Do Good; Live In Peace

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 

And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.                                                                                                                                                                        (Titus 3:1-9, 14-5 KJV)

Paul encourages Titus to remind the people to live without contentions and to do good. There is enough trouble in the world without causing or being involved in totally unnecessary controversies. Do not waste away your life enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures or in malice toward one another.

God has given us life; eternal life. "Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.." (vs 6-7) This is a good work of God. Why should we throw it out and exchange it for life-draining drama? Christ died on the cross so that we could exchange our sinful drama for new life in him. Will we ignore that gift to us?

When I hear of some of the disruptive dramas going on in lives around me, I think of those who are in real trouble. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are dying for the name of Jesus. Many have illnesses that modern medicine cannot overcome. There are problems that really need help. There is a also the Gospel to be proclaimed. Foolish controversies are distractions of the devil to keep us from doing the real good that we could be doing.

Paul encourages us to do good rather than waste our time on that which is not productive. He wrote: "And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful" (vs 14) There are plenty of genuinely urgent needs in the world. We have been renewed by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. As children of the living God, let us not be distracted by those things that could easily be avoided by striving to live in peace and respecting and loving one another.

God's Peace - J

Ignore Outward Appearances

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Sam 16:17 KJV)

In many cases first impressions are the lasting impressions.

When the Lord sent Samuel out to anoint the next king of Israel he sent him out to anoint a shepherd. He sent him out to anoint the one who was not able to even present himself with his brothers before Samuel because he was in the fields working. The Lord had not chosen any of David's older brothers. He had chosen the youngest one; the ruddy looking one.

I had gone into Walmart a few years back to get some things I needed to work on an outdoor project. I was wearing the clothes I'd been wearing to work in.  I did not really clean up before I went because I would be going straight back to work after I purchased what I needed.  A clerk followed me around the store. I felt like she was watching me to make sure I wasn't stealing anything. I felt like I was being judged by my appearance. This was not the first time this has happened. People do tend to judge by appearances. 

We can never know what the circumstances are surrounding how or why someone may appear to us upon meeting them. Did they have an emergency earlier? Are they ill? Are they disheveled because they are running late or maybe they had to crunch time because someone needed their help?

There are also times when people can put a very good face on at your first meeting. This face does not always reflect what is going on in their hearts and minds. This face could very well be for show. Months or years later you finally get to realize the true intent of their hearts.

This is not to say that all people have bad intents. It is a reminder that we should not be judging people by our first impressions. What they first appear to be is not always what they are. 

Do not judge others by what they look like or even what they say. It takes time to know another's true intentions. You and I might be fooled. But, God is not. Listen to what he tells you deep within your heart. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Diverse Temptations and Joy

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2-3 KJV)

I am not all that joyful when I am confronted with temptations. I don't really have an issue saying no to temptations. I've actually gotten pretty good at it. That does not always make everyone around me happy.

Usually temptations come to me through other people; people who know where I stand. Sometimes, I can laugh it off. Other times, it is more difficult and my patience ends up getting tried and refined as I have to repeat the word "no." 

I do not feel the need for me to have to defend why I will or will not do something. My lifestyle has been worked in me for many years by the grace of God through Jesus. There were a lot of hard lessons to learn. Admittedly, I still have a long ways to go and will never get there while there is still breath in me. However; since God has taught me, by refining fires, I do know enough to say no to many diverse temptations.

I will say no to what I know is wrong. I will stand up for what is right even if others take offense to it. Years ago, in order to stay in relationship with a few people, I had to ignore the damage that they were doing to others. I stopped doing that. I lost family. I lost friends. But, in the end, a child was safe. It may seem like it would have been easier to keep my lips sealed. I tried that way and it was not. It is much easier to stand up for what is right and not yield to the temptation to cover up secrets for the sake of relationships. 

It did not bring any joy to stand up to the temptation to keep my mouth closed and cover up things that were terribly wrong. It was actually a very horrible time. However, it did give me a sense of joy and peace to know that a child would have a much brighter future for it.

One of the greatest temptations is to do nothing when something is going terribly wrong. It can be tough and resisting temptation will produce patience and in the end much joy.

