Amazing The Word Made Flesh

John 1:1-14; KJV: Christmas Day; The Word has come into the world bringing the true light unto all people.

Sing A New Song!

Psalm 96:1-9; 21st Sunday after Pentecost; Sing a new song; declare his awesome works to all people.

God Ways Are Not Our Ways

Isaiah 55:1-9 KJV; God's ways are not our ways. He has a better plan for us than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

Let All The People Praise Him!

Psalm 67:1-7 KJV; 12th Sunday after Pentecost; If only His way would be known upon all of the earth!

Be Kind

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (1 Peter 2:15-16 KJV)

It does very little good to respond harshly to the harsh words or actions of others. That will only create more dissension and division. It brings about more drama and stress to one's life. It does not glorify God!

Rather God is glorified when we show kindness to those who attack us. If we must and sometimes we must correct someone it is out of love for them.

St. Peter encourages us to to put to silence the ill-speaking tongues our actions. St. Paul's letter to the Romans does the same and adds that by doing so we heap coals of fire upon their heads. It is up to God to decide whether vengeance is warranted and then He will take care of the vengeance. It is our call to love our neighbors and to serve them according to their needs; but, not necessarily their wants as wants are often self-serving and do not glorify God.

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

                                                                        (Rom 12:14-21)

God help us to glorify Him by being kind even to our enemies and live in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Shepherds Need Rest

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

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. 

                                                                               (Mark 6:30-34 KJV)

The disciples are grieving the beheading of John the Baptist and had just returned from being sent out two by two on a mission journey. The journey and the death would have left them exhausted as it would most of us. Jesus instructed them to go with him to a quiet place so that they could rest. They went by ship; but, people followed them anyway.

It is often this way for shepherds of the flock. Sometimes, there is little time to rest. Sometimes, it is just a matter of completing one thing and jumping immediately into the next.

I will never forget the 4th of July week that I had ten funerals to officiate at. Ten funerals in seven days is a lot. But, during times of epidemics others have had many more. Most of the people I did not know; although, they were all family members of members of the congregation who had moved away and were to be buried from the church they grew up in. I was fried. I did not have time to grieve which was sorely needed as one of the women was also a dear friend. The church ladies were fried as well as they prepared luncheons for all of the families. It took not a little time to be rested and get over the pace of that week. Each morning as I had woke up there was something I needed to get done immediately for the flock.

Jesus' recognized the need for his disciples to have a time of rest. But, when it came to ministering to the flock that took priority.

God give us the wisdom and strength to shepherd your people; to care for them in their times of need.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Reconciled To God Through Christ

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

                                                                                  (Eph 2:11-18 KJV)

There we have it in a nutshell. We who were not God's people are now God's people. By the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for us we have been forgiven our sins and reconciled to God our Father by the Spirit of God. In Christ, we who were the enemies of God are now at peace with him. 

Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord!

God's peace be with you now and forever!  Pr. J.

Righteous And Peace

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Prov 14:13 KJV)

Whether we like to confess it or not sin affects the world around us. It brings negativity to many. Righteousness also affects the world around us. It brings positivity. It brings peace.

May God help us to live in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Rejoice And Sing Praises

 PSALM 96 (KJV)

O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

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

+++

There is only one God worthy to be praised. All of creation knows this; except maybe humankind. May the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth open all ears to hear; our eyes to see; and our hearts to love and worship Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Voice Of The Lord

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.

Psalm 29 KJV

When the Lord speaks, it is done! Worship the Lord Almighty, the One who can and does all things. Worship and glorify His holy name. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Give Thanks!

Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

                                                                                  1 Chronicles 16:8 KJV

Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday! I hear that every year from certain family and friends. My reply always is something to the effect of then who are are we giving thanks to on Thanksgiving if not to God. God has given us all things. To Him we give thanks and praise for that He has done for us. Count your blessings this and every day and give thanks to the Lord for them.

May you all have a blessed day of giving thanks to the Lord!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Us Kneel Before The Lord

Philippians 2:10

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. 

                                                                                   (Psalm 95:6-7a KJV)

We can worship all the superstars in this world that we want; but, in the end it will do us no good. In fact, it may well be our undoing. We can follow where they lead us; but, it will get us to no place good.

There is only one Good Shepherd and only he can lead us to the peace that is so desired and is found in his pastures; his kingdom.

We can worship whatever or whomever we desire in this world; but, in the end when Christ returns in full glory, every unbeliever will drop to their knees with every believer in awe of the presence of our Lord and King.

We are going to do it anyway so why wait until there is no choice but to kneel before our Lord? Let us bow down and worship and kneel before him now so that our Father's will is done on earth as it is in heaven, even today.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Speaking the Truth in Christ

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost," (Rom 9:1 KJV)

This verse never fails to bring a smile to my face. I find it a bit bewildering and amusing that a man of St. Paul's faithfulness would have to defend his integrity. 

Yes, before he knew Jesus, he hunted down Christians to put them to death. Even in that, as horrific as it was, he was ferociously dedicated to what he believed was God's will for the good of the people. But, once he met Jesus his life changed. He was convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah and was totally dedicated to proclaiming the truth in Christ.

It is good when we one say with Paul that I am speaking the truth, my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit. But, sadly that is not always the case. The truth of Christ Jesus is often tainted with personal desires. It is difficult to know when someone is truly speaking the truth and so we must depend upon the Holy Spirit within us to help us discern the truth.

