God Chose Us First!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; 1 John 4:19; John 14:6 ; 6th Sunday after Epiphany; We love Him because He first chose us. Live life in Christ!

Speak Plainly!

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 KJV; Speak plainly so that others can understand; not with the wisdom of the world; but, from the heart as the Spirit would lead you.

The Christ Is The Light of Life

Isaiah 60:1-4 KJV (also verses from John chapters 3 and 8) Step out of the darkness and live in the marvelous light of life who is Jesus the Christ.

Give God The Glory

Revelation 14:6-7 KJV; Reformation Sunday; Give God the glory for He is the one true God; the creator of heaven and earth.

Not Me; But We Who Are In Christ

Reading from Colossians 3:1-11 KJV with brief meditation. We ought to quit focusing on ourselves. It's not about me. It's about we, the Body of Christ. It's about Christ loving others through us.

The Lord Tells Abraham What He Is About To Do

Genesis `8:17-19 KJV Why did the Lord reveal His plan to Abraham? For the rest of the story listen again tomorrow...

Saved By Christ Alone

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16 KJV)

We do not choose God. God chooses us. God calls us. God sends us. Above all, God saves us. If we say we have chosen God it is tantamount to saying that we have done something to save ourselves. The truth is we cannot do a thing to save ourselves or anyone else. Salvation is purely a gift from God.

"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)

As I was knocking on doors (cold canvassing) and inviting the people of Copper Harbor, MI to come and worship with us I encountered a man who was very excited that I was trying to save the people of the community.  No, I was not! I reminded him that only Jesus saves. I was not there to save anyone. I was there to tell people about the one who has saved us from our sins by dying for us.  

And, then there was the priest in the mostly Catholic town of Lake Linden, MI. When I introduced myself and out of courtesy let him know that I and another would be knocking on every door in Lake Linden, he didn't have a problem with it. He was not worried about it. He just asked me: What do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah's Witness. Answer:  Someone who knocks on doors and doesn't know what to say. We both laughed. Sadly, that is the truth in many cases. Lutherans are not that great when it comes to evangelizing. The truth be told we cannot even profess the Good News in Christ Jesus except God calls us, empowers us, and sends us. The Spirit is willing; but, the flesh is sometimes cowardly and weak. Jennifer and I did knock on every door. Not everyone answered; but, every house was called upon. 

Lutherans and people of all denominations; all who have been saved by Christ ought to follow in the footsteps of Peter and Paul and all the disciples of Jesus' time as well as all who came after them in declaring: "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:10-12)

We declare it because of His great love for all people. We declare it because he loves us so much that he was willing to die that we might be saved.

Remember always that we are not saved by anything we do or say. We are saved by "Christ Alone!" 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Heirs Of God Through Christ

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

                                                                                      (Gal 4:3-7 KJV)

We who were in bondage to our sin are now free from the law of sin. We who were not his children are now his children. This not by our own doing but because of God's perfect love for us. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Because Jesus was willing to suffer the consequences of our sins we should now rejoice that we can cry out to our Father in heaven. We can speak to Him as a child speaks to a loving parent. We are now children. We are heirs of God through Jesus the Christ!

Let us rejoice in the love of our Father!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Do No Harm

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

                                                                                   (Rom 13:9-10 KJV)

St. Paul wrote to the Romans that we should do no ill to our neighbors. Those neighbors include everyone and not just those who live next door. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus tells us that the one who not only does no harm; but, shows mercy and helps the one in need is the good neighbor. You don't have to know them to help them. You don't have to live next to them to have mercy.

It also follows that sometimes our actions harm people we aren't even aware that we harm. Lately,  I have been hearing "Do no harm" a lot. What does this mean? For those who remember their confirmation class days you might remember that purposefully breaking the commandments does harm to others. Unintentionally breaking them does as well. But, as Christians we try not to break them even as we acknowledge we are not always successful in those attempts.

These attempts to follow the law can be most fruitless if we follow the law for the sake of the law. The law will not save us. Only Jesus saves. His love saves us. It is love for others that will empower us to do what is right and to not harm others. It was love for us that drove Jesus to the cross for us. It is his love; the spirit of his love, that empowers us to do good rather than to harm our neighbors. 

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."  1 John 4:7-12) 

Do no harm. Cast off the ways of darkness and live life! Walk honestly and strive to do no harm to your neighbors both known and unknown to you. Be kind! "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (Luke 6:31)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Came For The Lost

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Jesus was confronted about going to that tax collector Zacchaeus' house for dinner. How could he associate with such a sinner! 

