The Law As A Gift

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 KJV; The law as a gift to help us live in peace with God and with one another.

Forgive And Forget Our Sins

Psalm 25:1-10 KJV: Forgive and forget the sins of our youth and old age. Teach us to walk in your way.

The Word Is True

Psalm 119:153-160 KJV; The Word is true. The word has not changed just because it's the 21st century.

Psalm 103 KJV

 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

+++

What a magnificent and powerful bird! I have been most blessed to have lived where eagles fly quite regularly. I see them now and then in Florida as well. But, I see a whole lot more vultures here. They too are pretty magnificent when they are flying; not so awesome when you have to stop your vehicle because they are busing eating road kill in the middle of the road. Eagles usually have the good sense to fly away when a car approaches.

Whenever, I see a bald eagle flying or sitting in a tree watching me, my heart just leaps. These birds, our national birds, give me a sense of both peace and security. The sight of them refreshes me. They take my breath away if but for a moment. These beautiful creations of God are marvelous to behold.

To watch the majestic flight of the eagle is a reminder how magnificent and powerful God is. It is a reminder to me that in his infinite wisdom God is in charge of things. He made man to walk upon the earth, the fish to swim, and the eagle to fly. How wonderful is that? Who will not bow in humility when one realizes the power and authority that God has. All these things.... and so much more....

He blesses our souls, heals us, reconciles us to Him and to one another. He forgives us our iniquities, though we are far from worthy. He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. All that is are His. We are His. That should bring a sense of peace and security to all people. It will, once we realize that He is God and there is no other.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." (vs 1,2)

May God refresh you today and every day!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Our Rock And Salvation

Psalm 28 KJV

Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

+++

Most of us have probably had people we cared about in our lives who acted as though they cared about us as well. Then something happened. We may have heard some gossip that they were spreading about us that was simply untrue. It is a sad thing to endure; but, it happens.

In times like these and in all times we can be at peace knowing that the Lord is our rock and redeemer. He will give us the strength and loving graceful hearts to see us through those times.  He will help us and bless us with the inheritance of a place in his eternal kingdom.

Don't worry about the slights we must endure. Do not fear. Trust the Lord. He can turn even the worst of situations into good. He has a good plan for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Jezebel

 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

                            (1 Kings 1:1-2 KJV)

I have this real vivid picture of Jezebel in my head. Some things you picture you just can't forget. My Grandma Hill was a very strict Lutheran. Now, I have no clue what Jezebel actually looked like but my grandmother seriously portrayed her as a not nice lady of the night. I will never forget her comparing females who wore red lipstick to Jezebel. 

I have never been able to wear lipstick except maybe a little clear gloss one and then. Every time I've even thought about wearing some, I thought about my grandmother and how disappointed she would be and decided against it. Some things we learn never disappear. They are imprinted on our hearts and minds forever.

Other than really judging women who wore lipstick; she was a good, patient, and  a very loving woman. Although, she may seem a little strict by today's standards and even the standards of the sixties I learned a lot from her. She put up with a lot of stuff being thrown at her. Yet, she put up with it out of her great love for others. I witnessed how she cared for her family and her neighbors no matter what trouble they might be stirring up. It was also very evident how very much she loved the Lord.  She was a sinner as we all are. But, in Christ she was a saint!

My hope is that when I am gone from this earth I have lived a life that has been  an example of patient and loving service to others.

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.

+++

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.

Follow In The Way

Psalm 25:1-11 KJV

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

+++

Forgive us our sins and teach us your ways! So often we desire for the Lord to help us out of a fix that we've gotten ourselves into. Yet, we fail to acknowledge that we have gotten ourselves into the trouble we find ourselves in because we have not listened to him and followed in the way that he would have us go.

Of course, that is not the only reason we find ourselves with trials. But, it is one and one that we can avoid by listening to God; repenting of our sins; and following in the way that He would have us go loving and serving him and the people around us. 

God grant that we trust in you; that we should trust in your word and listen to it with our whole hearts and souls.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Repent; The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.                                                                                                              (Mark 1:14-15 KJV)

The good news, the gospel, is this: "The kingdom of God has come near." It has come near for you. It is at hand. It is not some far away place. It is at hand! Into this dark and dreary world the kingdom has indeed come. 

We pray as Jesus taught us to pray: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10) What does this actually mean for us?  By the grace of God the Kingdom of God has broken into this dark and dreary world. 

The Kingdom of God is at hand and it can be realized as we reach out, with the love of God, in the will of God, to love and serve our neighbors. Notice that immediately after Jesus is baptized and is then tempted by Satan, he begins his ministry proclaiming this good news of the Kingdom. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and then he proceeded to show us God's will for our lives in that kingdom as he reached out to make whole the people he encountered; so that they might live life on earth even as it is lived in heaven; loving and serving God and one another..

