He Reign In Awesome Wonder

Wolf Point, Keweenaw Peninsula, MI
Praying With Creation Sabbatical

Psalm 93 KJV

The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.

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One of my fondest memories is kayaking on Lake Superior during small craft warnings. The waves were big. Yet, there we were paddling away and enjoying every minute of it. It was an awesome display of God's creative work. 

Along with the movement of the winds and waves came a whole lot of noise from this awesome wonder. But, in the midst of it there came a sound even louder than that. In the midst of us riding those waves came the sound of Pr. Peter singing How Great Thou Art.  And... Pr. Peter can sing!! What a sense of peace being reminding that what we were experiencing was the very hand of God.

Lake Superior, the oceans, all of God's creation can make us stand back in awe. We do need to respect these powerful creations even as we can appreciate and enjoy their beauty and power. They can be very powerful indeed. In fact, they can be very dangerous. But, none is so powerful or enduring as the Creator of it all.

Thank the Lord for the beauty of His creation. Thank the Lord for all that He has done.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Make A Joyful Noise

PSALM 98 KJV

O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

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Make a joyful noise! There is always a reason to rejoice. No matter what we might be going through we can rejoice because we have seen the salvation of our God! He has done marvelous things! By the blood of Jesus the Christ we have been saved. Rejoice!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Living In God's Presence

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8 KJV)

The Psalmist is going through some rough times; yet, he still seeks the love of the Lord. We all go through rough times. That is often the hand that we are dealt. Still, we hope in the Lord. We seek His presence and his lovingkindness. The world may make that love feel obscured; but, it is there even when we can't recognize it. All who trust in the Lord seek to better understand and know his love through prayer. 

Over the years I have found that I really like my alone time with God. When my grandchildren were young, I was pretty active with my grandchildren. But, there were times when they wanted me to go someplace when I really preferred the solitude rather than crowds. I would tell them "Gramma just can't go. I'm a hermit." Of course, I am not. I spend a lot of time alone with God. But, I am not a total recluse either. I have no problem being with people and in the community quite a bit. There are just a few things that are a bit too noisy for me. 

The noise; the busyness of towns and cities bring disruptions to my prayer life. Crowds crowd out my opportunity to just be with God. I have found that I relish my time out in the woods or on the water or even walking through cemeteries where I know that I will have the quiet to listen to and hear God speak. 

I retire early each evening and rise early every morning so that I can be assured that I will have the quiet time to commune with God in prayer. I need His presence. I need his lovingkindness and it is just too easy to lose track of that when in crowds. 

During the day when trouble seems to surround me I seek His loving presence and during the night his song is with me and I can know the joy and peace that only He can give.

In spite of the troubles that might assail us; the world and all of God's creation; all of God's people, are gifts to us. They are to be enjoyed. But, the greatest gift ever is the gift of eternal life in God's presence through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Let us sing songs of praise in thanksgiving to Him all the days of our lives.

God's Peace - Pr. J

In Sheer Silence

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

                                                                             (1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV)

What indeed was Elijah doing at Mount Horeb? Was he merely running from Jezebel? Was he frustrated, confused or tired and needed to leave behind his call as a prophet for awhile? After all, all that he had done didn't seem to have any kind of lasting effect on the people. Or, was he simply in need of direction; maybe just a single word, from the Lord? 

We all need direction. We all need to hear from the Lord. We may know that we need it and even want it. But, take a lesson from Elijah. You're not likely to hear His voice in chaos. It may be there; but, you're probably not going to hear it in the deafening roar of noise. You will be too distracted to listen. You are more likely to hear it as a whisper when you take the time to be still and listen for it. Be still, slow down, and listen for it.

You are more likely to hear it as you worship in the sanctuary when the only thing that you hear is the reading of the word or the preaching of the sermon when no one or nothing else is making a racket. You are more likely to hear it as you are quietly contemplating your morning devotions. 

Shut off the television. Shut off the music. Look away from your social media for a bit. Meditate on the word and listen so that you might hear the slightest whisper of the Lord. In the midst of sheer silence you just might hear the words you need to give you the direction that you desire that will remove your frustration and confusion. It is the word of God that will refresh your soul and bring joy once again to your heart and mind.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Reason For Joy

O come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

(Psalm 95:1-2 NRSV)

In five weeks it will be Christmas Day. We will make a joyful noise on Christmas Eve as we gather for Candlelight services. Hopefully, that joy will be present on Christmas day in households around the world, as well. Many churches no longer have Christmas Day Worship. Families are too busy with secular things to worry about the celebrating the birth of Christ on that day.

There will, of course, be joyful noises as children open their presents on Christmas morning. But, there will also be children with no presents, no home, no food, with very little, if any reason to be joyful. There will also be those children who do not make joyful noises because they don't get the exact presents that they wanted. Oh, you got a used car for Christmas instead of a new one? That is rough!

Christmas is not about things. It is about the greatest gift that we could ever consider receiving. For unto us a Savior has been born, that through him we would be forgiven our sins. We would be washed clean and reconciled to God our Father, becoming heirs of the Kingdom of God. That should bring more joy to our hearts than anything else.

It should bring us joy not just on Christmas Eve; but, every day of our lives. Let their be joy in the world our Lord has come!

