Do Unto Others!

Matthew 7:6-12; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Help those in need.

The Strait Gate

Luke 13:22-30; John 10:9 KJV; Do you know Jesus? Have you entered through Jesus into the Kingdom of God. He is the only gate by which you can enter.

Be Prepared Let Your Light Shine

Readings from Luke 12:35-40; John 18:12 with brief meditation. Be prepared; keep your light burning for you never know when your last hour will come.

Ask Your Father In Heaven

The Gospel according to St. Luke 11:5-13 KJV We can trust our Father in heaven to care for us.

Miracles

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 

                                                                              (Matt 7:7-11 KJV)

Miracles abound!  The other day there was an event in the life of a friend of mine that could only have been a miracle. I had been praying for him as were other people. Then when the prayer was answered for the good of the man it took me a few hours before I realized that God had indeed answered our prayers. I then wondered why in the world it took me so long to give thanks to our Father for granting him a reprieve from his troubles.

God provides miracles all around us all of the time. Are our eyes and ears and hearts open so that we can recognize them?  There are so many good things that our Father in heaven does for us; so many prayers answered. Yet, do we even acknowledge that he does them and give him thanks or do we just go on with our lives as if he did nothing; as if it was not his hand that lifted the burden from us? 

Our Father in heaven does indeed hear our prayers and he answers them. The answer does not always come in the way we would have it come nor in the time we want it accomplished. But, it does come in God's time and and in his way for the good of all who love him. 

Talk to our Father in heaven. Ask and you shall receive. But, don't forget to give him thanks for hearing your prayer and answering.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Try Jesus; You Just Might Love Him

Open The Door And Let Him In

 

Psalm 34:4-8 KJV

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

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There are some social media posts going around that want to know what foods you like and which ones won't you eat. I haven't found anything that I won't eat or at least try. There are a few that if I have a choice I would definitely choose something else. The reality is that unless you try it you will never know if you actually like it.

The psalmist tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How do you know he's not to your liking if you've never really got to know him or to be in relationship with him? How will you know if you've never opened the door to your heart even a crack to let him come in? In St. John's vision he heard:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

He's there. He loves you. He want you to be in a loving relationship with you. He wants to help you. Trust him. Let him in. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are you who trust in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ask; Receive

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

                                                                               (Matt 7:7-11 KJV)

Most parents do give good gifts to their children. However, there are some who never give them anything but grief and bad examples. They don't even help to raise them. Thankfully the latter are not the majority.

All parents make mistakes. We are human. But, most of us will give good gifts to our children when they ask and often even when they don't ask.  Most parents will strive to do what is best for their children even grieving when they are not able to do as much as they desire to do or give. But, our Father in heaven is not human. He does not make mistakes or sin like human parents. He does not fall short. He is able to and indeed gives, according to Jesus, even more abundantly to his children who ask for good things; who ask according to His good will.

Ask and it will be given you. Ask for good things. Ask for a greater knowledge and understanding of God's great love for us and His good plan for us. Ask to live in His presence always and to be filled with the living Spirit of Christ. Ask and you shall receive. Ask and live life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Has The Best Plan!

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

                                                                        (Luke 1:26-31 KJV)

That ought to be enough to knock your socks off! What a sight! Can you even begin to imagine how you might react if an angel suddenly appeared before you? And... then tells you; although you are a virgin, that you are going to have a child by someone other than you are about to marry.

But, the angel tells her not to be afraid. This coming child may not be in Mary's plans; but, it is in God's plan for her and the world. It is a good plan. It is the best plan ever! Likewise; when things are happening in our lives that have nothing to do with what we have planned for ourselves, we need not fear; but, trust that God has a good purpose for those who love Him. 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

Do not fear! Have faith that God has a good plan for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Fresh Start; A New Day

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

                                                                                        (Eph 4:21-24 KJV)

In the northern regions the first snow fall brings a sense of newness; of a bright and fresh start. After a few months of all that snow and cold that sense of exhilaration tends to wear off. 

As Christians we begin our life in Christ fully exhilarated by this new relationship. But, with time, this exhilaration can wane if we are not diligent in staying in The Way he leads us in. It appears to be in our natures to take for granted and even get weary of those things and even relationships that we have been in for a long time.

If and when this happens be assured that there is a new start available to you every day. It might take a bit of self-discipline to say no to those things that would pull you away from life in Christ. Be assured, though, that Christ will renew your spirit when you ask. He will help you. He will renew your mind. Steep yourself in the word and in the Word who is Jesus the Christ and life will be full and satisfying once again. You will find peace no matter how horrible your life may seem at the time.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." 

                                                                                                  (Matt 7:7-8)

If you are in need of a fresh start then ask and you will receive it. Life is worth living when we are reconciled with Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ask The Right Person; Ask Our Father

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

                                                                                          (Matt 7:7-11 KJV)

We do not live in vacuums. There are people around us and there is God our Father who is with us and for us. When things go terribly wrong life just seems like it is not worth it, maybe we should consider who we are depending on; who we are trusting, to walk with us through this life. Are they helping or hindering? Are we trusting someone to be there for us when they are not even there for themselves? 