May you live life in the Kingdom of God, even today. May His will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.

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. 

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.

Lord, Have Mercy!

Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. (Pslam 40:11 KJV)

There are days when about the only prayer that can come out of my lips is "Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!"

There are days when there are so many things to deal with that the brain is not able to slow down enough to pray much else than to beg for God's mercy and help. Dealing with government entities usually brings this state of lack of enlightenment on. But, we have a helper; a protector. We have one who knows the troubles and trials of our hearts and minds and answers our prayers whether we know what to pray or not. Trust Him!

He truly loves us and with us in every circumstance. He hears your prayers for mercy and answers.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Children of a Heavenly Father

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.

                                                                                        (Gal 4:4-6 KJV)

Children are an awesome blessing. They can be a lot of work, though. Our attempts to bring them up in the way they should be going doesn't always work the way that we planned.

We have a Father in heaven. We have been adopted as His own children; redeemed by His only begotten Son to be His children. I have often wondered what God, my Father, thought when I really did stuff that were not in His plans. Does he get as frustrated as I do when the children I care about are straying? I am sure that He is not all that pleased when we do things to the detriment of others; when we do not love as He loves us. As children of God we try to please Him even as our own children try to please us. We all fall short. We don't always do what we ought to be doing. We don't and our children don't. But, we keep on loving even as our heavenly Father loves us.

All who believe in His Son, Jesus the Christ, are the children of God. May He help us to follow in His Way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Give Thanks To God Our Father

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col 3:17 KJV)

Now, isn't that just a novel idea! That is: doing everything in the name of Jesus and giving thanks to God our Father! Living with thankful hearts and minds is a  much more peaceful way to live than being angry and frustrated that you can't have or do what you want all of the time. 

It may sound cliche'; but, just maybe it's time to look around you and give thanks for what you do have and for the people in your life who actually care about you. So often, so many people gravitate towards those who feed their egos. But, when their own egos are no longer being fed by being in relationship with you, they will turn on you in the blink of an eye.

Do everything with the loving heart of Jesus and give thanks to God your Father in heaven then you will know the true joy of living! 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Praise God for the Rain

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

                                                                                     Psalm 63:1-3 KJV

The land may be dry and thirsty as many of our desires are larger than our abilities to fulfill those desires. However, it is raining outside and the land around me is thriving. We are home in Florida. The temperatures are wonderful and I have been outside under the canopy drinking my morning coffee, praying, and listening to the rain. 

It is good to be back in Florida. I have a lot of unpacking and reorganizing to do. Over the last few years we have been working on down-sizing. We live in what many would call a tiny house here and I love it! But, it is a little trick to find a place for everything that we still do have. I get restless inside of buildings. It is hard for me to sit still. But, when I am outdoors I can relax as I am reminded of not what man has made; but, what God himself has created.

To see the beauty of what He has created brings me peace and a greater knowledge of His presence.

May all God's children praise the Lord for the abundance He has given us!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Marvelous Things

Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jer 33:2-3 KJV)

I wish that I had figured out that I could really talk to the Lord when I was much younger. I made so many foolish mistakes and followed in ways that were definitely not good for me or anyone else. But, I did not comprehend that talking to God mean more than just asking for things. I wasn't asking him to help me to better understand who he really was. I wasn't asking for a closer relationship with him. I was asking for much more worldly things. Things like: get me out of the trouble I just put myself in! 

Now, I hope that the younger people (and not just younger) that I know and love would have enough sense to want to get to know this great and awesome and loving God that we have. Having him in our lives is enough. He is more than enough! 

Talk to him and not just talk to him; but, listen to him and he will show you great and mighty things which you cannot know or understand without him.

Our God is an awesome God. Call upon him and then listen and follow in the way that he would have you go and you will better understand and appreciate all of the marvelous things he has done for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

First Priority: Loving The Lord

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

                                                                        (Luke 10:39-42 KJV)

Every Christian knows that we are called to love and serve one another or at least I hope we know that. But, this story about Jesus visiting Mary and Martha reminds us that there is more to it than that. Just prior to the story about Mary and Martha, a lawyer asks Jesus what we must do to inherit eternal life. 

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (Luke 10:27)

That is exactly what Mary was doing: loving the Lord while Martha was busy about doing good things. Don't get me wrong! Good things are good! But, living in the presence of God and loving Him is most necessary.

