Do Not Be Afraid To Move Forward

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" 

                                                                                      (Matt 6:25-27 KJV)

There have been at least a few times in my life when I have been quite confrontational when it comes to injustice. Where others were shrinking back and warning me that I should too for safety's sake, I have acted on the compulsion to say something; to do something. I had indeed considered the worst case scenarios before I advanced. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? What is there to fear? My conclusion was: nothing, not even death. I have eternal life.

When considering a new venture; whether it be a new job or investing in a project or a person or whatever challenge the day might bring; again, the same question. What have I to fear? Nothing. Life in this world is temporary. It will all pass. I have eternal life.

Jesus knowingly went forward to the cross; to his death, that we might live. He could have gone in the other direction. He could have; but, he did not. He did not shrink back from saving the world; even though much of the world would reject him. He did not pretend that everything in the world was okay. He was willing to give even his life because the world was not okay.

Do not fear. Our Father in heaven loves you. Believe this and you too will have nothing to fear. You will be much more able to attempt to make radical changes within yourself and in the world around you with the knowledge that God is with you and for you. The world may abandon you. You may even lose many things in this world that you now treasure. But, there is nothing to fear. By faith, you have received eternal life.

May God help us to always stand in His truth; in His Way, no matter what possible dangers may lay before us. May He help us to remember that we have nothing to fear for through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, we have eternal life. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Eternal Life Is A Gift

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6:23 KJV)

No, not a one of us is without sin. We have sinned against God and one another over and over again. Each and everyone of us have earned the penalty of death. But, thanks be to God for the sacrifice made on our behalf by our Lord, Jesus the Christ! "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)

That everlasting or eternal life is not just life after physical death. All who have been raised up by faith into the family of God live in that everlasting kingdom even now. That kingdom is a life of joy and peace no matter what obstacles we might face. 

St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Rom 14:17)

We live in this world; yet, the kingdom of God is here, as well. When Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God would come, he replied: "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

Live life and live it abundantly in the presence of God; in His Kingdom even now!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

THE LORD's PRAYER

The Fourth Petition.

Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?--Answer.
God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all wicked men; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?--Answer.
Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as meat, drink, clothing, shoes, house, homestead, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

There was no bread in the desert.  There was no meat to eat in the wilderness.  The Israelites were hungry and complained saying it would be better to be slaves in Egypt rather than following the Lord through the wilderness to the promised land.  The Lord heard them complaining.  He provided daily bread. But, he provided no more than they needed except for on the day before the Sabbath so that they would have enough to sustain them on the Sabbath.  He proved bread in the morning and quail for meat each evening.  But, some people tried to hoard it.  They did not understand that the Lord was trying to teach them to trust him and not the rulers of this world for their daily bread.  The extra bread that they tried to collect and save up for themselves spoiled so that worms lived in it.   For forty years the Lord provided this daily bread to his children.

Give us this day our daily bread. We pray it all the time. I remember Howard and my first few years of marriage. Wow! Talk about broke! He was a young Marine and I will tell you that at that time; even though I worked as well, there was not much of an income.  I had a budget of $20.00 for groceries for the month. Before I went shopping, I would do a whole month's menu just so not a penny would be wasted. Sometimes we ended up short. For some reason, I didn't think about applying for food stamps. I think I may have felt that they were for those who had less than we had. I actually felt quite blessed at the time. After all, there was always something to eat on the table. Suppers on those last days of the month sometimes were pretty sparse. They consisted of things like pancakes without eggs, basically flour and water with a  little margarine and sugar sprinkled on top or homemade bean soup. We ate a lot of homemade bean soup. But, we ate. We were provided for. Even though at times there was no meat for the table, there was always bread - sometimes homemade. God provided for our daily needs.

God provides for all that we need; not just the food which sustains our bodies. Do we really trust Him to take care of all of our needs or are we busy striving for more for ourselves? Are we willing to sell ourselves back into the bondage of people, places, things?  In whom do we trust to care of us:  God or the world? 

 

May God teach us to depend on Him above all others and then to use the gifts that He gives to us that others may also not be in need of life sustaining daily bread.

God's Peace - Pr. J

I Believe In God The Father

The First Article.

Of Creation.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)



God, our Father and Creator, cares for His whole creation. He loves and cares for us. He has provided us with all that we have. That is everything! Not just a just a blessing here or there or now and then. Everything that we have are gifts from God.

 

If we truly believe that all that we have, even our ourselves and our family and friends; even our churches, are gifts from God, then we will care for them as though they were precious treasures, for in truth they are blessings from God. 

 

God is not just a God of beginnings. He did not just create and then us alone to our devices. He is an active Father providing not just the material things of life; but, spiritual gifts as well.

 

May our Father's love for us, inspire us to love and cherish Him for all that He has done for us. May God help us to love and care for His whole creation.

God's Peace - Pr. J