You Will Have Peace Like A River

Isaiah 48:16-22 KJV; Live in Christ and all will be well with your soul. Live in Christ and live in peace.

The Just For The Unjust

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

                                                                (1 Pet 3:18-22 KJV)

The just one, Jesus the Christ, died for us the unjust. He sacrificed his body for our sakes. 

Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom while he walked upon the earth as true man. Then he sacrificed himself for all of the unjust; for each and every sinner that we might live in that Kingdom in the presence of God. St. Peter tells us that even in death he went and preached the spirits who were in prison; those who had been disobedient in the days of Noah.

The Word of the Lord is meant to be preached to every nation; to every man, woman, and child that they too might hear the Good News and believe.

It is by hearing the Word that we come to faith and by faith alone in the Word alone who is Jesus the Christ we are saved.

Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Buildings Fall While The Word Endures

And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 

                                                                              (Mark 13:1-2 KJV)

One of the biggest mistakes that I've witnessed in house or mission churches is the rush to have a "real" church building.  Too often it costs the mission too much. As the congregation struggles to pay for the building and all of the regular costs and upkeep the mission of the church suffers.  

The mission of the church is as Jesus told the disciples:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.                                                                            (Matt 28:19-20)

Buildings are temporary. The building that you worship in one day will be gone. 

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Pet 1:25)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Believe And Be Baptized

"Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" 

                                                                                   (Acts 8:35-36 KJV)

"Secondly.

What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

                                                   http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php



I have run a across a very sad thing. There are those within the church on earth who have not been baptized! How does this happen? How is it that a believer has not received the Sacrament of Baptism? What has hindered them from being baptized?

I've heard a few reasons. For some it has come down to the embarrassment of not having been baptized earlier, as a younger person. There are those who have not been baptized within the church and yet are receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. They will rarely just tell you of their own volition that they have not received the gift of baptism. You will have to ask them.

I first ran across this years ago when I was working on membership rosters and the official congregation records. We were missing information that should have been in the books: things like birth and baptismal dates that would have been registered decades earlier. I thought that this might be a good reason to do some extra home visits and get to know some of the congregation a little better. A very elderly woman whom I regularly visited in a nursing home was on the list for missing baptismal dates. When I asked her where and when she'd been baptized, she was relieved that I asked her because no one else ever had. She confessed that she had never been baptized. When she was a child, they had a circuit pastor, who normally did baptisms during hay making season. Her family was in the fields (Yes, even on Sunday) working when the pastor came around. After she got older and got more active in the congregation no one ever asked her about her baptism and she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she hadn't previously been baptized. That's the short version of a very long story. Ultimately, she received the Sacrament of Baptism in the nursing home with her children and grandchildren around her about a week before she died.

This was not a lone incident. Most I've encountered were eventually baptized. A few have declined to receive this gift from God.

We are to go and teach and baptize (Matt 28:19-20) so that others might come to faith and be assured that they have received forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. The mission field is huge. It begins within our own congregations. Do not assume that someone is saved just because they attend worship once or twice a year or even every Sunday. Do not assume that they know Jesus. Do not assume that they have received the Sacrament of Baptism. Proclaim the Good News to all people and encourage them to receive this life saving gift from God. And... don't forget to tell them about all of the benefits of Baptism, which is truly a gift from God for them.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Witness Of Peter

 

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."

                                                                       (Acts 10:34-45 KJV)

Here we have the witness of Peter to the Gentiles of Jesus had done for them. While hearing this witness the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word; both Jesus and Gentiles alike. The Spirit of God did not discern a difference among the people; but, touched the lives of everyone who heard.

The Jews were indeed God's children; but now because of Christ, to be a member of the family of God was open to all who heard the word and believed. Peter wrote in his first letter to the exiles of the dispersion (that is to the people living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia):

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

                                                                                  (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Thanks be to God for we who were not His people are now His people and not just His people; but, His children and heirs because He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light through the gift of His Son Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

What Hinders Baptism?

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. 

                                                                                     (Acts 8:35-40 KJV)

I remember a very awesome neighbor of a congregation I served years ago. He has long since been gone from this world. 

