Fear Not!

Luke 1:30-33 KJV; Fear not for the Lord has a good plan for you.

The Lord Is Our Refuge!

Psalm 46:1-11 KJV; Reformation Sunday; The Lord is our refuge. No matter how troubled the world is we need not fear for the Lord of Hosts is with us.

Quicken Us, Lord!

Psalm 80:7-19 KJV; 19th Sunday after Pentecost; Quicken Us, Lord! Save us and we will be saved!

He Created All Things

Psalm 8 KJV; Trinity Sunday; He created all things in the heavens and earth. God help us to care for all that he created including our friends and neighbors and don't forget the answer to the question: "Who is our neighbor?"

Sing The Glory Of His Name

Psalm 66:1-7 KJV for 4th Sunday after Pentecost. Bless our God you peoples!

Pray And Trust That Our Father Hears And Answers

John 16:23-33 KJV

He Humbled Himself

 

Philippians 2 Apr 6 2022

Our Father Doesn't Slander Our Name

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 

                                                                         (Isa 43:1-7 KJV)

Talk about slander and name calling!  I was riding home with my husband yesterday. He insisted on listening to the news; news that made me nauseous. So much vitriol! So much anger because everyone does not think alike. The reality is we don't. The anger; the slander; the name calling is dividing the people. It is a great attempt to cover the world in darkness. But, it will not succeed. The light of Christ shines. The One who overcame death has overcome all obstacles for the children of God.

Fortunately, all who believe and are baptized into the Body of Christ have been united in Christ. We have a Father who does not slander us. He calls us by name and not hurtful names. He calls us because of his great love and not out of anger; not out of revenge. He did not send his only begotten Son to accuse the world of not listening to Him and obeying His law. He did not send his Son to condemn the world. He sent His Son so that all who would believe in the Son and the Son's life giving sacrifice would be forgiven and be reconciled to him and to one another. 

Do not fear for the One who knows us so intimately calls each of us by name. He calls us and leads us out of the darkness into the light. He is with us through every trouble that might assail us because we are His children and He will not abandon us.

Listen to the One who never forgets your name. Listen to the One who created you and glorify His Holy Name.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Voice Of The Lord

Psalm 29 KJV

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

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The psalmist reminds us that all glory and strength belong to God. He is all powerful. The strength of his voice does awesome things. The good news is that he gives strength to his people. He blesses us with peace!

Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Acceptable To The Lord

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 KJV)

One of my favorite daily prayers first prayed by King David that the Lord would bless the words of his mouth so that he would speak to the glory of God. He prays that all that he thinks and says would glorify Him.

May God grant that all that we say and think and do will be acceptable in his sight and glorify His Holy Name.

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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Thanks be to God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon us.  

Blessed is his Holy Name!

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Psalm 72:18-19

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

The Lord Is Your Helper

Psalm 54 KJV

Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

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It doesn't matter what you face, the Lord will not leave your side. He is with you and for you. He is your helper and the helper of all who would support those who love him.

Trust him for he will deliver you out of all of your troubles. He will bring down those who unjustly persecute others.

May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your life.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God The Father and Creator Of All

Bond Falls, MI - I spent much time there as a youth

 PSALM 8 KJV

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

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By the time you read this the North American Lutheran Church's Lutheran Week in Corpus Christi will have ended yesterday.  I have written a weeks worth of blogs in advance so I have more time to be with the friends I haven't seen in years. 

The theme this year is "God The Father Creates." Indeed he has and he does. He rested on the seventh day; but, then there was the eighth. God is always at work, watching his children, watching his creations, leading us, protecting us, guiding us in the way that he would have us go. 

His creation is not only evidenced by the vast number of those who follow him and let the light of Christ shine through them. The whole creation around is a wonder to behold. What music we have been given in the singing of the birds that entertain us on quiet evenings. The majesty of the mountains and the seas are breathtaking. And, the prairies display such wonder with their beauteous sunsets. The beauty and majesty of his whole creation is so vast there are no words that can express it fully. 

Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Gladness Springs

Psalm 34:1-3

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

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Gladness springs from our very beings when we consider what God has done for us. His gifts to us are endless; but, the one gift is truly eternal. That gift is the gift of eternal life in his presence through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, for us. 

Bless the Lord always and join together often to exalt his holy name with songs of joy and praise!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Everyone Will Know He Is Lord

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11 KJV)

You may not bow before the name of Jesus now. You may not confess that Jesus Christ is Lord now. But, there will come a day when you will. There will come a day when you will come face to face with God Almighty and you will recognize that Jesus is the truth and he is the way that was meant for you to follow. Prayerfully, on that day, when you meet him face to face, you will already know him and love him. 

Many will say that I do not need love. I do not need anyone. The truth is that we all need to be loved and to love. We were not created to live in isolation. Without love, we may exist. But, we will not thrive and God intends for us to thrive. He intends for us to live abundant lives and not so much abundant in more things that we need or even can use; but, to live life in peace and with joy in communion with God as well as in community. 

