Joseph Heeds What The Angel Says

Matthew 1:18-25 KJV; Conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the virgin Mary, Jesus comes into the world and is with us even now even as he will come again in full glory to take us to the place he has prepared for us.

Muck and Mire

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

Advent: Be Prepared

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

                                                                                            (Luke 21:25-36 KJV)

On this first Sunday in Advent we look to and prepare for the day we will celebrate the birth of our Savior on Christmas day. We are also reminded to prepare for the day when he will come again in full glory.

The gospel according to St.Luke reminds us to be prepared. Stay away from the things that will steer us away from our preparation to receive Christ and his kingdom in all of their glory. 

The things of this world can be great distractors from living our lives in the Kingdom of God, in the presence of God. Stay awake! Be aware! Prepare for the day that you will meet your maker and savior face to face.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Prepared And Wait

 

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

                                                                           (Mark 13:31-37 KJV)

The end is near! I seem to hear that a lot in conjunction with the attempt being made to do a total reset on the economy and yes even the whole world. The proclamation that the end is near has been announced ever since Jesus walked the earth. Is it really?

Jesus said that no one knows that day or hour. No one knows when it will be except for the Father. Jesus also warns us that because no one knows we should always be prepared. We should always be watchful. Are we prepared for his return in full glory?

Today begins the season of Advent. It is a time to remember not just the first coming of the Christ; but, to look to his return in full glory. 

I have often been asked if I am ready for Christmas. My response is always something like: if we are not ready for Christmas; if we can't figure out how to get ready for one Holy Day; then we are not ready for Christ to return to take us to himself.

Yes, one day the earth will pass away. But, the Word, who is Jesus the Christ, will never pass away. Prepare yourself by getting to know the Word. Be prepared for he may come again today. But, it may also be a very long time from now and in that case you still need to be prepared and watch and wait.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Prepared!

 

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

                                                                                     (1 Thess 5:1-6 KJV)

No one can know when their last breath will be taken. As a thief in the night, the Lord will come in full glory and we cannot know when that will take place. But, we can be prepared. 

To guard against thieves in the night there are many precautions we can take. Surely, we can at least lock our doors. I prefer it to be quiet in the house so that I am easily awakened by any unusual noises. I also do not go to bed intoxicated by anything. If someone breaks in, I would like to be of sober enough mind to at least know it and be able to either defend myself and/or at least call for help. There are many other ways that we can secure our homes and ourselves against thieves who do their mischief at night.

We can also prepare for the day when the Lord comes unexpectedly like a thief in the night. Scripture tells us we will not and cannot know the day or the hour. But, we can and should prepare for that day by reading and hearing his word. We can prepare by listening to him as well as bringing our concerns to him so that he might lead us in the way he would have us go. 

There are many ways that we can prepare for his coming. Do not delay your preparations for another day, another year, another time. No one knows when that day will come. It could be today, tomorrow or a thousand years from now. It makes no difference. Watch! Wait! But, be prepared to see the Lord in full glory!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Fearsome And Awesome God

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 

                                                                                 (Rev 14:6-7 KJV)

When is the hour of judgment to come? Is it here even now? Does it come at the hour of death? Is there a final day when we will be judged together? There are a lot of different theories. I personally don't think it really matters. There is something more important to concern ourselves with and that is as long as we breathe here on earth we ought to be proclaiming the Kingdom of God and glorifying His Holy Name.

Jesus said: 

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." 

                                                                                     (Matt 24:35-39)

Only God knows when the hour will come when Jesus will return or when that day of judgment will come upon us. Noah believed God and so prepared for the flood as he was instructed. Do we really believe God and are we prepared?

We are all sinners and deserve no mercy. But, this awesome and fearsome God is a God of mercy. On that fearful day when we must face judgment we can say with faith, my sins have been wiped clean by the blood of the innocent lamb who is my lord and savior, Jesus the Christ, and who has already suffered the consequences of my sins.  

Our God is a fearsome God. He says: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." (Deut:32-36) He is also a merciful God. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Eph 2:4-5)

God is God! All honor and power and glory belong to him alone. The power that he wields is worthy to be feared. Yet, he is loving and merciful and desires only good for all that he has created.

When will that final day come? Only God knows. In the meantime: live life trusting him for your salvation, loving him, and giving him all glory!

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

This Too Shall Pass

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Cor 2:9 KJV)

Recently, my granddaughter reminded me that when she was still living at home, that I often told her "This too shall pass." I don't remember that; but, it is probably true as she had a lot of turmoil in her life.

Unfortunately, life does not always feel wonderful. Depression can often set in and when it does it is difficult to see any of the goodness that God has planned for those that love Him. 