Paul's truth in Christ, sometimes hurt people. The truth is not always pleasing to hear. May we always speak with integrity for the good of those whom God loves.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Trust In Him For Real Life

 

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:7-8 KJV)

I get a bit frustrated when I hear people complain that their lives are so miserable while it is plain to see that they are trusting in gods other than the one true God; the only One who can save them. I do not comprehend this running to "things" that might bring temporary relief from depression or anxiety or any other trouble when the peace of God is given freely. Why not trust in Him to be there for us? 

In Christ, God has given us real life. It is not a life of running after things that will not satisfy. It is an opportunity to live life in the joy and peace of his presence. Of course, even the most Christians will experience turmoil in their lives. It may even be because they are Christians that they experience trials and temptations. However, the Christian will know that the one True God is the rock, strength and refuge that they can truly turn to.

Turn away from false gods and live life in Christ! Turn to Jesus that you might live!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Immediately They Followed

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

                       (Matt 4:19-22 NRSV)

Immediately, James and John followed Jesus. When called by Jesus to follow him, they immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus. They followed Jesus all the way to his cross. 

None of the disciples had any clue where their journey following Jesus would take them; but, they followed anyway. They left their old lives behind them. They left their occupations. They left their families to follow him. They were willing to give up everything and that was before they had any comprehension of what Jesus was planning to do for them and for all people. 

We do know what Jesus has done for us. Are we willing to immediately drop everything to follow in his footsteps knowing that it will bring us to the cross?

May God give us the strength and courage to follow Jesus wherever he would lead us; regardless, of anything that we might have to leave behind us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

In The Beginning....

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." (Hebrews 11:3 NRSV)
Science has provided us with some amazing things: vaccines for diseases that may have long ago destroyed humankind; conveniences to make our lives more pleasant (even if some of them are destructive to the earth); instant communication with people around the world; the list goes on. But, science is not all-knowing.

There is only One who knows all things. He is the One who created all things in the heavens and on the earth. He is the first Word and the last Word. We live by faith in that first and last Word. We live by faith in the Alpha and the Omega.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people."  (John 1:1-3)

May God grant us all faith to live by faith in His Word, who is Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Pleasers Not People Pleasers

Speak the Truth; Jesus is the Truth

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1 NIV)

 

Today, I have officially reached retirement age. No, I'm not retiring; although, I have just gone down to a commitment of very reduced hours in order to mentor a seminary student for the next year. Then, I will retire or at least find something else to do besides pastor a congregation. The older I get the more guilty I feel for not correcting or confronting those things that dishonor God and disrespect humankind more often than I do. There are times that I have chosen to keep my lips sealed to avoid further conflict. I am not sure that this has always been the right way to go. Yes, of course, I have confronted flagrant offenses more often than not; but, there are so many days I wonder if I have done it enough. I have been told that I am not to be judging others. Is telling the truth really judging?

 

Years ago, I worked at a Juvenile Correctional Facility as the Substance Abuse Director. I was also the volunteer chaplain. One Sunday, I did nothing more than read the Sermon on the Mount to the youth. I did not preach. I merely presented them the truth according to the words of Jesus from St. Matthew. The next day I was called into the office because one of the teen-age boys claimed I had said his mother was going to hell. I did no such thing. I simply read the Gospel. Confronted with truth we often find ourselves guilty.

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

 

As each year passes I wonder more and more if I am guilty of not speaking the truth enough by choosing to keep my lips shut. I am hoping that the closer I get to actual retirement the more I will be able to open my lips no matter what kind of kick back I receive and no matter who the truth offends. After all; who am I supposed to be pleasing: God or humankind?  St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10) This is a question every pastor and teacher; every Christian must ask themselves.

 

May God help us to be truth speakers; God pleasers, not people pleasers.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

According To His Will

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14 NIV)

According to His will...  Why did this happen? Why did I not get what I asked for? So many times we wonder why God did not answer our prayers totally forgetting that what we have asked for may go directly against His good will. His good will encompasses not just us; but, all people. When we pray we must keep in mind that selfish prayers may not be heard. They very well may not be answered in the way that we would like them to be answered. God has a better view of what all people need, including ourselves, and what we need may not be what we're asking for.

May God help us to better understand His will that we might pray for the good of all people.

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Holy Nation; A Royal Priesthood

"The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”
They will be called the Holy People,
    the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,     the City No Longer Deserted."
                                  (Isa 62:11-12 NIV)

The LORD declares through Isaiah the Savior comes! And... through Him the people will be reconciled to God. Through him it is as St. Peter wrote: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

How awesome is that! You are a member of a royal priesthood, a holy nation! You belong to God and because you have been called out of the darkness into His marvelous light, you desire to declare praises of Him! That's what those who have been called into relationship with God, those who have been called into His kingdom, do. They proclaim the Good News! That's what Isaiah did! That is what St. Peter did! That is what all members of that holy nation are called to do. How could anyone who has received their inheritance in the holy nation, the kingdom of God, do otherwise?!

So... the question is: are you proclaiming the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, our  Savior, and our King?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Nothing Is Too Hard; Ask!

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?  (Jeremiah 32:26-27 NIV)

In the midst of reminding Jeremiah that He alone is God, the Lord reveals to him that He is going to send His people into captivity at the hands of the Babylonians for turning their backs on Him. But, God also promises to save His people from their captivity, once again. He will gather them and return them to their land and let them live in safety. They would be His people and He will be their God. He will give them singleness of heart and action. (Jer 32:36-41)

God is still God of all mankind today. He will be the one true God tomorrow. Nothing is too hard for Him. Let us pray earnestly that He would give the whole church on earth singleness of heart and action that it may go well for us and our children after us.

With one heart and mind let us pray and give thanks for in His mercy the One for whom nothing is too hard hears our prayers and answers.

God's Peace - Pr. J