Make Us Whole!

Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 11:9-10 KJV; Jesus made the Canaanite woman's daughter whole. He can do he same for you.

Jesus Is The Light

Psalm 119:105: Jesus is the light that will lead you out of darkness.

What Is Evil Is Not Good

Psalm 97:10; Isaiah 5:20-21; Micah 6:8; We go down a path of destruction when we call what is evil good.

I Will Serve The Lord!

Joshua 24:15 KJV; I will serve the Lord. False gods will only lead us on the path to destruction.

Muck and Mire

Psalm 69:14: Step out of the muck and mire and change your course.

Jesus Brought Division

Gospel of St. Luke 12:49-51 KJV; Jesus did not come to give peace to the earth. He came to bring division. In spite of the division we can know peace as we abide in the presence of his light.

False God Will Lead You To Sorrow

Reading from Psalm 16 KJV for 3rd Sunday after Pentecost. The Lord leads us to joy and peace in Christ Jesus. False gods lead us to sorrow.

Wisdom Calls

Proverbs 8:1-4 KJV Wisdom calls. We should listen.

Rejoice; Live In Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

                                                                                        (Phil 4:4-7 KJV)

Trust in the Lord. Trust that he hears our prayers and answers. 

Human beings are often anxious about something; sometimes about everything! The knowledge that God hears our prayers and answers gives us both peace and joy. We have peace because we know that God is for us.  We have joy because we know that God Almighty, our Savior and Lord, is present with us to protect and to lead us, even now. 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Rejoice in the Lord always and may the peace of God be with you keeping your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God Is With You

PSALM 139:1-14 KJV

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

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There is no sense in trying to hide who we are or what we do from God. The Spirit of God is always right there next to us and knows everything about us and is for us. God was with us from the beginning. He was with us in our mother's womb and he will be with us always.

Let us always give thanks and praise to God for loving us and being there for us no matter who we are or what we may do. We have been wonderfully created in His image. In Christ we have been re-created by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God for His love and His mercy is good!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God Knows The Way We Should Go

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. (Eccl 11:5 KJV)

There are some things we cannot know for sure. It can be difficult to plan ahead because we simply do not know what tomorrow will bring. We are after all not God. We can listen to the weather men or women to help us make plans for tomorrow or the next day. But, that they are not always very accurate.  We can listen to the news and try to decipher what is true and what is not. We can listen to the advice of friends; but, their lives' stories are not the same as ours and may not have the same end result as ours if we follow in their path. 

In the end it is best just to listen to God. Seek to know His will and follow in the ways He would have you go. Ask and He will show you the way.

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.

Take Up Your Cross And Follow

"And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

                                                                            (Mark 8:28-36 KJV)

No... no... no... We cannot and should not have to endure death. We should have to endure trials. We should not have to struggle! 

Yet, we do. We do and we will. God's will for Jesus was not to have a life of ease. He was destined for death; to die so that we might live. Life is a struggle and if you think that it should not or will not be one then you probably are following a false god down a very wrong path. 

These false gods would have us strive to gain the worldly things and in the process we may, as Jesus said, lose our souls.

Life is not easy so you may as well take up your cross and follow Jesus and when you do know that the Christ is with you on the journey. That road, although it may feel like death is drawing near leads to life everlasting. That is the will of God for you. 

As St. Paul drew closely to his own earthly death he wrote these words to his fellow missionary and evangelist Timothy:

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"

                                                                                        (2 Tim 1-7)

St. Paul took up his cross and followed Jesus. He endured afflictions even as he continued the work of an evangelist. He finished his course when he was executed for his faith in Christ. 

He was willing to give up a life of luxury in this world and reside as a prisoner of the government so that he could proclaim the Gospel according to the will of God. He was willing to give up his body. But, he was not willing to give up his soul as he entrusted it to the love of God in Christ Jesus.

God help us to endure all afflictions and fight the good fight of truth found in Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

LIsten And Follow

PSALM 25:1-9 KJV

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

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We ask the Lord for a lot of things. Sometimes we rejoice when we see that our prayers have been answered. At other times we might even think that God is not listening to us; that He may not even care. He does indeed listen and He does answer our prayers. But, do we listen to Him when He is showing us the way to go?

We may ask the Lord to guide us and to teach us His paths so that we can live both peaceful and fruitful lives that will glorify Him. We can ask all we want; but, if we don't listen to His guidance it will avail us nothing. So often we ask but then proceed to do it our own way; go our own way without bothering to hear the word, the teachings of our Lord.