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Speaks To Us

"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’" (Jer 33:2-3 NIV)

Prayer is not just about talking to God. It is also about listening to him. He promises to speak to us; but, we will not hear unless we take the time to listen. His voice comes to us in many ways: in the reading or the hearing of scripture; through the sermons or teachings that we hear while at Worship or Bible Study; through our neighbors as we spend time with them; and in so many other ways. Yes, we can even hear his whisper in our inmost being if we take the time to be quiet and listen. It is most difficult to hear God with the television or radio blaring. Elijah could not hear God in the chaotic winds or earthquake or fire. He heard God's gentle whisper in the sheer silence. (1 Kings 19:11-18)

But, not everyone wants to hear God speak to them. He may tell us something that we do not want to hear. He may ask us to go where we would not choose to go for ourselves; to do something for others that we'd rather not spend our time or talents on. He might even suggest very strongly that we repent; that we turn our lives around and follow His Son. That would require a sacrifice that we do not want to make. So, we turn on the radio, the television, and whatever other noise we can find to lessen the chance that when God speaks we might hear.

God still speaks to His children. Listen to Him!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Make A Joyful Noise

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100 NIV

I do not like noise for the sake of noise. I never listen to music at home or when I am driving. Music during worship or at concerts or at youthful events is good for me. But; normally, I like things quiet so I can actually hear things that are going on around me like sirens coming up behind me on the highway or someone at the door. Nor do I consider shutting out the sounds of God's creation nor the possibility of hear His voice as a good or a wise thing to do.

However, there is a time and a place for joyful music. I do enjoy listening to and watching music come alive as it's presented by young people that I know. They are so full of enthusiasm when they come together as a group to make music or to dance or even to skate. Music has the ability to affect our moods; our emotions. Some music can bring us way down, which is not so good. Some music has the ability to bring us up when we are down. Joyful music presented by joyful youth is especially good for the calming of our souls.

I do not care to listen to music just for the sake of having noise to distract me or fill in the silence. But, if there is to be noise, let it be joyful sounds that will gladden the heart; let it be music that will glorify God.

Let the noises be joyful songs of praise as we live in the presence of the Lord of all the earth.

God's Peace - Pr. J

With Great Joy!

"And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:50-53 NIV)

You watched your friend executed and then a few days later you see him walking around. You talk with him. He is risen! Can you imagine the joy in your heart at seeing your friend who was dead now lives? If that's not enough to give you joy that overflows your heart and mind, now you are outside of the city and you witnessing him being carried up into heaven. No wonder scripture tells us that the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God."

So what's changed for us today? Jesus is still risen! He has ascended to our heavenly home; the home that he has prepared for us! This is great news! Receive the reality of this promise and share it with the people around you. Help them to know the joy that comes from knowing that Jesus lives and he lives for you and all people. Make a joyful noise, sing His praises, as you bless the Lord, your God

God's Peace - Pr. J

Alone With God

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:22-24 NIV

When my grandchildren were young they would often ask me to take them to school or other local events. If it was something that they were going to be actively participating in, I would usually agree. If it was something they were just going to as spectators so they could hang around behind the bleachers, I would tell them. "No, gramma can't do that." Of course, they would ask "why not?" My response to that would be "because gramma is a hermit."

I am not really a hermit. I have no problem with huge crowds. But, I like to have a good reason to be in the big crowds. Proclaiming the good news; feeding the hungry; supporting family or friends in whatever activity they are actively involved in or raising funds for those who are less fortunate than we are (Toys 4 Tots is on my list of priorities) are all good reasons for participating in crowded events. I don't mind crowds. But, I really do like my alone time. I have to have my alone time with God. Even when I am alone, I do not like to have "noise" as some people like noise. I do not want televisions or radios or any other noise in the background so that I don't feel alone. I am never alone. God is with me and that is way more than enough. Listening to "noise" when I alone with God, to me, is like a teen-ager who constantly looks at their cell-phone at the dinner table. Parents don't like to be ignored. I have a feeling our Father in heaven doesn't much care for it either.

When life around me crowds out my alone time with God, I get pretty cranky. I need to talk to Him. I need to listen to Him. I need to be in His presence. In the end, it may sound pretty selfish. But, I do need Him above all others. I need Him to help me be with and help others. Without Him, I can do nothing.

Jesus spent a lot of time in crowds proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom; healing the sick, kicking out demons. But, he also spent time alone with our Father in heaven. This being in the presence of our Father in heaven is even more than a need. It is a heartfelt desire.

You will not regret taking the time to be in a closer relationship with our Father in heaven who loves you dearly. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Abide in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

I Just Want To Go Fishing

"The Fisherman" as our granddaughter nicknamed our friend, Eddie "DJ" DeJesus.

This photo was taken the last time we saw him before the Lord called him home.

     Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
     “No,” they answered.
     He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."
                                                                                                                                         John 21:4-6

I just want to go fishing! I ordered a small Jon boat a week ago so I can go fishing or crabbing or just floating down the creek so I can take in the beauty of it all. I spent much of my youth fishing with my parents and whether I catch anything or not is besides the point. I am actually a really lousy fisherperson. I rarely catch anything. I just want to be able to float around on the water and experience the quiet: no TV's, no radios, no electronic noise at all.

Most of my time is spent fishing for people. That is what Jesus told his disciples they were going to be doing when he asked them to leave their nets and follow him. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Mark 1:17) They did exactly that. But, as we read the gospels, we will find them, from time to time, even after they began to follow Jesus, fishing for fish as well.

So, I am waiting on my small boat to get here. I'll keep on fishing for people. After all, I don't know any other way to live. But, I'd kind of like to go fishing for fish, as well.

God's Peace - Pr. J