The Voice Of The Lord

Psalm 29 KJV

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

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The psalmist reminds us that all glory and strength belong to God. He is all powerful. The strength of his voice does awesome things. The good news is that he gives strength to his people. He blesses us with peace!

Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Rainbow of Hope

And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.  

                                                                                                                  (Gen 9:8-17 KJV)

It has rained a lot here in Florida this past month. The water in my back yard is over my ankles. I do enjoy a nice rainfall but after awhile it can be a bit dreary. I can't begin to imagine what it would have been like to be stuck in a boat floating on endless water with the rain coming down for forty days knowing that the rest of humanity has been drowned. I am sure that near the end of that time I would have been thinking that I would be spending the rest of my life bobbing up and down in the stormy sea for the rest of my life. But, the rain does stop and God provides a rainbow which is a sign of the covenant he makes that he will never again destroy all of the people of the world in a flood.

Our lives can be flooded with misfortune from time to time. When we feel down the sight of a rainbow fills us with hope that the storm will subside as we are reminded of God's promise and not just the promise given in that covenant made with Noah. When I see the rainbow, I am always refreshed knowing that through Jesus we have a new covenant has been established for all people. By faith in Christ we have been reconciled to God our Father. 

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."                                                                                                                   (Eph 2:12-13)

Thanks be to God for Jesus the Christ who is our hope and our salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Fearsome And Awesome God

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 

                                                                                 (Rev 14:6-7 KJV)

When is the hour of judgment to come? Is it here even now? Does it come at the hour of death? Is there a final day when we will be judged together? There are a lot of different theories. I personally don't think it really matters. There is something more important to concern ourselves with and that is as long as we breathe here on earth we ought to be proclaiming the Kingdom of God and glorifying His Holy Name.

Jesus said: 

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." 

                                                                                     (Matt 24:35-39)

Only God knows when the hour will come when Jesus will return or when that day of judgment will come upon us. Noah believed God and so prepared for the flood as he was instructed. Do we really believe God and are we prepared?

We are all sinners and deserve no mercy. But, this awesome and fearsome God is a God of mercy. On that fearful day when we must face judgment we can say with faith, my sins have been wiped clean by the blood of the innocent lamb who is my lord and savior, Jesus the Christ, and who has already suffered the consequences of my sins.  

Our God is a fearsome God. He says: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." (Deut:32-36) He is also a merciful God. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Eph 2:4-5)

God is God! All honor and power and glory belong to him alone. The power that he wields is worthy to be feared. Yet, he is loving and merciful and desires only good for all that he has created.

When will that final day come? Only God knows. In the meantime: live life trusting him for your salvation, loving him, and giving him all glory!

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

Choose You This Day

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

                                                                                   (Josh 24:14-15 KJV)

The journey is over. The Israelites have been promised the land for generations. They have been led through some hard times. They have been blessed by the LORD. Joshua's days are almost over. He reminds the people of all that the LORD has done for them and tells them to decide for themselves whether they will serve the LORD or false gods. 

Who indeed will you serve? Which gods? Will you revere the LORD in sincerity and in faithfulness? As Joshua encouraged the Israelites to recall their history with the LORD God, you are encouraged to do likewise. Who brought you out of bondage? Did any of your false gods really help you? You cannot serve two gods. Choose ye this day, whom you will you serve. And, whichever one you choose know that they will each desire faithfulness from you. Will you choose the One who first chose you, who is faithful, and has always been faithful to you? Will you choose the one who loves you so much that He was willing to die for you? Or will you choose to lift up a lesser god; a god that does not love you; a god that will only take from you; a god that will take your very joy and leave you alone and helpless? Choose ye this day... And, do not be deceived there is only one God that loves you. Put away all those false gods, for you cannot serve them all and live.

God's promise to you is a for an abundant life in His Kingdom; in His very presence. Do not settle for a lesser gift than this. Do not turn your back on the LORD who loves you and gives you life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Good Foundation Will Be Productive

Build Your House Upon The Rock,

Who Is Jesus The Christ

 

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Luke 6:43-49 NIV

 

There's a familiar children's song about the wise man who built his house upon a rock and a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The house built upon the sand will fall in stormy weather. The house that is built upon the rock, who is Jesus the Christ, will stand no matter what attempts to destroy it. In fact, the home of the wise man, like the good tree, will bear much fruit for our Lord.

Be wise and live life bearing good fruit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Covenant of Hope

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” (Genesis 9:13-16 NIV)

I have been listening to "Over the Rainbow" by Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoʻole a lot lately. Iz was thirty-eight when he died in 1997. He had suffered many health problems during his life. In spite of his many health problems during his life, his music, especially this song, was filled with hope and with life. His music lives on.

God made a covenant with His people with the sign of the rainbow. He made a new covenant with us through the blood shed for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. There is always hope because we have Jesus as our Lord and our Savior.

As Hurricane Irma threatens the lives of property and many people, there is only one place that I know that I or anyone can go to in times like this to find comfort and reassurance. Only, at the feet of Jesus, can we find comfort and hope. Only at the feet of Jesus can we know a peace when danger is near.

May God grant comfort and peace to all who fear the coming days in the remembrance of the promise of life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Covenant With Hope

 

     "I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

     So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

                                                                                                                              Genesis 9:15-17

I cannot help but smile when I see a rainbow in the skies after a dark and rainy day. The darkness that often comes with rainy days brings about a gloominess all on its own. But, the rainbow brings us a brighter day. It is a source of hope. I wonder though, if the rainbow is really so beautiful in itself? Are we really so amazed at the show of colors and light or do we find it so beautiful because we know of its true source; because, we know of the covenant that is attached to its' presence?

Whatever the genuine reason is for the world to look upon the rainbow with hope and with joy, the fact is that it is a gift from God. It is a reminder that God watches over us. He is with us, even now, and desires that we should all live in hope of a blessed life in His presence.

The rainbow is God's sign of His covenant with all living creatures that life on earth would never again be so devastated by a flood. It pertains to life in this world. But, we have a new covenant sealed by the precious blood of Jesus. Whoever believes in him will be blessed with eternal life in His presence; in His Kingdom.

The sign of the rainbow may bring a smile to our faces; but, the sign of the cross brings us hope in eternal life.

God's Peace - Pr. J