ourselves. Our witness, if it is true, will always point to Jesus the Christ.

May God help us all to be faithful witnesses of what Christ has done for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

On This Mountain

On This Mountain

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 

                                                                                             (Isa 25:6-9 KJV)

No more tears... No more crying... We look to the day when the covering that is cast over all of us is completely removed. We look to the day when all people will rejoice in their salvation in the very presence of God; in the very peaceful presence of God.

We can look for the way to peace for most of our lives; but, until we know Jesus the one who lived and died and lives again for us we will not truly know it. We will be doomed to chase after whatever it is that we think we're searching for until the day we abide with and in Christ in his Kingdom.

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:12-15)

Our Savior has come. His kingdom has come through his death and resurrection. Thanks be to God that we can live in that kingdom in peace!

Lord, God, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10)

Abide in Christ! Abide in his Kingdom! Live in peace!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Shake The Dust Off Your Feet

And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. (Matt 10:12-14 KJV)

I have not visited many people recently due to the pandemic and stay home - stay safe recommendations. However, following Jesus' instructions, when I do I normally ask a blessing upon the house as I walk up to the door. If I am treated badly then I can still leave in peace knowing that my prayer for peace for that household has come back to bless me.

The reality is that not everyone is going to accept who we are as Christians. Some will be overtly rude; others not quite so in your face; but, more subtly disrespectful. Jesus reminds us that we are to walk away from those who will not listen. We are to walk away shaking the dust off of our feet. 

During my CPE training in seminary one of the goals I had to work on was to walk away. It had become a habit to be a care-taker for a few people who had no intention of helping themselves. The reason I was called to some of these homes was because they were under the impression that as a pastor I must be not judge and accept all things no matter how damaging those things were to themselves and the community. They needed someone to reassure them that they were OK. I had to come to terms with the fact that there were many people who actually needed help in some form or other. There are many people who need and desire to hear that Jesus died for them and that by his blood they are forgiven and reconciled to God our Father. But, my time had been being used up by a few people who were dependent on someone holding their hands and inevitably supporting their stinking thinking. 

We do not have to be in close relationships with those who reject the Word of God. It can be helpful in order to shed some light on them. But, we should also consider that there are over seven billion people in the world; many of them have not heard how much God truly loves them. Spending so much of our time with someone who has become an impediment to sharing the Gospel with those who are willing to hear is very poor stewardship of God's gifts.

There are those who will attempt to make you feel guilty if you do not stay closely connected to those who would impede the coming of the Kingdom. The reality is that sometimes we may need to follow Jesus' instructions and walk away as we shake the dust off of our feet for their sake as well as for the sake of others.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Help Us To See Your Goodness

Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. 

                                                                            (Psalm 27:9-14 KJV)

Sometimes it seems as though the Lord is not paying attention to the needs of His people. That is not so. He sees and hears and knows everything that is going on. No matter what is going on around us He can and will work all things for the good for those who love Him. (

In times like these when chaos appears to have taken over some of our cities even our country and world at times, we need to trust in the Lord and His great love for us. Humankind may not have a great love for one another; but, the Lord does. 

Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait upon Him and you shall see His goodness. (

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Lord Looks Over You

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.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

(Psalm 121 KJV)

Wherever I look out from my back deck, I see hills. I am surrounded by hills and forests. I am surrounded by God's creation. My home in a very real sense is a sanctuary; a safe place; a place of peace and a place of rest for me. I have always considered this home as a gift from God for in this quiet place I am able to recognize better than any where else that God is with me and He is for me. I know that He is with me always; but, here in this place I am able to sense His presence more deeply.

God is with you and He is for you, as well. He never slumbers or sleeps; but, always looks over you. Trust Him and live in peace. 

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Us Not Be Weary

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:9-10 KJV)

As I consider how weary are our law enforcement officers and our firemen and others who are busy trying to put out the fires that began as peaceful protests and were infiltrated by others with not so peaceful agendas, I become weary. 

But, this morning I give thanks to God for the outstanding and peaceful way that the protests here in Flagler County and next door in Putnam County, Florida were held. I am grateful that the organizers of the protests and local law enforcement were able to coordinate their efforts together and walk together, as well.  

If we take the time to talk with (not at) one another and walk together there will much less weariness. So many people have been harmed these past couple of weeks that it has become a time of grieving for much of our population.

Life in this world will never be perfect. We will never know perfect peace. But, that does not mean we should not strive for a more peaceful way to live, caring for one another; caring for all people. "...let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
                                                                              (Num 6:24-26 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.