In Times Of Storms

Matthew 14:22-33 KJV: 11th Sunday after Pentecost; Even when your faith begins to falter Jesus is there to lift you up.

Do Unto Others!

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

He Is Risen; Do You Listen To Him?

Luke 16:19-31; He is risen! Do you heed his voice?

Feed Them

And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

                                                                                                         (Mark 6:33-42 KJV)

Multitudes followed Jesus out into the desert to hear him speak. So he fed them with the word. They were listening to him for so long that he knew that they not only needed to be fed spiritually with the word but that they also needed to be fed physically. 

The disciples were reluctant to feed them even as so many pastors and congregations are often wary about feeding people who knock on their church doors. They are wary for many reasons. Maybe the visitor will use the financial assistance they are given for alcohol or drugs. Maybe they are just con men or women who make their only living by knocking on church doors. Maybe that person knocking on our church door is here to attack the secretary or maybe even the whole congregation or set fire to the church. But, Jesus, the Good Shepherd,  did not question the multitudes need to eat. He told the disciples to feed them. That ought to remind us that we too are to feed the hungry both spiritually and physically. After all, if someone is starving for sustenance for their bodies they will more than likely be focused on their stomach and not able to hear Good News of eternal life in God's Kingdom; his presence, that we would share with them. 

How good is the Good News if we ignore the fact that those we preach to go without food for physical survival?

God help us to feed your sheep!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Still Waters

 

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters And Restores My Soul

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:1-3 KJV)

I have pointed out in many blogs that it is necessary for the followers of Jesus to gather together often to worship God. It is also necessary for his followers to spend time alone with him for our own well being for he is the shepherd that will lead us through this life. He is the only one who can restore our souls. 

Jesus, himself, spent time alone in the wilderness with our Father in heaven, communicating with Him; praying. 

According to the Gospel of Luke just prior to appointing the twelve to be Apostles Jesus spent the night alone in prayer. "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12)

Luke also tells us that after the multitudes had come to hear him and be healed by him Jesus separated himself from them and went into the wilderness to pray. (Luke 5:15-16)

On the night in which he was betrayed he separated himself from the disciples in the garden and went to pray alone.  (Luke 23:39-44)

Jesus spent time in the wilderness to be alone with his Father, our Father. It is good, even necessary, for us to spend time alone with the Good Shepherd to be in his presence; to be hear where he would have us go; what he would have us do; and to be refreshed; to have our souls restored.

Shut everything off and take a walk in green pastures or beside still waters. Get more closely acquainted with the Good Shepherd who lived and died and lives again for you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Vision Of The Multitudes

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                                (Rev 7:9-12 KJV)

What a vision the multitudes praising God must have been. I cannot wait to see it for myself with my own eyes. That great multitude who have come though the tribulation and have been sealed by God are promised:

"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev 7:16-17)

Thanks be to God for salvation belongs to our God and we will live with Him in His kingdom forever!

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.

Thirsty in a Dry and Weary Land

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1 NRSV)

We are a very thirsty people; both thirsty and hungry. There is so much turmoil in the world. It causes one to feel worn out; dried out. Those first followers of Jesus often felt the same way. St. Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians: "To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we grow weary from the work of our own hands." (1 Cor 4:11-12a)

But, there is a way to be refreshed. Seek the Lord. After Jesus had fed the multitudes on a few loaves and fish; he said to the crowds who followed him to the other side of the sea that they only followed he had fed them when they were hungry. He said that it was his father who gives them the true bread which gives life. They asked for this bread. "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35)

God our Father has truly given us the bread of life. He has given us living waters that will refresh us no matter how dry and weary the land becomes. Refresh yourself; partake of the precious gift of life in the bread of life, who is Jesus the Christ given for you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J