Sometimes, our busyness can get in the way of experiencing the joy of living in God's presence and of living in His love. Our good works can interfere with our worship of God when we spend so much time doing good works that there is no time left to experience real life with and in Christ.

Good works are good; but loving God is the first priority. Trust God; love Him and good works will follow that love. 

That lawyer didn't especially care for Jesus' answer so he wanted to know who his neighbor actually was. Jesus tells a parable about  a Samaritan who helped a man who had been beaten, robbed, and left the man who died on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite had come by before the Samaritan and had ignored the man lying there. Of course, the one who helped was the good neighbor. Out of compassion, he was willing to help.

We must be careful that our good works are truly helpful and not just busyness (excuses) that will keep us from the loving relationship that the Lord desires to have with us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Live Joyfully With Your Spouse

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (Eccl 9:9 KJV)

It is a good thing to have someone to share and enjoy one's life with. 

Over the years as I have done pre-marital counseling I have often found myself advising couples that if their marriage is going to last and last peaceably they probably need to find time to be together and things to do together. It seems as though many young people think that marriage should afford each partner time to do what it is that they like to do. Sometimes, they expect an awful lot of time to be who they were before marriage. Playing cards with the guys every Saturday night or in the bar for a few (few too many) drinks with your gal pals can cause more than a few problems. It can take the joy right out of a marriage. 

Hanging with your old friends or at your old haunts on a way too regular basis is nothing short of adultery. Just as putting anything or anyone before God is idolatry; putting anything or anyone before your spouse is adultery. Of course, there will be times when that might need to happen. You may have to help a friend in need instead of going out to dinner with your spouse. But, a God-fearing and loving spouse would support you in that. 

Marriage is about a lot of things. It is about sharing things, including your time. It is about commitment to the one you love enough to have married in the first place. Your spouse comes before the things and/or people who were in your life prior to Holy Matrimony. It is about sacrifice. Sometimes you both might have to sacrifice some of those things that gave you pleasure prior to making the commitment to love and care for and respect each other.

Marriage is not always easy. In fact, it can be pretty tough. But, if you want to live joyfully with the one whom you love then set aside your vanity and put that person before all other things of this world. 

Marriage may be hard at times; but, it is not a ball and chain. It is not a death sentence. It is a gift from God so that you might have someone to enjoy life with and to grow old with.

God's Peace - Pr. J

How Much Do You Love Your Neighbor And Yourself?

He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt 22:37-39 NRSV)

First comes loving God. It strikes me that loving the one who loves you so much that he would die for you just seems to be a logical reaction to me. How or why would you not love him?

Jesus reminds us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Too often I witness people expressing their love for others by staying out of their affairs. For some reason, a large part of society thinks that loving someone means ignoring what they do; no matter how damaging it might be to their futures?

So, if you love others as you love yourself, I ask you: how much do you love yourself? Do you love yourself enough not to do damage to yourself? Do you not do things that are going to burden you with negative moral or legal consequences? I would think that people who love themselves will avoid participating in activities that would damage their futures. If that is true for you and you desire to love your neighbors as yourself; then, I would also surmise that you would also not encourage or ignore activities that people whom you love to participate in that which will damage their futures.

Loving someone sometimes means saying the hard things. It sometimes mean warning people that they what they are doing or about to do will hurt them and hurt others that they love. That would be the loving thing. That would be the kind thing. That would be the compassionate thing to do.

Often, I hear people saying things like, "It's not my place to judge." It is not judging someone to warn them that they ought to not jump off a cliff or stick their hands into a fire. It is not judging someone to warn them that they have fallen off the path and that they ought to turn around and get back on it. That is simply an expression of love.

Saying nothing is sometimes the most unloving thing one can do. Speaking the truth, and I remind you once again that Jesus is the truth, is the loving thing to do. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Make The Most Of Each Day

So teach us to count our days
   that we may gain a wise heart.

                  (Psalm 90:12 NRSV)

When I was very young, my parents often advised me not to be trying to grow up too fast. They insisted that life was short enough and I ought not be rushing it. I know the truth in that now. There are so many things that I had wanted to do that a little bit of wisdom would have helped me to accomplish had I not been so busy rushing through life. For sure, wisdom would have definitely taught me to have a much deeper relationship with the Lord much earlier in life and to listen to him much more often. 

But, the majority of my days on earth are now in the past. There is nothing I can do about them now. There is no going back. I can only thank the Lord that things that I have done that I ought not have done and those things that I did not do that I should have done have been forgiven through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. In Christ so much has had to have been washed away in order to begin a new day.

Let us make the most of each and every day loving the Lord with all of our hearts, and souls, and with all of our strength. Loving the Lord is wisdom.

God's Peace - Pr. J