It is difficult to grasp the future goodness God has planned when we're in the midst of turmoil; but, His promise is true.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

These words are for you. Whatever you are going through, know that the Lord has a great plan for you and this time and probably many more trying times shall pass and in the end you will be rejoicing in the goodness of God. You will find peace in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Prepared

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? (2 Peter 3:8-12 NRSV)

Who can tell when the Lord will come and take us to himself?

As we enter Advent, the time of preparation for the coming of the Lord, are we prepared? During this season prior to Christmas, I am often asked if I am ready for Christmas. My answer is always: "Of course, I am. After all; if I cannot be ready to celebrate the birth of the Christ child who has already come, how can I expect to be ready for him to come again?" 

We do not know the day or the time when he will come again. We are told that he will come like a thief in the night, unexpectedly. No one; but, God knows when that day will be. Do not wait thinking that there is still time for you to get to know the Lord and to love him. Be prepared, not with silver or gold; but, with a living faith, a love that is alive for our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. 

Be prepared, may the warm light of his love shine in and through you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Keep Awake - Be Prepared!

"Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”  (Mark 13:35-37 NRSV)

Keep awake! No matter what day or hour it is, be prepared. When I was a child, I remember, certain people I knew use to make fun of people of a certain denomination because they would go out drinking and carousing on one evening and then go to confession the next day. They thought it quite strange that people should think that they can go and do things they knew full well they'd be repenting of the next day. The weird thing about it was that the same people who pointed fingers at those making confession actually were out carousing with them; but, they didn't go to confession. 

Doing things that we know we are going to repenting of probably is not a very good idea. It's just not a good idea to be thinking we can manipulate God. Jesus certainly died for our sins; but, does that make it right that we should continue to do those things we know we should not do with the understanding that we can be forgiven? Was Christ's sacrifice worth so little? 

Besides, how do you know that the hour will not come for you to stand before the throne of God while you are in the midst of purposely doing what you know you ought not be doing? 

Keep awake - be prepared! Do not let our Lord return and find you on a path that you should not be following.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love Not Riches

Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.  (Eccl 5:10 - 15 NIV) 

Is everything as meaningless as Solomon would imply? Why all the years of toil, if it is to be gone in a second? Even if you have something to leave your offspring, how long will it last them? Do they have the skills to be good stewards of what is left them? Do they follow in the way that they should go so that all that they say and thing and do will glorify God? Will their inheritance be wasted away on trivial stuff - fleeting moments of pleasure rather than those things that will bring real joy (that is glorifying God)? Will they appreciate all the years that you spent earning and saving it for them?

This toiling after riches is meaningless.

That is not to say that work is evil. We should work if we expect to eat. But, it becomes very bothersome, even a burden, when one works only to amass riches. Amassing riches will not bring you the happiness that you think it will. Without genuine love; love as of God, there is no joy; there is no peace.

Jesus told this story to a crowd who followed to listen to Him: 

   “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
   "Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
   “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
   “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."
                                                                                                                             Luke 12:17-21

Brothers and sisters, do not let your life go by without knowing the joy; the happiness, of genuine love. Do not allow the love of money to make your life utterly meaningless. Live life! Work hard at what you do; but, love hard as well. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself. (Matt 22:37-39) Happiness is a bi-product of love. While you are yet making your journey through this world focus not on amassing wealth or power to the exploitation of others, but on living life abundantly loving one another so that God may be glorified.

And... may the peace and joy that is found in being in relationship with God, our Father and with one another, through His Son, Jesus the Christ, be with you always.  Pr. J

What Marvelous Things

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”

1 Corinth 2:9

There are times when I think that God is not answering my prayers fast enough. It is in those times that I have to rethink what I am asking for. Am I being specific and asking for things that is not according to God's will? Maybe, I am asking for less than God desires for those whom I pray for.

When my prayers seem to go unanswered, maybe it's time to recognize that my heart cannot even begin to conceive of the blessings that God has prepared for those whom I care for and pray for. There are times that maybe I should just be praying for God to protect and bless them with the knowledge of how much He loves them instead of trying to steer their lives in the way that I think that they should go. Maybe, I should let go and let God work in their lives more often. That's not to say I shouldn't pray for and help them when they are in need. But, that I should let God do the marvelous works that He does and not interfere quite so much!

May God help us to better understand that our will does not always agree with the will of God for His children.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Are We Prepared?

  “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

  At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

  Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

  ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

  But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

  Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

  But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

  Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

                                                                                                           (Matt 25:1-13 NIV)

I am often reminded that I should take more time for myself. I am not always clear on what that actually means. I do have a couple of hobbies:  kayaking and photography. There is a certain amount of preparation needed to actually "do" these hobbies and I really don't have a lot of time to spare for them. Any free time I have is usually spent on the dock watching the fish jump, the alligators swim and watching the birds watch me while I talk with God.