Are you looking for peace in your life? There is one who can help us. That is God our Father who was willing to give us the most precious gifts of life and salvation through the sacrifice on the cross of His only begotten Son. When we are in dire need of help, ask Him. Ask our Father who loves you that much. He can and He will help you on the path to a life of peace.

Most of our earthly fathers would help us according to their abilities. That is what love is. How much more will our heavenly Father help us in our hour of need!

When in need, it would behoove us to ask the right person for help. Turn to Him and find relief; find peace; find joy in His eternal loving presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Looking For Jesus

The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

                                                                            (John 6:22-24 KJV)

What are you looking for? How hard would you look to find it?

It makes me a bit crazy when things are lost and I or someone else cannot find them. I cannot do anything else until it is found.

The crowd was looking for Jesus. They knew he hadn't left in the boat with the disciples. They had not seen him walk on the water to join the disciples in their boat. They wanted to find him. They wanted to see him. They wanted to hear him. They wanted to be healed by him. So, the whole crowd got into boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. They were trying hard to find him. They were trying hard to follow him.

How far would you go to find Jesus; to follow him? You really don't have to go far. It's not that hard to find him. He is with you and for you now and always. 

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Seek

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Matt 7:7-8 NRSV

This morning I would really like the Lord to produce a sermon for me. It would be nice if I didn't have to focus on writing it; but, that's not how it works. God is not going to send a sermon directly to my printer. I must do some listening, some searching, in order to know what He would have me say at worship on Sunday.

God does, indeed, gift us with good gifts without our asking. He gave us His only begotten Son without our asking; without our even realizing that we needed him. But, sometimes we must ask in order to for us to be open to hear His word and His will for us. It is not a matter of God not giving them to us freely for He surely will. However, it is a matter of whether we are willing to receive them or not. And... so we finally ask when we are finally ready to receive.

The older I get, the more I realize that in order to know and do God's will I have to actively seek to practice the presence of God so that I can hear Him. I have to actively seek Him because my human nature would shut Him out as I attempt to go it alone, without Him. This, I have found, is not a very wise idea. Of course, God is always with me; but, there are times when I shut the door on Him and I do not listen; I do not hear His word or His will. Without Him, I can do nothing good. But, with Him all things are possible.

So ask the Lord to open your ears and your heart and your mind so that you can know God's good will for all people. Then spend some time in His word and in prayerful listening so that you can know Him for there is nothing more precious than knowing the Lord. For this reason Christ died for us that we might be reconciled to God our Father through him. 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:33

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Reject The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"                                                                                                                      (Luke 11:9-13 NIV)

I grant you that sadly there are parents in this world today who would give their children a snake instead of a fish or a scorpion instead of an egg. But, our Father in heaven, is not one of those parents. He desires good things for all of His children. He gives Holy Spirit to all who ask.

Sadly, there are also many children in this world today who ask for gifts from their parents and once they have received whatever it is they wanted; they put it on a shelf never to be used again or they throw it or give it away. They ask just for the sake of asking; then take the gift and the giver for granted.

So, it seems to go with many within the church, as well. We know that if we ask for the Holy Spirit, our Father will surely give us the Holy Spirit. We are also aware that we were anointed with the Holy Spirit at our baptisms into the Body of Christ. But, what is done with the gift of the Holy Spirit once the Spirit is given? I believe that way too often the gift of the Holy Spirit and the giver are taken for granted. Many might ask for the Holy Spirit; but, then they don't know what to do with this gift. They have their own lives and really don't have time to be following the lead of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is put on the proverbial shelf; hidden away and given no opportunity to work through the one who has received this great gift.

The Holy Spirit is a person; the third person of the Trinity. Will you hide this person in the closet like a child would throw a gift that they don't want to the closet floor?

Ask and you shall receive and after you have received do not disrespect the Holy Spirit. Do not disrespect the One who sends you the Spirit. Do not despise nor reject this great gift from our Father in heaven; but, get to know the Spirit. Get to know the Holy Spirit personally so that you might be guided and comforted and sanctified and so much more in all that you say and think and do.

Ask and you shall receive and then allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you. Do not reject the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Knock And The Door Will Be Opened To You

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matt 7:7

Castles and forts were once used to protect the people of a community. There were usually very large doors that were meant to keep danger out. One had to knock, introduce themselves, and possibly know a password in order to gain entrance during times of trouble.

After Adam and Eve's fall the doors to Paradise, the Kingdom of God, were closed. They were guarded by fierce looking angels so that no one could enter.  But, you and I don't have to sneak past them. We don't have to know any passwords to get into the Kingdom of God. Jesus revealed to us, by his death, that he wants all people to enter into his kingdom. God, our Father, wants you in His Kingdom. He will not force anyone to enter against their will. But, through Christ, God, has made it available to all people. He has opened the doors to the Kingdom for all who would be believe in him. You don't have to earn the right to enter. Jesus did that for you as he took upon himself the sins of the world.

Knock and you will find that the door is not locked. It will swing wide open for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.