Who Is The Word It Is Jesus

John 1 KJV; He was in beginning of creation. He is the Word that created all things. He is the Word made flesh.

He Did Not Turn Away

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

Fasting

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

Baptized Into The Death And Life Of Christ

Romans 6:1-11 KJV; The celebration of the Baptism of our Lord.

The LIght Of Love

Romans 13:8-14 KJV: Live in the light of Christ's love and share it with others.

To Be With Christ Is Far Better

Philippians 1:20-24 KJV; To be with Christ is far better; but, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Walk In Christ; Live Life In Him!

Reading from Colossians 2:6-13 KJV As we have been buried with Christ in baptism; we are also risen with him in new life.

Forgiven And Forgotten

Do Good To Others

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 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 6:7-10 KJV)

Do good! Be careful in what you say and do for whatever you put out there you will likely come back to you whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. If you are hateful toward others you will be despised. What you do to others will inevitably come back to you as they seek revenge. 

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31)

Support one another without great concern about your fleshly needs because God will provide for you and he desires to provide for others through you. Love one another as he loves you. 

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Devil And Earthly Lusts Depart

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." 

                                                              (Gal 5:13-17 KJV)

Desires of the world infiltrate our lives. But, they do no have to take over our lives.  Jesus said:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt 6:24)

The lusts of our flesh and the Spirit within fight against one another as the devil is always in conflict with the Spirit of God. It can be a major battle especially for those with addiction problems. The Good News is that the Spirit of Christ will help us to flee from the temptations of the devil and overcome any worldly lusts that we may have. The Spirit of Christ will teach us how to put behind us our own earthly desires so that we might live empowered by the Spirit loving one another.

Jesus is the ultimate example of how to love one another as he gave his whole life for you. Focus on him and walk in the Spirit commanding that the evil spirits, that would lead you to a self-centered way neglecting to love and care for others, would flee in the name of Jesus.  

Love one another and live in peace!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Merry Christmas

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.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.                                                                       (John 1:1-4 KJV)

In the beginning was the Word who is Jesus the Christ. What a wonder! The Word became flesh, born to us as a sweet baby child some 2000 years ago. His human life came to an end when he died on the cross for us. Yet, he lives! Jesus the Christ is eternal. He was in the beginning; is now; and will live eternally. 

Today we remember and celebrate his birth. We do this in many ways. Most people will put up an evergreen tree as a symbol of the eternal life of Jesus and of all who believe in him.

I have stuffed my turkey, baked the pies, and in a few minutes will be preparing to leave to worship, giving thanks to God for the Word who is also the life and the light of men; who is Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Merry Christmas

Pr. J.

50 Years! Wah!

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Eph 5:31 KJV)

Fifty years! I am trying to process how we have managed to be married for fifty years today. I don't feel old enough to have been married that long. Yet, I am. There have also been many days when I've wondered how we actually managed to put up with each other in order to stay together that long. The answer is simple: by the grace of God.

We have considered how to celebrate this milestone anniversary; but, have not come up with anything. Although, the desire is there we both find that what we once may have enjoyed doing is just really pretty tiring for us. We just don't have the inclination to battle the traffic or crowds that we would encounter at doing most things. So it will be an early dinner out so that we can get to bed at our usual times. I have not drank alcoholic beverages in almost thirty years. But, if I don't get to bed at my usual time I wake up feeling hungover. I don't like that feeling because the whole day ends up feeling wasted. It will be an early evening as usual.

It was a pretty rocky beginning. Not many people thought we should get married. Thank God for my Grandma Mary Dalback as she seemed to be about the only family member from either side of the family who was truly supportive of the marriage. Even fewer thought that the marriage would last and it almost didn't on more than one occasion thanks to both of us acting badly and only considering ourselves rather than each other. But, by a miracle from God it has lasted and we have had each other to grow old with through better and through worse times; through sickness and health.

Marriage can be pretty rough. It can be challenging. But, when God joins two people together you can be assured that he will help you through those rough times if you let him; if you listen to him.

Fifty years of marriage! Wah! Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy! Thanks be to God for his good gift of love!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

By Grace Through Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8-9 KJV)

I don't seem to be able to say it enough!  We are not saved because we consider ourselves good or that we've done so much good in the world because we aren't so good.  None of is declared righteous by our own merit. None of us are that good. We are saved only by the grace of God through faith in the one who lived and died and lives again for us. If we could be saved by our own righteous then Christ has died in vain!

"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.

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, 20-21)

We ought to love one another. We ought to help and support others! In fact, we are commanded to do it. But, do not think that these good works will save you. Your salvation is purely a gift from God. It is not of your own doing.

Lord, God, open the ears, hearts and minds of all people that they might comprehend and receive your grace and your love through faith  in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Grass Withers

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1:24-25 KJV)

We don't get to live forever here on earth. In the end all things must die. But, thanks be to God even as the grass withers and dies it will usually come back and live in the spring. Our hope rests in the spring that God has promised us. It rests in the good news that although we are sinners and deserve nothing but death we will live.  Christ died that we might be made righteous by his work on the cross. We cannot be made righteous no matter how good; how godly we attempt to be. We will all fall short. But, Jesus did not. He was tempted and overcame every temptation including the temptation to not go to the cross for us.  

As the grass withers and springs back to life so shall who believe in the saving grace of God through Jesus the Christ. Our flesh will die; but, we will live. Because he lives so shall we!

God's Peace  - Pr. J.

Desire To Do What Is Right

Psalm 119:1-8 KJV

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

+++

Oh, if only I could keep his statues. But, I have learned from experience that I cannot.  If it were not for the grace of God through the giving of our Lord Jesus Christ I would be; we would all be lost.

