Offended By The Truth

Luke 7:22-26 KJV Are you easily offended? Offended by the truth? Offended by Jesus? 

Purchased By The Blood Of Christ

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV)

You've heard it said that money can't buy you love. It can't buy your salvation, either. I don't care how many times we go mindlessly to church and put our offerings in. Both worshipping and assisting the church with its mission are good things. But, they will not buy our salvation. Nothing that we do or give can save us.

We have been saved by faith alone in Christ alone. We are saved by the sacrifice of the one who offered himself for us. Our salvation has been purchased with the blood of the lamb who is Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God for the precious gifts of life and salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph 2:8-9)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Defile Not His Temple Lent 3 2021

Jealousy Kills

  "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."

                                                                                 (Gen 4:4-8 KJV)

It appears that the Lord favored Abel's offering over Cain's because his offering was raised up through hard work. The Lord told Cain that if he had worked well to present this offering it would have been accepted. Cain was not happy. He was so jealous that his brother had found favor and he had not that he killed his brother.

Jealousy destroys. It kills and there are consequences for the sin. If the jealousy over how much accomplishment or honor others receive with their hard work continues it will build up within you until the consequences of the sin become very tough. Cain was exiled to become a fugitive and a vagabond. He would indeed have to work very hard just to survive. 

It is not any different today than it was in Cain and Abel's day. Jealousy will prevail if it is not put in check quickly. It will destroy your future and the future of those around you. God has given you many gifts so that you might be fruitful. There are  consequences for not even attempting to use those gifts as well as you can. The outcome and possible consequences have nothing to do with what your neighbor does. It has everything to do with what you do or do not do with the gifts of God. In the general confession we pray that God will forgive us for sins known and unknown; for things we have done and for things that we have left undone. For the sake of love for the one who lived and died and yet lives for us, it would behoove us to leave a whole lot less undone.

May we always use the gifts that God has given us so that He might be glorified.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." (Col 3:23)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Job's Sacrifice; Our Prayers

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. (Job 1:4-5 NIV)

Yesterday morning, as I was praying for a few generations of my family, it suddenly occurred to me that Job had done pretty much the same thing for his children. Of course, my prayers only included thanksgivings and petitions; whereas, Job's included sacrifices of burnt offerings.

It was Job's custom as is the custom of many parents and grandparents to worry about what kind of relationship their offspring have with God. Are they sinning against God? Are they cursing him in their hearts? And; if so, have they the wisdom to repent; to ask for forgiveness? Do they even recognize when they have sinned against God?

Considering that I might sound like Job praying for his offspring; it brought just a bit of fear into my heart, as for all of Job's praying his story was not a happy one. For all of his sacrificing, he lost everything that he owned. His children were all killed when a windstorm destroyed the house that they were partying in. 

We hear, in Job's story, only the outcome of his children's lives here on earth. We hear nothing about the fate of their immortal souls. Who can tell about that, other than God?

Job had worried about the relationship his children had with God. He had made sacrifices for them; just in case! The truth is that no matter how much we worry about our offspring we cannot do a thing to save them. Assuredly, we can pray  But, there is no offering; no sacrifice that we can make that will save them. The Good News is that God is concerned about the eternal fate of our children. He is so concerned that he sent his only begotten son to be the sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of our offspring.

May God bless our children and all the generations to come with the wisdom to seek him before all things so that they might live in peacefully in his presence for all of eternity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

It's Time To Love

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1-2

It is time. It is way past time for the children of God to start loving as Christ loved us. Imagine a world where it's not all about "me, me, me and my ego." Imagine a world where we genuinely care about others; where the genuine needs of others come before our personal desires.

There is a lot of loving to do. It is time to follow in the way of Jesus the Christ who gave himself for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Through The Valley Of The Shadow of Death

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

Psalm 23:4 NIV

My favorite Psalm, as it is for many, is Psalm 23. I pray it daily; sometimes a few times a day. There is so much chaos in the world that it can be most unsettling to wonder which path loved ones are following. Have they gotten themselves lost? Will they end up on the wrong path? Will they follow in the footsteps of Jesus into the Kingdom of God where they will know peace of heart and mind? Will they walk with God? One can never tell for sure.

The only sure thing I can do about these unsettling feelings is to pray this prayer of affirmation, trusting God to be with them and for them as He has promised even as He is with me. As I pray for my loved ones, I am sometimes reminded of Job who rose up early every morning to make offerings for every one of his children. Instead of burnt offerings, I lift up all whom I love to the Lord in prayer.

I do not fear for myself; for God is with me. But, I pray often that all whom I love will trust God to walk with them, guiding and comforting them.

May the Lord, the Good Shepherd, be with you always to guide you through the valley of the shadow of death.

God's Peace - Pr. J