Spirit Filled; Spirit Led Worship

Acts 1:1-11 KJV

Feed Them

And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

                                                                                                         (Mark 6:33-42 KJV)

Multitudes followed Jesus out into the desert to hear him speak. So he fed them with the word. They were listening to him for so long that he knew that they not only needed to be fed spiritually with the word but that they also needed to be fed physically. 

The disciples were reluctant to feed them even as so many pastors and congregations are often wary about feeding people who knock on their church doors. They are wary for many reasons. Maybe the visitor will use the financial assistance they are given for alcohol or drugs. Maybe they are just con men or women who make their only living by knocking on church doors. Maybe that person knocking on our church door is here to attack the secretary or maybe even the whole congregation or set fire to the church. But, Jesus, the Good Shepherd,  did not question the multitudes need to eat. He told the disciples to feed them. That ought to remind us that we too are to feed the hungry both spiritually and physically. After all, if someone is starving for sustenance for their bodies they will more than likely be focused on their stomach and not able to hear Good News of eternal life in God's Kingdom; his presence, that we would share with them. 

How good is the Good News if we ignore the fact that those we preach to go without food for physical survival?

God help us to feed your sheep!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

To Know The Love Of Christ

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Eph 3:17-19 KJV)

What a prayer! What a blessing to know the love of God; to be filled with his love! To be filled with the fulness of God is to know contentment; to know peace. May God bless you with the indwelling Christ so that you might be rooted and grounded in love.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Eph 4:7)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Bread of Life

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 

                                                                                          (John 6:32-35 KJV)

We can eat the most sumptuous meals and still be hungry. We can have everything that we have ever desired and still feel empty. But, if we have Jesus  we will be filled. He promised that if we went to him, believing in him we would never hunger or thirst again.

Jesus is the bread that gives us life. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Wait On The Lord

Psalm 27:11-14 KJV

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. 

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Way too often we try to get those things, including the outcomes, that we want. We want what we want and we want it now. But, those things that we desire are not always what we need or what is best for us. It may seem like too much hardship or struggle to have to wait to work things out the right or the best way so we rush things and the end does not always end up the way that we anticipated that it would end.

Things may feel hard; but, there are times when we must endure and trust in the Lord to see us through. The Lord know what is good for us. Wait on him. He will open the doors that are meant for you. 

Do not make rash decisions to try to get what you want. Be of good courage and wait on the Lord and you will see the goodness of the Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:15-20 NIV)

Another way that I can say it is this, "Choose this day whom you will serve." (Joshua 24:15) Will you serve the spirits of alcohol and other drugs or will you serve the Lord; the only one who can bring you real peace and joy beyond measure? St. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (1 Thess 1:6) 

The Spirit of God is the bringer of joy and peace no matter what adversity we might be facing. Trust Him to be with you and to guide you in the truth always. Speaking from my own experience, I can testify that in doing so, you will find joy and peace that surpasses anything that this world might offer.

May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love That Surpasses Understanding

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph 3:16-19 NIV)

Is not Paul's prayer for the Ephesians the same prayer that Christian parents around the world pray for their children and grandchildren? Is it not the same prayer that we pray for our neighbors and for all whom we love?

What greater gift could we ask for than that those whom we love should know the love that surpasses all knowledge and understanding? What greater gift is there than for all whom we love to be filled with the fullness of God?

May you be filled with the Spirit of Christ, that he might dwell in your hearts, establishing you; establishing your life, in the love and in the power of God. 

God's Peace - Pr. J