The reality is that Jesus came to save all sinners; all who were lost in sin. Tax collectors and prostitutes,  were not outside of God's plan for salvation. No one is outside of God's plan for salvation. Everyone is welcome to be in a relationship with Jesus. 

How often do we look past or through those who we deem to be greater sinners than ourselves? Do we stop to talk to them or do we pretend that they are not there and keep on going? Are the only people that we count as worthy those who think like us; act like us; live like us? Are we there for the disenfranchised of the world as Jesus was and is there for the disenfranchised?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Nothing To Fear; Yet, We Do

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel..." 

                                                                                       (2 Tim 1:7-10 KJV)

What is there to fear? After all; Christ has abolished death and has brought to light life and immortality through his own suffering and death and life.

There is nothing to fear. Yet, the reality is that there are things that do frighten many of us. Death for ourselves is not one of those things. But, the possible deaths of loved ones who do not know and believe in Jesus can cause us to fear for them. The refusal of people that we care about to get to know Jesus can cause us many anxious moments. 

There are a few ways to combat those anxious moments. The first is to turn to God in prayer. The second is to be bold in our testimony of our Lord; to share what God has done for us and continues to do for us through Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour.

May God grant you peace of heart and mind and faith to all whom you love and know.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Loving Others

"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 3:11 KJV)

Quite often, I try to imagine what the world would be like if everyone actually attempted to love one another. Being sinful human beings that can be pretty tough at times. It is tough to love when a person is being abused or neglected. Sometimes, it is tough for them to even love themselves when the people that should care about them consistently put them down and work to destroy them. They begin to think that they really are not worthy of love.

But, God considers us all worthy of love. He wants us to live in the knowledge and the reality of his love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

According to St. Paul: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 8:5)

It can be very difficult to love those who hate you and persecute you; but, it may be worth the effort. It also might mean that you have to distance yourself from others so that you don't get pulled into a situation of fear, anger, or outright hatred. It is much easier to love when you aren't being abused. It would be nice if abusers would learn to love others as well. But, we live in the world and for now, in most cases, that's not happening. 

As Christians, we should love one another. We should love even our enemies.  Jesus said: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.." (Matt 5:43-44)

Alas, sometimes (often) it is easier to love our enemies and our frienemies with a measured amount of distance between us. At times like these we can still love. We do not have to live in resentment or hatred. We can bless them by praying that their hearts might be changed. 

We should do all that we can to show love one another even as God has shown us that he loves both our enemies and even us in spite of our sinful ways.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Justified By Faith Alone

"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." (Gal 2:16 KJV)

Remembering the poor is a good thing. We are called to love our neighbors. We are called to be charitable. But, sometimes we can get so wrapped up in doing good; those things which our traditions dictate, that we forget that we are not justified by our good works and we go about acting like we've done something grand that can be credited to us. Paul had to confront Peter about this. Although Peter accepted and even approved Paul's ministry to the gentiles, Peter kept himself apart from the gentiles. He was saying grace, grace... but, he was living by the laws of tradition.

Paul reminds us that righteousness cannot be gained through the law. It is by the grace of God that we are found righteous. It is by the grace of God that we are saved. We earn none of it. We deserve none of it. And.. if good works are done through us let us remember these words of Paul. "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." (Gal 2:20)

So when we start thinking that we are accomplishing much, let us remember that it is not we who accomplish these things. Thanks be to God for the abiding presence of Christ! 

God's Peace - Pr. J

God So Loved The World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

The good news for today and every day is found in John 3:16. This news is so good that we should be shouting it from the rooftops. We should at the least be sharing it with those around us. There is no need to fear death. There is no need to fear life in this world, either. In Christ we have eternal life!

In Christ we have a love beyond comparison. Live life in the one who loves you so much that he was willing to die that you might live. Live life in Christ! 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God So Loved The World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

The good news for today and every day is found in John 3:16. This news is so good that we should be shouting it from the rooftops. We should at the least be sharing it with those around us. There is no need to fear death. There is no need to fear life in this world, either. In Christ we have eternal life!