He will teach us all things; but, we must humble ourselves and listen and then actually follow in the way that He has shown us!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

My Help Comes From The Eternal One

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 

                              (Psalm 121:1-3 KJV)

There are very few hills here in Florida to look up to. But, there is the sky. My  morning prayers usually takes place while out walking as the sun begins to rise. I often look up towards the heavens and am reminded of how eternal God is. He is everywhere and He is in every time. He has no beginning either in time or space. He does not sleep; but, watches over us at all times and in all places. We may make missteps and fall; but, He is there to pick us back up and put us on the right path again if we will let Him. He does not force Himself upon us. We can reject His help. But, who does that!? Who would reject the hand of one who would pick us up out of the dirt? Sadly, many do.

As for me, I trust the Lord, who created the heaven and the earth to pick me up and keep me on the right path whenever I trip up and fall.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Straying From The Path

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? 

                                               (1 Cor 4:20-21 KJV)

Rod of discipline or love and gentle spirit; which would you prefer? Actually, the only thing I can think of this morning is that if we don't like the rod of discipline then maybe we ought to straighten out our lives and walk in the way that has been set before us. There are not many ways. There is one way. That way has been testified to us by the witnesses of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Let us listen to them. Let us learn the way in which we are to go and follow Him.

Beginning with those first disciples the church has come a long way. We have strayed often. We have suffered many unwelcome consequences from falling off the path. We have been disciplined often. Yet, there is always love and a gentle spirit to greet us when we return to the way in which we are to go. There is forgiveness.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Follow And Serve As Jesus Serves

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

                                                                          (Philippians 2:1-8 KJV) 

It is not easy! A war often wages within our very beings. Although we may desire to be more Christ-like, we find ourselves looking after our own interests rather than the interest of others even to the detriment of others. This world offers a lot of enticements and encouragement to be all that we can be for ourselves. But, that is not the way of the cross. That is not the path that Jesus took.

Jesus, who being in very nature God, was willing to humble himself, even to death on the cross for our sakes. He took on the nature of a servant putting our lives before his. Likewise, St. Paul reminds us that being united with Christ we are to humble ourselves and to serve one another with like minds. We are to love one another.

It is not easy, this following in the footsteps of Jesus. Our egos often get in the way. But, for his sake and for the sake of all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we ask God to help and guide us to love as He loves.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Going Forward

Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isa 43:16, 18-19 KJV)

The Lord has made a way forward for those who would follow in the path He has set for us. It would behoove us to move forward instead of clinging to the past and our old ways. That is at least if we truly want peace instead of chaos; if we truly want joy rather than sorrow.

Doing the same things over and over again that got you no where before and will get you no where now is not the way to go. 

There is a way laid out before us in the wilderness of this world. That way is Jesus. Follow him and know the peace and joy of God's eternal presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love As The Good Shepherd Loves

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:14-15 KJV)

What greater love can there possibly be than to willingly lay down your life for another? That is exactly what Jesus did. He died that all who believe in him would have eternal life.

The very sad thing is that this kind of love seems to be unfathomable to so many today. They do not know Jesus nor do they have his kind of love even for their family; even for their own children. Vengeance seems to be the norm for even the slightest infractions even among people who pretend to love one another. This narcissistic kind of attitude and behavior just drives everyone involved deeper into darkness. 

There is a way out of the darkness. Follow the good shepherd on a better path. Turn aside from the anger that envelopes you and do what is right; do the loving thing.

Take care that you do not persecute anyone for our Father in heaven loves them and watches over them. 

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt 18:6)

Love one another as the good shepherd loves you!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Show Us The Fruitful Way

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

                                                                                        (Psalm 1:1-4 KJV)

It is really a good idea to follow the path that Jesus has set before you. Following in the way of the ungodly will only bring you to disaster. 

I listened to a YouTube video featuring Ben Carson (Secretary of HUD) last night. His strong faith has kept him on a path that has produced much fruit in all that he has done. Overcoming much adversity, he has prospered in many ways. On his faith journey, with the help of God, he has helped many people to  live fuller lives. He helped many to live! When he was asked if he did anything to prepare for such intricate surgeries as separating conjoined twins, his answer was that he did the same thing to prepare for the difficult surgeries as he did for the easier ones. He prayed.  He asked God for wisdom and guidance.

May God grant us wisdom and guidance to follow in the Way that He would have us go that we too may produce good fruit.

God's Peace - Pr. J