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.

Praying For The Troubles Of Others

Psalm 86:1-8 KJV; Troubles will hopefully send us to the Lord in prayer.

The Blessings Of God

Matthew 5:1-12 KJV; 4th Sunday after Epiphany; When we are down and out our hope lies in the blessings that God has promised through Jesus.

Praise The Lord; Psalm 146

Psalm 146; Praise Him for all that He has done for 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...

Bless the Lord

Bless the Lord, O my soul! Psalm 103

 

God's Blessings Upon You

Psalm 67 KJV

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

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Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Amen!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Answers Our Prayers

Psalm 116 KJV

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

I said in my haste, All men are liars.

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

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We love the Lord and give him thanks and praise because he hears our prayers and he answers. We don't always receive the answer that we were expecting. But, we do receive an answer to our prayers. Whether he answers yay or nay we can be assured that he knows exactly what we really need and it is not always what we want or to our liking. Rather our prayers are answered according to his good will for all people.  

"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)

Let us pray: Lord have mercy and deliver your children from the hands of their enemies both enemies that are seen and those that are unseen. We give you thanks Lord for in your mercy you hear our prayers and answer. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Pardons Iniquity

 

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 

                                                                                   (Micah 7:18-19 KJV)

Unfortunately, humankind does not pardon iniquity easily. We can hold a grudge forever and in doing so we bring about even more iniquity.  We usually cause more iniquity; we often sin when we are angry or hurt. 

Jesus tells us to love one another and not to hate even those who persecute you.

"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;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

                                                                                   (Matt 5:44-45)

The Lord desires that we should forgive one another. But, we are not required to stay in situation or relationships that will provoke us to continue to live in a sinful manner. St. Paul wrote to the Romans: 

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Rom 16:17)

Micah tells us that God will subdue our iniquities. If God will do that for us; if God will forgive us our sins; why would we walk right back into that which inspires us to sin? Daniel could walk into a lions den and live. You and I should most probably not try that if we want to live. We should not test God. 

When the devil took Jesus up and set him on a pinnacle of the temple he told Jesus that if he really were the Son of God then he should jump and God will send His angels to save him.

"Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Matt 4:7)

If the very Son of God would not test his Father in heaven, neither should we.

Yet, when we do test God by going against His will, God is willing and able to pardon our iniquities. Unlike us, God does not retain his anger forever. Unlike us, He is always ready to be merciful. 

Forgive one another; but, try to stay out of situations that will require you to receive forgiveness yourself later. It will make life a whole lot easier to live.

May the God of mercy, subdue our iniquities and forgive us all of our sins.  

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. 

Blessed Are They...

Matthew 5:1-12 KJV

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

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Blessed are the merciful! Blessed are the peacemakers!

May God's grace, mercy, and peace be with you all in these tumultuous times!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Covenant of Love

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

                                                                               (Heb 8:10-12 KJV)

Thanks be to God for the new covenant in Christ!

Jesus established the new covenant making the old one obsolete. The old covenant consisted of law. It consisted of what we must do. In following the law; although, we often try, we all fail miserably. So, in His wisdom and love God, sent His Son, as high priest, to make the ultimate sacrifice for us establishing a new covenant between God and man.

This new covenant is not about what we must do; but, what God has done for us. 

Thanks be God for His love and mercy is great!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Where Is The Abundant Life?

He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. (Prov 21:21 KJV)

Where do we find life and not just life but abundant life? Where do we find righteousness? Where is the honor? In all of my years, I know of only one place. That place is in Jesus the Christ. That place is in his Kingdom.

If you are looking for these things to come from the world, you are looking in the wrong place. The normal direction we go in when we travel by any means is forward. Sometimes, we might have to back up or go sideways around an obstacle. But, in order to reach our goals we focus on what is in front of us. 

If our focus is on revenge or justifying ourselves or getting ahead of someone else we are seeking things that will not move us forward. We are seeking things that will not add to our life.  We are not seeking anything honorable. They will distract and detract. 