In Christ we have a love beyond comparison. Live life in the one who loves you so much that he was willing to die that you might live. Live life in Christ! 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Not I, but Christ

"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." (Gal 2:20 KJV)

Before bed, I usually listen to some YouTube speakers or preachers on my phone. If they start off with long introductions and a litany of the preachers credentials, I usually find someone else to listen to. I do not care about their credentials. Credential are of no importance to me. What I want and need to hear is about who God is and what He has done and what He continues to do. All glory belongs to God!

Years ago my congregation hosted a Suomi Conference Word and Song Festival. As host, I was expected to greet everyone and according to the president introduce myself with some details of who I am, what I have done. Honestly, that makes me a whole lot uncomfortable. Because the only "I am" that is important is the one whose name is "I Am" and everything good that has been accomplished in my life has been done by Him. The glory goes to God!

So, instead of talking about the details of what I may or may not have done or where I come from or have been, I greeted everyone and introduced myself with: "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." (Gal 2:20) All glory belongs to God!

What a relief it should be to hear these words: "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."  He willingly took all of our sins to the cross. He lovingly bore our sins and the punishment for our sins on that cross. He suffered and died for us. He did this so that all who believe in him would be reconciled to our Father in heaven and live eternally in the presence of God. 

In baptism, we receive a new life in Christ. The old man and all of our sins are wiped out and we live, yet not we, but it is Christ who lives in us. 

Without the abiding presence of Christ, we can do no good thing. Jesus said, "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." (John 15:4-5)

All glory belongs to the one who loves us and died for us and yet lives. By the shedding of the blood of Jesus, you are forgiven your sins. May he live in you and you in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J                                                    

He's Got You In His Hands

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom 8:35,37 NRSV)

The world is full of people who are facing challenges of every kind. It is often felt that the challenges are being faced alone. Sometimes, it is not a mere feeling of being devoid of any support of any human kind in facing these hardships. Sometimes, people do, in fact, have to face persecutions and hardships totally alone.

Whether the world has deserted us; whether the people around us have in reality or in our imaginations deserted us, we can be confident that we are never truly alone in this world. As children of the Most High God, we are never alone. God is with us always.

Every now and then when I get very weary of this world, I remember what I did when I was a child and felt so alone and weary, even depressed. When I became afraid at night when it seemed trouble most often stirred it's ugly head; that old song "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" would run through my head. I would imagine myself curled up resting in these magnificent, protecting, comforting, huge hands and I would fall asleep.

When I find myself stressing out today, I remember those comforting moments with the Lord and I know that the Lord has still got me in His hands. There is nothing that can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He is with me always. He is with you always.

God's Peace be with you today, tomorrow, and for all eternity!  Pr. J

Gifts From God

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8 NRSV)

 

God showers the earth with flowers

It is St. Valentine's Day. Flowers are a cherished gift by many. People around the world will be giving flowers, chocolates, and miscellaneous gifts today to the ones whom they love. 

But, there is one who loves us more than it is possible for any human to love. Look around and you will see the marvelous gifts that he has given us, including flowers that grow wherever he would choose. 

But, the greatest gift that he could possible give us is the gift of his Son. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)

May God grant that you should live in His love and His light now and forever.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Not Ashamed of The Gospel

Share the Good News that God so loves us that He gave His

only begotten Son to die for us that we might be saved and live!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16 NIV )

Most of us would say that we would be willing to save our loved ones if they were in harm's way. We might even say that we would give our lives to save them. But, what would we give to save them from eternal death; of separation from our loving Father for all eternity? Would we dare to share the Gospel with them? Or would we be embarrassed because they may ridicule us for our faith? Would we be afraid of some persecution that might follow; even if it were very slight?

Paul was not ashamed. He was a well-esteemed Roman and Jew. Yet, when he came to know Jesus and the message that Jesus died so that all might live; Paul was not afraid to share that Good News. He shared it with everyone and not just those whom he personally knew and loved. He was not ashamed nor was he afraid of being persecuted for the truth. His desire that all should receive the truth and be saved was much greater than any fear that he may have had. His faith; in fact, overcame any fear.

Paul was not ashamed to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Are you? 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Every Knee Will Bow!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11 NIV)

Every knee should bow at the name of Jesus today; but, every knee does not. But, there will come a day when every will bow. St. Paul wrote to the Romans (14:11-12): It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

There will be knees will be bowed in complete adoration and genuine gratefulness for all that he has done for us. There will also be knees bowed in fear and trembling for not having acknowledged nor loved Jesus before they faced the day of judgment. 

Do not delay! It is not too late. Today is the day to give all praise to the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God's Peace - Pr. J