Sisters In Christ

Romans 12:1-5; KJV; Sisters in Christ; we are one in Christ.

Nothing Is Too Hard For The Lord

Genesis 18:10-14 KJV Sarah bore a son in her very old age; nothing is too hard for the Lord. Keep on praying. Keeping on waiting on the Lord.

Patiently Waiting

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

                                                                                       (2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV)

I consider myself to have a lot of patience. I have been waiting for answers to a few of my prayers pretty much my whole life. There are days when I think well... that's enough. It is time to quit praying for...... But, then I consider how many years from the beginning of creation that it took God to send Jesus to save us from our own sinful selves.  Quite a lengthy time that took!

Here in this season of Advent we wait and watch as we do every Advent and every year. We wait and watch for the Lord to return in full glory. We wait with patience and at times most impatiently. It may seem like the wait goes on forever; but, a thousand years to humankind is as one day to the Lord. 

We wait knowing that the Lord does not desire that for any to perish, but that all should come to repentance. God continues to wait for the lost to believe. May God help us to have the patience and the compassion to wait with love for our fellowman to hear and believe in our salvation through our Lord, Jesus the Christ. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Praying Often; Always

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. (Matt 14:19 KJV)

Most of you have probably heard the story about how Jesus fed the multitude on five loaves and two fish. They were so fed heartily with this meager meal, after Jesus prayed over the the food and the disciples shared it with the people, that there were leftovers. 

We are encouraged to pray and give thanks to the Lord not just on Sunday but always for everything and everyone. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thess 5:16-18)

The other evening after shopping my husband and I stopped to eat at "Steak and Shake," an almost fast food hamburger restaurant. Service is really quick; but, you actually get a friendly server and a few minutes to look at the menu. While waiting for our meal, I saw something that I don't get to see too often. It was a family of five (with at least two teens) holding hands and praying before they ate. There were no cell phones at the table.  What there was after they prayed was quiet conversation as they ate. I don't get to see many people praying publicly so it caught my attention. I pray that God blesses every member of that family with faithfulness all the days of their lives. Those young people are off to a good start...

May God help us all to remember to pray often, even unceasingly, giving thanks for all that He has done and continues to do for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Time For Change?

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

                                                                                                                Luke 5:33-39 NIV

Sometimes, change is okay. Sometimes, change is required for new or renewed life. Not everyone in Jesus' time on earth was happy about the fact that his disciples spent more time eating and drinking than fasting and praying. There are appropriate times for things and while Jesus was with them there were more important things for them to do than focus on fasting. They were busy learning and serving.  

Being open to what others are being called to sometimes means we have to change our ways of thinking and our ways of doing just a bit. Sometimes, we have to change a whole lot. I've heard all too often "this is the way we've always done it."  For some reason we like to think that the old is better. Sometimes, it may be. Sometimes, it definitely is not. Sometimes, the new is better. We must be open to change or we'll be stuck in an old testament life instead of rejoicing in the promise of the new covenant with Jesus Christ our Lord.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Eccl 3:1) 

God grant that hearts and minds be open to changes that may be needed according to His times and seasons.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Pray Without Ceasing!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess 5:16-18 NRSV

There is so much to be thankful for. The reasons to rejoice never end because "we know that all things work together for good for those who love God." (Rom 8:28) Yet, we know that there among those whom we love who do not love God and so we pray without ceasing. We pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that they may be strengthened in their inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, as they are being rooted and grounded in love. We pray that they may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that they may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph 3:16-19)

Because we love even those who do not love or know God, we will never stop praying for them. We will joyfully give thanks for we know that God hears our prayers and answers, according to His good will.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Don't Get Lost; Follow In The Way!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:1-6 NIV)

Years ago, I took three teens from the correctional facility I was working at on a hike to see a waterfalls as a reward for the progress they were making. They were all from inner city Detroit and had never seen a waterfalls. They had never actually been hiking in a real woods, either. We took the well worn path with the tourists down to the bottom of the falls. But, instead of going back up the same way I decided to take the little footbridge across the river and climb the rocky hill through the woods on the other side to get back up to the parking area.  The young men started acting a little nervous. Finally, one of them asked me where the path was and how I could know the way through the woods. I guess, they had begun to think that maybe we were lost in the woods forever. I told them not to worry the path was there. Just because they couldn't see it, I could, as I'd been traveling this way since I was a little girl.

Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  Jesus is the way to our Father's house.  He is the path we are to follow. In order to follow that path, we must get to know Jesus. Yes, about him; but, we must also get to know him personally. When we've just begun to follow him in and into the kingdom there may be times that we get a little lost because we don't know the way as well as we could or should. But, as time goes on and we get to know him more and more each day, each year, there will come a time when we will know the way even if our eyes were blindfolded. Knowing the way so intimately comes with traveling the path day by day. It comes with walking with Jesus every minute of every hour. It comes by learning about him; by hearing about him at Worship or wherever we may be; by reading and studying about him alone or in Bible Study groups. Knowing him intimately comes by staying in communication with him; by speaking with him in prayer and by listening to him in the silence of our prayer spaces. We come to know the way to our Father's house intimately by seeking to follow in the way of Jesus. And, in order to follow him, we must know and trust him.

If we are not prepared to follow in the way, how can we profess to be Christians? How can we witness to others? Who would believe that we are Christians if we have no knowledge of the way in which we should be going? If we're busy leading others off on other paths they will certainly recognize that we are not truly followers of Jesus. If we know Jesus and not just about him; we will know the way. We will not get lost because we will follow in the way that he leads us.

Jesus said that he was the way and the truth and the life – no one could go to the Father except through him. So if he is the way then those of us who profess to be Christians ought to be following in the way that he would have us go.  May God grant us the wisdom to stay on the path.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Spirit Willing; But, Flesh Is Weak

  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:36-41 NIV)

We were having a prayer vigil. Individuals and families volunteered to come to the sanctuary to pray for one hour during the hours following the Maundy Thursday Service until the Good Friday Service. I had volunteered for three hours, from 3 a.m. until 6 a.m.. I lived next door to the church and I thought it would be easier for me than others who would have to drive to the church at such early hours.

I began my hours praying, kneeling in front of the altar, next to the baptismal font. I was awakened by the couple, who was to follow me, to find them kneeling and praying at the altar. They had come in quietly and didn't want to disturb me. I had fallen asleep, on my knees, leaning against the baptismal font. Apparently, it is not only those first disciples who cannot keep watch, stay awake, and pray for "one hour."

The spirit is willing, but so often the flesh is weak.

God's Peace - Pr. J