As I was sitting in my office in this very remote church building, I heard a 4-wheel ATV pull into the parking lot. I went out to greet this man whom I had never met as he had never attended worship there and had recently moved into the neighborhood. He said he wanted to reaffirm his baptism and become a member of that congregation. By listening to him, I found out that a couple of our council members had been evangelizing in the local tavern and he was anxious to commit to serving God as a member of our congregation.

I asked him when he wanted to do this. He said this Sunday. I smiled and let him know that it wouldn't happen that fast. I had to get council approval. Then there was the service and bulletin to be prepared with the secretary.  

What about this eunuch? Why didn't he have to wait to be baptized? Where were all the constitutional administrative rules and regulations then?

There were none. Nothing hindered the eunuch's baptism. Philip shared the Good News of Jesus the Christ. The eunuch professed his faith in Jesus the Christ and he was baptized. That was it!

It only took a couple of weeks to jump through the hoops before he reaffirmed his faith in the presence of the congregation. He did indeed faithfully serve the congregation and community until his death as he said he would.

For someone to believe and to receive the Sacrament of Baptism or affirm their faith if they were baptized as a youngster not fully realizing what it meant to be a member of the Body of Christ they must hear the Good News of Jesus. This Good News comes not just from the pastors lips; but, from the lips of every believing member of the Body of Christ. It is shared every where we go. On the side of the road as Philip did and even in taverns as my council members did.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

                                                                                (Matt 28:18-20 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

What Hinders Baptism?

Dave's Memorial
Service at the Falls
we had visited on
4-wheelers as
a congregation

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. 

                                                                                     (Acts 8:35-40 KJV)

I remember a very awesome neighbor of a congregation I served years ago. He has long since been gone from this world. 

As I was sitting in my office in this very remote church building, I heard a 4-wheel ATV pull into the parking lot. I went out to greet this man whom I had never met as he had never attended worship there and had recently moved into the neighborhood. He said he wanted to reaffirm his baptism and become a member of that congregation. By listening to him, I found out that a couple of our council members had been evangelizing in the local tavern and he was anxious to commit to serving God as a member of our congregation.

I asked him when he wanted to do this. He said this Sunday. I smiled and let him know that it wouldn't happen that fast. I had to get council approval. Then there was the service and bulletin to be prepared with the secretary.  

What about this eunuch? Why didn't he have to wait to be baptized? Where were all the constitutional administrative rules and regulations then?

There were none. Nothing hindered the eunuch's baptism. Philip shared the Good News of Jesus the Christ. The eunuch professed his faith in Jesus the Christ and he was baptized. That was it!

It only took a couple of weeks to jump through the hoops before he reaffirmed his faith in the presence of the congregation. He did indeed faithfully serve the congregation and community until his death as he said he would.

For someone to believe and to receive the Sacrament of Baptism or affirm their faith if they were baptized as a youngster not fully realizing what it meant to be a member of the Body of Christ they must hear the Good News of Jesus. This Good News comes not just from the pastors lips; but, from the lips of every believing member of the Body of Christ. It is shared every where we go. On the side of the road as Philip did and even in taverns as my council members did.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

                                                                                (Matt 28:18-20 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Know The Word; Know The Truth

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

                                                                               (John 17:13-17 KJV)

On the night that he was betrayed Jesus prayed for his disciples. He prayed that they and we might be sanctified through the truth; that we might know the truth. 

There was a lot of heresy in the church of Martin Luther's day. There was a lot of superstitious nonsense promulgated by the clergy. I don't think that all of the clergy did this maliciously. I believe that they simply did not know the truth. Not all of them had regular and actual access to the word found in scripture. They taught and preached what had been taught and preached to them. A whole lot of that lacked truth.

Thankfully, much of that changed with the reformation. During that time period, Martin Luther translated the Holy Bible into German so that the pastors and lay people could read the word of God for themselves.

We have that access today in whatever language we speak. Yet, I often hear really crazy un-truths about what the word of God says coming from not just lay people; but, clergy as well. The lay people get many of these false ideas from the clergy.  They simply don't bother to read what the word has to say for themselves. 

I am not saying that you should not attend worship and hear the word of God through the clergy. You should!  Rather, I am saying that we all need to spend more time in daily devotions reading and meditating on the word of God so that we might know the truth. 