Those who follow righteousness and mercy will know abundant life. They will know mercy. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (Matt 5:7)

In the end it all depends on what you are looking for in life. Do you want abundant life? The genuine abundant life (and I don't mean silver and gold) is found only in the Kingdom of God through Jesus the Christ our Savior and Lord. 

Jesus advises us: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt 6:33)

Repent and Seek the Lord

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you.

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.." 

                                                   (Zephaniah 2:1-3 KJV)

The LORD has given His children of Judah many, many, opportunities to repent and seek Him and to do His will. They appear to be more than just a little slow in the repentance department. But, here's one more call to repent; for them to seek righteousness, humility; to seek the LORD before the day of the LORD's anger falls upon them.

We are all given more than enough opportunities to seek the LORD. How many chances do we really think we deserve? I guarantee you the LORD has already given us more than we deserve. If not for His Son, who suffered on the cross for us, we would all be destined to fall on the day of His anger.

Thanks be to God, for He has been gracious and merciful to us. Let us live lives seeking justice for all people.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Blessed

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                                                                     (Matthew 5:1-12 NRSV)

The Sermon on the Mountain begins with what we know as the Beatitudes. These words of Jesus are a comfort to many in need of emotional or spiritual support. They are genuinely good news and for many reason to rejoice! But, what about those who are not poor in spirit; rejoice rather than mourn when disasters assault other around them? What about those who would do harm to others for their own profit or to lift themselves up rather than hunger after righteousness?  What about those who show no empathy or mercy? What about those who are without remorse as they persecute others so that they might have their own way? 

What about that? How blessed are they? Will they receive empathy? Will they receive mercy when the hour has come to give accountability to God? The hour will come for all of us. No one can know when that day will be. 

The best news is that God our Father has indeed blessed the world by sending His only begotten Son to die as a sacrifice for our sins. That sacrifice has been made so that all who believe in him will be blessed with eternal life in the Kingdom of God now and for all of eternity. 

May God open our ears and our eyes and our hearts to a greater understanding of His Word and His Will for all people so that we might do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Live Life Freely; By God's Grace

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

                                                                                                                  (Galatians 5:1-6 NIV)

Abandon your life to the grace of God! There are so many laws and traditions, I find it virtually impossible to keep to the traditions and letters of the law that are set forth by humankind. Can anyone possibly know them all? Can anyone abide by them all? 

The church on earth, in Paul's time, spent a lot of time worrying about the law of circumcision; whether gentiles should be circumcised or not. Paul said no. Others said yes. Paul insisted that keeping this law would not justify one person. His claim was that if we are trying to be justified by the law then we are alienating ourselves from Christ. The only justification that we have is Jesus the Christ. He died on that cross so that we might be justified in our Father's eyes. The law had to be satisfied. We could not do it by anything that we did or did not do. Jesus satisfied the law for us. We have been saved by grace through faith in the Word of God, who is Jesus the Christ!

Mistakes will be made; sins will be compounded, laws will be broken. Much time will be spent worrying about it and trying to justify our own actions. If we continue to attempt to be justified by our own good works in keeping the law (which none of us ever have) we have fallen away from grace. We must abandon our lives to God's mercy and grace! We must trust Him! Our help is found only in Him. Give thanks and praise that your sins are forgiven for "the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;  we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets."  (Dan 9:9-10)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Was It Fair?

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.'” (Matt 20:13-16 NIV)

In the parable of the workers of the vineyard, there were those who complain that some received better wages than others.  They complain that the wages are not given out fairly. Those who work for one hour receive the same payment as those who labor all day. In the end, Jesus' response is: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matt 20:16)

The complaint of those who came first came; of those who thought they should get more of something than others should get, is not an unfamiliar story. We often hear and sometimes it is we who complain that we were there first. We did this. We did that. Why, oh, why is someone else getting the same pay as we are getting? We've been here working and serving much longer than others. Why, oh, why is he or she getting a promotion before me? I was here long ago. They were not? Why, is this or that person being put in a position of authority? Why are they being honored or awarded? I've earned it. They have not. 