May God grant us the courage and strength to say no to the temptations to do what we ought not do and to not do what we ought to do.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Serenity, Courage, Wisdom

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5 KJV

Every now and then, as I attempt to fix the things that I cannot fix, I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer that was written by Reinhold Niebuhr. 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

It is difficult to watch others suffer. Sometimes we can help them. Sometimes, we cannot do anything except to pray for them. Sometimes, we lack the wisdom to know the difference so we go about spinning our wheels trying to fix that which only God can fix.

Wisdom will help us to determine what we can and should change and what we must trust to God alone. When God gives us the knowledge and the wisdom of how we are to proceed, it would be very wise indeed to follow His directions. Ignoring what God has taught or told you (whether directly or through others) is definitely not wise.

May God grant us all the wisdom to listen to Him and the courage to do what He asks of us and go where He would send us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Listen To Instruction

Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
   but those who heed admonition gain understanding.

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
   and humility goes before honor..

                                              Prov 15:32-33 NRSV

There is no better instruction than to respect the Lord. Do not place yourself and anything else before Him. Listen closely to His Word so that you might gain understanding from the one who knows all and is all. Not listening to those who would share this wisdom will only bring us trouble.

No good will come from lifting ourselves up before Him. We must remember that He is the creator and we are the created. We are not greater than the creator. We are not greater than the redeemer.  

It is right to fear the Lord and to give Him all honor and glory. To love the Lord with all your heart is  wisdom worth listening to. There is nothing better; more pleasing than to be in a loving relationship with our creator; our redeemer; our counselor.

Humble yourself and listen to the Word. Listen to those who would help you on the Way. Do not despise them; but, listen. Listen and believe that you might gain understanding; that you might live life most fully in the presence of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Losing Friends For Living In Christ

Do good! Do what is right!

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. (1 Peter 4:3-4 NIV)

No, you will not be too popular if you choose to quit participating in the lifestyle of a pagan; but, you will be much more at peace with yourself as you begin to live in Christ.

As a former substance abuse counselor, one of the toughest things to deal with is that when someone finally decides to trust their higher power; when they turn to God, for their recovery they lose most, if not all, of their old friends. It can be a lonely time. It takes a bit of work to realize that the only reason they hung with you in the first place was because your carousing and substance abuse justified theirs. Once that is gone, they are out of there. "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you."

But, new friends will come with time. Friends that will share in the joy of living as a member of the Body of Christ with you. In Christ you are a new creation. "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1  Peter 4:19)

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Live in his peace and ignore the drama this world would throw at you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Serenity

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you."  (James 1:5 NRSV)

Every now and then, as I attempt to fix the things that I cannot fix, I am reminded of the serenity prayer that was written by Reinhold Niebuhr.  
     

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

It is difficult to watch others suffer. Sometimes we can help them. Sometimes, we cannot do anything except to pray for them. Sometimes, we lack the wisdom to know the difference so we go about spinning our wheels trying to fix that which only God can fix. And... sometimes in the spinning of our wheels we end up making things worse.

Wisdom will help us to determine what we can and should change and what we must trust to God alone. When God gives us the knowledge and the wisdom of how we are to proceed, it would be very wise indeed to follow His directions. Ignoring what God has taught or told you (whether directly or through others) is definitely not wise.

May God grant us all the wisdom to listen to Him and the courage to do what He asks of us and go where He would send us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Know The Truth! Live In It!

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21 NIV

Those who know God; who know the truth, and ignore it tend to try my patience just a bit. They get into trouble because they have ignored the truth of God. They get into trouble for following after and spending their time and money worshipping false gods. They not only do this themselves; but they also approve and teach others to reject and/or ignore God to everyone's detriment. They get into trouble and then they wonder why.

The why is because they follow trouble. They worship it. Chaos and drama are a way of life. For those who want peace; there is a way. God has given us a way. Quit ignoring Him. Stop rejecting the Prince of Peace, for peace can be found only in living in relationship with Jesus the Christ, who is our peace. You want trouble to go away; then depart from doing what is evil and glorify God. Evil begets evil. Steer clear!

You know the truth. You know the way. You know how to live life. Willful sin is not the way. Willfully ignoring and rejecting the truth of God is not the way. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Quit suppressing the truth and embrace it; that you, too, might have abundant life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

SIN

Not everyone wants to hear the truth. They will rally against Christian truth-tellers. They will accuse them of being unchristian-like. No one likes to hear that what they do is a sin. Well, Jesus was a truth-teller. He did not condone sin as some would have us believe. He was not a pushover as some would have us think.