Make no mistake; whether you will bow at the name of Jesus now there will come a day when everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Don't wait too long to live life knowing our Lord and Savior.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Sing To God

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:4-5 KJV)

It never hurts to sings praises. But, it does hurt to be negative all of the time and refrain from singing songs of praise and thanksgiving.

When we think we have nothing; we have something. When we think we have no one. We have someone. We have our Father in heaven who will cover the hurts of those who call upon him that we may rejoice and sing to God songs of praise and thanksgiving. We have Jesus the Christ who has come to save us from our sins. Praise the Lord!

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 106:1)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saved From The Snare

Psalm 124 KJV

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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The Israelites escaped by the hand of God way more times than once. Even as they finally were given permission to escape from their servitude in Egypt the pharaoh changed his mind and send his army after them to bring them back. But, God's favor was with them. He opened the waters so that they could walk through on dry land. But, he swallowed their enemies with the waters as the seas crashed down upon them. 

The Israelites had a tendency to do what they wanted. They often turned their backs on God. As they put their trust in other things; in false gods; in themselves they would find themselves trapped by their own misdirection and in need of God's saving help again. Of course, God would step in and help them to get on the right path. He would save them over and over again.

When we find ourselves trapped because we have been going in the direction and have fallen prey to the enemy it is most advisable to turn to the Lord and call upon his name for help. He breaks the snare that entraps us and we escape. We are free. The Lord will save us. The Lord has saved us by the blood of Jesus the Christ. 

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Will You Share The Good News?

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

                                                                                (Rom 10:8-13 KJV)

I have heard it said too many times that "my faith is personal." Indeed it is! 

"I do not have to go to church to worship because God is near to me in creation." Indeed He is. But, we are also members of one body in Christ. That does not mean isolate from one another. But, to gather together often to hear his word and to proclaim it ourselves. We are called to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. That does not come about without knowing who he is and actually knowing him. We come to do this by not just reading the Bible, but by hearing the word proclaimed.

"I don't talk about my faith because everyone has their own faith and I shouldn't force anyone to believe what I believe." Indeed they do! But, is their faith life saving faith? Do we not have so little faith that we are ashamed of sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus the Christ? Do we not love others enough to desire to see them receive the precious gift of salvation?

The Good News is for everyone. It does not matter who they; where they are from; or what they have done. All who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead for them; for us, shall be saved.

Share the Good News that others might call upon the name of the Lord and be saved!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Swearing: Using God's Name In Vain

 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7 KJV)

"The Second Commandment.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

What does this mean?-

-Answer.

We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks."

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

I confess that every now and then my lips will release a word or maybe two or three that should not be spoken. I am very aware that I have sinned as soon as something slips out of my mouth that ought not to have.

It is troubling though, that so many do not even seem to recognize when they have taken God's name in vain. I know many love Him; but, for some reason they don't always recognize when they are speaking against Him. Sometimes, it needs to be brought to their attention.

Yes, sometimes I find myself asking others not to be swearing. No, I do not always ignore it when people take God's name in vain; when they blaspheme His Holy Name. I will ask them to please not take my God's name in vain; to not blaspheme against my God. I usually stress "my God" in attempts to make it clear that because of their language they have made it evident to me and others who might be around us that He is not their God; that they do not worship Him. If He were their God, they would not be using His name in such a manner and so very often.

There have been times when I've been in discussions (usually with younger people) and I've gotten responses like "OMG" or "Oh My G_ _!" (Father, forgive me for even writing it as an example.) My response to that is usually "I am not your God" and I walk away.

I find the language today atrocious. There is very little respect for one another and definitely not for God in many conversations. His name is thrown around like it was something cheap and disposable. It is even called upon when used to bully others; to persecute them.

I have also been known to use the phrase "speak with integrity" on rare occasions. Admittedly, the lies have to be pretty bad before I do that. Sometimes you have to let people know that if they want me others to understand what exactly is going on they will have to get their stories straight. Sometimes stories get so twisted, in order to justify one's own actions, that it can be difficult to glean the truth from the tale. This lack of truth-telling also blasphemes the Name of God when the one who is speaking claims to bear the name of Christ.

His Name is above all names and it is eternal. It ought not be used in rampages meant to hurt others or to justify our own sinful ways. It can and should be called upon for the healing of the nations. Use it wisely. 

May the Lord our God bless the words of our lips that we might glorify His Holy Name in all that we say and think and do.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Moving Forward

"...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

                                                                                      (Phil 3:13b-14 KJV)

So far 2020 has been a rough year for many people. While we keep in mind things that have transpired we continue to go forward. But, getting stuck dwelling on the past will only serve to keep us from moving forward. Look back, when we must, to remind ourselves not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Look forward with hope to a future of peace in the presence of Almighty God and with one another.

I keep hearing that this country is a mess. It appears that in some parts of the country it really is. I spent a good part of the summer in Michigan. I mostly stayed home due to the many COVID-19 restrictions. It was stifling. It was depressing to not be able to move. I am now in Florida and it feels much different. I am comfortable again; able to start each day considering what I might possibly want to do or accomplish today and have the freedom to do it.

We can begin each day anew. Let us rejoice for the opportunities and gifts that God has provided us with to go forth glorifying His holy name.

God's Peace - Pr. J.