St. Paul wrote to the Romans:

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

                                                                                        (Rom 7:14-26)

We desire to do the will of the Lord with all of our hearts and minds; yet, our flesh rebels against it. Thanks be to God for through the sacrifice of Christ for us we have not been forsaken because of what we do or do not do. We have been saved by faith alone in Christ alone!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Many Become One In Christ

Valaam Monastery, Russian Karelia

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

                                                                                (Gen 2:18, 21-24 KJV)

And the Lord God said "they shall be one flesh." 

God decided that the man he created needed a help meet; a partner, so he created woman from the man. The one man became two people. And the Lord God said that the man shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.  

Thankfully most (but, not all) people in this country realize that man is not more equal than woman. Each has their gifts and abilities that they bring to the union. One is not more important than the other because they are partners and each uses their own gifts to make the union a fruitful one and not just fruitful for themselves; but, for others around them as well.

It is a great mystery how God created man and then woman making two out of one and then then brings them together to make one again. But, once one realizes the wisdom of this act of God living life becomes much easier.

On the sixth day of creation God said that "it is not good for the man to be alone." It is not good for any human being to live in isolation from the rest of the world. But for many reasons there are those who do not have a help meet in life. There are many challenges to living without a help meet. Especially for those who have no individual to live life wholly with them we hope and pray that the community of God is there to help and support them; to help our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

St. Paul compares the union between a man and a woman to the union of Christ and the church. It is a great mystery. But, we know that when we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ we are united with Christ. We become one with the whole church. As members of the body of Christ; as partners in the church, we support one another. We support the couples, the families, the single persons for we are all united in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Christ DId Not DIe For Nothing

"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 2:20-21 KJV)

This past week I have been thinking a lot about these verses written by St. Paul to the Galatians.  

There seems to be a lot of confusion about who saves whom; who it is that makes us righteous. Again, I remind everyone that we, you and I, cannot save ourselves. We also cannot save anyone else. Only Jesus saves. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that we are saved.

Do not frustrate the grace of God because there are no good works that will make us righteous. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. No, not anything! Our righteousness; our salvation are purely gifts from God purchased for us by the blood of his only begotten Son. If it were actually possible for us to do so much good that it outweighed the evil that we have done then Jesus would have suffered and died on the cross for nothing.

That does not mean that good fruit is not produced by the Christian. More aptly it is produced through the believer.  For when we are baptized into Christ, Christ abides in us and we in him. When we are baptized into Christ, we are crucified with Christ. We die to ourselves and he; his abiding presence, works through us.

It is Christ in us who does good things through us. We ought to humble ourselves and remember that without Christ we can do nothing good. But with Christ all things are possible.

Jesus likened himself to the vine. We are the branches of the vine. As in all plant growth the branch cannot bear fruit except it be attached to the vine. 

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (Matt 15:4-5)

So be careful about showing off your piety. The Pharisees did that and they did not love Jesus. They loved the law. Do not exalt yourself because you consider yourself so good because you chose Jesus. Remember that long before you were even born he chose you. He chose to die for you. That is the good news. He died for you because you and I were not good enough to enter into the presence of God. But, now we are because of his good work on the cross; not because of anything that we do.

Jesus did not die in vain. He loves us so much that he was willing to humble himself and die on that cross for us sinners that we might live life in the presence of God; in the heavenly kingdom, where peace, love, and hope know no bounds.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

                                                               (Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV)

Sometimes we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we neglect to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided us. We are to at all times and in places wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). (Eph 6:14-18) Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray.  Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us; that, the battle might be won.  

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Flesh Dies

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)

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

                                                                                (John 6:63 KJV)

The flesh is but a tent within which we live life. It is the spirit that gives life. The words that Jesus has given us are filled with the Spirit and with life.

The material things of this world matter very little. Of course, we need some of them for the fleshly tent to continue housing the spirit. But, too often we worry about the feeding the flesh and totally neglect the spirit within with the end result being that life becomes very wearisome and we become quarrelsome. Like the grass the withers and the flowers that fall the flesh too will pass away. (1 Peter 1:24-25) It will wither and die. What then shall become of your spirit; of your life if it has not been fed with the bread of life?

The spirit must be rejuvenated in order for us to live. It must be fed. Care for your spirit by feeding it with the truth, with the true bread from heaven, with the Word of God, who is Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

And... The Children Of God Complained

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 

                                                    (Ex 16:2-3 KJV)

God led Moses and the people of Israel out of bondage. And... they complained...

They complained. They felt that they would have been better off as slaves rather than wandering around free from Pharaoh. Freedom came with a price. They were without a real home for many years. They had to actually trust the Lord to provide for them. Those were just a couple of prices that were paid by the people not to be property of another human being. Even after God finally led them to their own land they had to work hard to build up that land. They had to work hard to build homes, supply their families with the things needed to sustain their lives. Many had to work for others in order to survive; in order to live life. It was not an easy way of life for all.

It is not easy for everyone (maybe not for anyone) to provide for anyone today either. It can take a lot of work to survive.  When Adam and Eve turned their back on God and decided that what he had given them was not enough they ate of the tree that the Creator had said not to eat of. The consequence given to Adam by the Lord was: "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)

St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." (2 Thess 3:10-12)

So, maybe we should just figure out that in order to eat we have to work. There are exceptions of course. There are those who cannot work due to illness or handicap or age. These the rest of us must provide for.

"Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." (Deut 15:9-11)

There are simply too many examples of Jesus reminding us to take care of the poor to begin listing them. We are expected to care for our brothers and sisters; in fact, for all of creation.

The Lord helped the Israelites escape their slavery and they complained. He fed them with manna from heaven and after awhile they complained about that too.

The moral of this blog this morning is to quit complaining; live life thanking God for what he has given you!

God's Peace - Pr. J.