Thank God for the many saints who have come and gone before us. Thank God for the saints who have witnessed to the through the many generations since our Lord gave himself on the cross for us. Thank God and get to know him! Thank God for the word of truth who is Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Word Endures Forever

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

                                                                                    (1 Pet 1:24-25 KJV)

My Easter flowers are fading fast. Today, I will replant the lilies and throw away the cut flowers. Winter has died. With spring flowers and trees are beginning to  to show beautiful signs of life again. The grass has also returned to a point where it must be mowed every week. The flowers and the grass each have their own short seasons to live. But, each spring, sometimes with a lot of extra care, they rise from their sleep and live again.

We too have a short season to live here on earth. But thanks be to God and to His Word, who is Jesus the Christ, we too will rise from death and live. Through His Word we have His promise that though our flesh will die; yet shall we live. (John 11:25-26) The Word, the promise of good news, endures forever. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer!

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

False Apostles and Prophets

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.
                                                                                                               2 Corinthians 11:2-9 NIV

Do not be deceived by false apostles. There are many who preach a different Jesus than the one whom Paul preaches and teaches. There are many who would preach a different gospel today, as well. Beware, of those with slick tongues, but have very little knowledge. The best way that I have found to know whether someone is an apostle of Christ or a deceiver of Satan is to know scripture. Read your Bibles. Hear the Word of God speak to you through the written word. If what someone tells you cannot be supported by scripture then toss that notion away. It is not for you.

One of the biggest lies that I hear today is preached by those who would teach that if we do this or that, God will give us everything we want. We will be prosperous. Paul was willing to endure hardship; others were willing to give of their own abundance, in order to make it possible for neighboring communities to hear the proclamation of Jesus and his kingdom. God does not promise that we will be wealthy in this world if we follow all the rules and regulations that our little minds can contrive. He does; however, promise us peace of heart and mind even while we are in the midst of persecution for proclaiming the truth.

There is only one reason to want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus into his Kingdom, and that is to be with Jesus. If a preacher is preaching some other reason or goal than Jesus, who is the Kingdom, then run. No, maybe a better alternative to running is to do what St. Paul did: speak the truth. Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God so that all might believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Peace Like A River

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
    your well-being like the waves of the sea.”" (Isa 48:17-18 NIV)

The hymn "When Peace Like a River" or "All Is Well With My Soul" is one of my favorite hymns.  Not long before Horatio G. Spafford wrote this hymn in 1873, his four daughters had died in a collision with another ship as they crossed the Atlantic. His wife had survived and sent him this message, "Saved alone." Later, as he, himself, crossed the Atlantic and neared the spot where his daughters had died, he was inspired to write this hymn.

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."

The LORD, in His mercy has taught us that no matter what befalls us, it can be well with our soul. All who abide in Christ will know the peace that only He can give.

 

Today, Isaiah reminds us that we are to turn from following after false gods, and to trust in the LORD, our God, and all will be well with our soul. Our peace will be like a river. But, for those who turn their backs on Him, there will be no peace. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

When will we turn from our stubborn, stiffnecked ways to live in peace? To live wholly for and in Christ? "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Eph 2:14-18)

And... all is well with my soul! May it be well with your's.

God's Peace - Pr. J

His Word Does Not Change; It Endures Forever

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

                                         (1 Peter 1:23-25 NIV)

The word of the Lord endures forever. It doesn't change to suit the whims of the people. It is the same yesterday and today and it will remain tomorrow.

Over the ages various interpretations of scripture have been used to suit the desires of those who would misuse God's word to validate their sins. It is no secret that people have used and still use scripture, taken way out of context, to validate their own personal desires and agendas.

I would remind those who tell me that times have changed that even though the times may change the word of the Lord has not changed. His word endures forever. Hold fast to that word that you might live life more fully in this world and eternally in the Kingdom of God. Living according to the world's standards is not becoming to one who has been born again through the living and enduring word of God, who is Jesus the Christ. It is not becoming nor is it wise or safe. Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to one another in His Kingdom. Let us rejoice in our salvation and not preach another gospel.

Our glory may fade even as the flowers of the field will fade. But, the glory of the Lord will never fade. It will endure forever.

Remember the word that was preached to you. May God grant us the discernment to live according to His word and His will for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J