We often complain that life is not fair. What we think we deserve, we do not always get. What we think should go to us sometimes goes to others. Throughout scripture we read of people receiving what they have not earned. God blesses whom He chooses to bless because He is God and usually the one He chooses is the one who would be considered less than. 

David was a mere shepherd boy. They youngest of many sons. Yet, God chose him to be king; to rule over His people. Did this shepherd boy deserve to be king? He was so young. What could he have possibly accomplished for God to be calling him? But, God knew what David would do way before David could even begin to fathom it.

Jesus was born in a barn to a very young woman. He was not born into wealth. His family was not of any upper echelons of authority or power. He came from a very average family. But, God chose that average family. That young woman was chosen to bear incarnate God. Joseph, although we hear very little about him, was chosen to be the earthly father of God's only begotten Son. They did nothing in particular to deserve these high honors. Yet, God chose them. For whatever reason, God decided to bless them with the privilege of raising Jesus. And, the Son... What about Jesus? Did he deserve what he got? Did he deserve; was it really fair that Jesus had to die for our sins? He did nothing wrong. He was without sin. Yet, he took our places and our punishment so that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven. Was it fair for one man to receive the penalty for the sins of the whole world?  He put himself last, humbled himself for us, and now is first in the Kingdom of God. He reigns!

Life may not always seem like it's fair. God does not think or act like we do. Even His justice is not like our justice. That is a real good thing for us. He is much more merciful than we are. What seems right or just in our eyes, doesn't necessarily make it just in God's eyes. Jesus says the last shall be first and the first will be last. Something about that just doesn't seem right to us. But, it is God's word. It is his plan for the good of all who love Him.

Thanks be to God, it is He who is in charge and not we.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Glory To God Alone!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  (Eph 3:20-21 NIV)

All the glory, all the praise, all the thanks, all the credit goes to God.

One day, maybe, we will realize that we can truly do nothing good without God. It is His power alone that created the heavens and the earth. He can do all things for He is who He is. He is Almighty God. He is merciful and gracious to us even though we keep thinking that we can live without Him. He alone has saved us from our own stinking thinking by sending His only begotten Son to die for our sins.

All glory and honor belongs to God alone. Thanks be to God for He is our help and our salvation!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Are You Listening?

"Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise." Deut 6:6-7
I do a lot of teaching and preaching of both the law and the gospel both at Bible Studies and at Worship as well as out in the community and at home. But, there are times when I just have to shake my head and wonder if anyone is listening? Do they not understand that there is only one true God and that God is almighty; all powerful; all loving; all merciful? It is not wise; it is not a good thing to worship other gods; to put anyone or anything before our Creator and Redeemer. I simply have a difficult time understanding how anyone would refuse to love and serve the only God who can save them from sin, death, and the power of the devil. How could anyone not love someone who was willing to die for them?

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart." Deut 6:4-6

May our Father in heaven, forgive us for not loving Him as we ought; for not loving Him even as He loves us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

In God I Trust

Be merciful to me, my God,    
     for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
    all day long they press their attack.
My adversaries pursue me all day long;
    in their pride many are attacking me.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me

                                   (Psalm 56:1-4 NIV)

In whom shall we trust? The Lord our God is our defender. We do not have to fear those who would pursue us and attack us. Admittedly, things can get pretty rough at times. We are often attacked by those who think that they must lift themselves up above others; even above God, to make themselves look better than others.

Thinking that he was equal to or above God was Satan's sin and so he became an outcast; the fallen angel. The world has not changed much over the centuries. It seems that there will always be those who will unjustly attack others to protect their own image or maybe to get a step ahead of the rest of the world. Those who are the victims of such attacks should not fear. Those who would attack you unjustly; those who would say all kinds of false things against you, are the ones who should fear. They ought to think and be concerned about what they are doing for "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

It is in God we trust. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J.