Remember the money changer's tables in the temple that he turned over and then drove those making a profit in God's house out of the temple with a whip? (Matt 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:14-15) How meek and mild does that sound?

If you think your pastor or teacher is acting in a manner not befitting a Christian because they call a sin a sin; think again, please. When was the last time one of them actually told you to "get behind me Satan" because you rejected the word and will of God? (Matt 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-38) I can just imagine the reaction if I said that to someone. I confess. I am a wimp. I have thought it. I have even implied it. But, never actually had the courage to use those words (except with a person or two very close to me).

And... please, don't bother using the story of the woman who had been brought before him accused of adultery. No, he did not condemn her. But, he not only confronted her with her sins when he told her to go and sin no more; he confronted the sins of the Scribes and Pharisees when he told them that the one who was without sin should cast the first stone. No one cast that first stone. (John 8:1-11) We are all sinners. That doesn't make sin something to be ignored. Jesus did not ignore it. We ought not ignore it in ourselves or anyone else.

Jesus did not ignore sin. He was tough on sin. In fact, he was so tough on sin that he was willing to hang on that cross for us so that sin would have no power over us. (1 Cor 15:56, 57) Bearing the sins of the world; now, that takes courage! (Rom 5:7-9) Jesus was and is no pushover and he does not call his followers to be, either. He spoke the truth. He lived the truth. He is the truth.

Jesus died for our sins; that is true. St. Paul wrote to the church: "What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Rom 6:1-3) 

Let us all remember that before one accuses someone of being unchristian-like in order to justify their own sins; it would behoove them to read their Bible thoroughly so that they would get to know who Jesus really was and is and not just the verses that person might think justifies their own actions. Justification comes only through Jesus' death on the cross for you. It does not come by excusing yourself by pretending that sin is not a sin.

May God grant that we should acknowledge our sins and live so that we might glorify his holy name.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  Eph 4:1-3 NIV

I wrote no blog yesterday. The internet and cable television went down late Friday afternoon during a storm. I called it in. At first the man on the other end of the line said since I was the only one who was down in the area they probably wouldn't be able to send a tech out until Tuesday after the holiday; but, he would try to get them to call me Saturday morning (while I was at an appointment) to set up a time for them to come out and fix it. He had walked me through the usual, unplug the modem and plug it back it. I've been dealing with modems for a few years and already had done that; but, I patiently complied anyway, even as I explained that there had just been a bad storm and I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one who had lost their connections in the neighborhood. About an hour later I received a call from some one else from this company telling me that they had just declared an area outage and assured me they were sending out a tech to take care of it. She didn't say when; but, for some reason I assumed that evening. I let my son (who was previously a tech for another company) know that they were coming out. He laughed saying that I would probably have it back up and running the next morning around 10. He was right. The neighbors informed me that the tech had just left when I returned home from an appointment at about 10:15 yesterday morning.

Therefore, I wrote no blog yesterday. If I can't do it early in the morning, I rarely find time during the rest of the day and yesterday was no different. My days tend to be pretty full. There were plenty of other doors that were open; plenty of other directions to go in and to do.

I am getting better at having patience with cable and satellite companies. I have learned to wait on them without getting upset. I did not even roll my eyes; at least not more than once. I don't watch much television so that is never a problem. I have learned to wait on many things. Everything does not always go as I plan. But, life continues. There is no sense getting upset about something so minor and that we have no control over. There are so many things in this world that are so much worse than the internet not working or a television show or a computer game being disrupted. It can even be a good thing when we lose our connection with the world wide web from time to time.

Some of the things that we lose patience with are pretty trivial compared to the troubles others suffer in the world. It would be best to ignore these minor obstacles and just move on past or over them. Don't let them interfere with what God has called you to do. Take advantage of what might seem to be a hindrance; because, it just might be a door opening for you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

A New Life In Christ

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4

We get to live a new day, every day. Every day brings new challenges; opportunities to learn; to grow. Each new day brings changes; some big changes, some so small you do not even notice them. Regardless of the size of change, the new opportunities will be there. We can ignore them and live our days in the old, tired way allowing our egos to run the show or we can celebrate those changes as new opportunities to live and grow in Christ.

In Christ, we have the opportunity to live a new life. May God help us to accept this gift of new life and live in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.