I have often been told that if I really wanted to I would make time for theses hobbies. It is a matter of setting priorities. Indeed, it is! Spending alone time with God is more necessary to me for my well-being than any hobby or other diversion. I love spending time with Jesus way more than any worldly diversion that might please me. Jesus is the priority in my life and so in my spare hours, which are not really spare; but, necessary for my own well-being, I spend alone time with God. I spend my  time alone with Him praying and studying the word found in the scriptures so that I am more prepared to do His will.  But, I do wonder, sometimes, if I am really prepared for him to return in full glory. Just as the ten bridesmaids did not put oil in their lamps preparation for the groom to come and get them for the wedding, I wonder if we are prepared for the day he returns to take us to himself.

St. Peter encouraged us to "... prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance."  (1 Peter 1:13-14 NIV)

Are we prepared?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Be Prepared!

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:35-40 NIV)

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Be prepared! The LORD has called you to be His own. Will you be ready? Or... are you too busy preparing for the next party? The next sports game? The next whatever? And, you do know what I mean when I say "parties." There are parties and then there are "parties." Of course, the LORD wants you to enjoy life and to celebrate at gatherings. There are those parties where we gather together to celebrate someone's birthday or a wedding or even a community picnic. But, then there are those "parties" that include celebrating illegal or immoral behavior. The latter party in no way prepares us to meet the LORD. 

The LORD wants us to enjoy life and all that gifts He's given us. But, the question we must ask ourselves is if these pleasures the number one priorities in our lives? If given a choice, what will you choose: the Kingdom of God for all eternity or immediate pleasure and gratification? Will you choose to sleep through life or will you be prepared for the return of the Master?

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning."

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Power of Death Is Put To Death

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:55-47 NIV)

Christ Lutheran is preparing for two funerals this week. Often, I hear families say that they would like these services to be celebrations of life rather than funeral. I wonder what they mean when they request this. Are we celebrating the life they lived here on earth or are we celebrating the fact that through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ they have eternal life or both?

Death is a fearful thing for most people; but, not for all. There are those whose faith is so strong that they look at death as the beginning of a most incredible life with our Father in heaven; with our Lord Jesus Christ. They know that death comes to us all. But, they also know that death does not have the final word. Jesus destroyed the power of death. He destroyed the power of sin, the power of death, and the power of the devil when he died for us and rose again and then ascended to the right hand of God where he rules over all things. Jesus has the final word as he was victorious over death for all who would believe.

This week, as we prepare to commend our brothers into the hands into Almighty God let us give thanks that nothing can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May God be with us as we grieve our loved ones and celebrate their eternal life in the house that our Lord has prepared for them and us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Tree of Life

By the sweat of your face    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return." Gen 3:19


To the dust you shall return was the sentence. For eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Had he eaten of the free gift of the fruit from the tree of life, he would have lived. But, he did not. Adam and Eve neglected the food that was good for them; that God had desired for them to eat, and chose that thing that they were not to have. How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! There Jesus is! He is there inviting us: Come and eat. This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."

That is the Good News. Today is Ash Wednesday. This afternoon we will remember, with the imposition of ashes, that from dust we have come and to dust our bodies shall return. But, we will also eat at the Lord's Table and remember that in Him we have eternal life and salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Join us at 5 pm today (Ash Wednesday) at Christ Lutheran Church, 2323 N. State St., Unit 112, Bunnell, FL as we remember that without Christ we are lost; but, with him we have life!

Rejoice!

"Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear."
                                          Rev 19:6b-8

We have a lot to rejoice in. St. John exiled on Patmos for his faith did not give up hope. St. Paul did not give up hope. The many saints before us never gave up hope. They looked to the day when they would be reconciled to God our Father and our Lord Jesus the Christ in the home that Christ prepared for us.

Life can be pretty confusing and tough at times. In times like those, remember, that today will pass and tomorrow will come whether we are here in this world or in the Kingdom prepared for us. For all who believe in Jesus and his gifts of forgiveness and salvation for us, life will go on. It is eternal.

By the blood of Jesus we have been reconciled to God and one another even now. So, rejoice and be glad and give God the glory! Give God the glory in all that you say and think and do. Whatever you do, do it as if to the Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. 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, so that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3 NRSV
Sometimes not allowing your heart to be troubled is a whole lot easier said than done. I spend a whole lot of time in prayer so that I can be reassured by God's presence that He is actually with me and with those whom I love. I spend a lot of time in the word so that I might be reassured of God's promise of eternal reconciliation with the One who loves me and the whole world enough to die for us.

As I consider what most troubles my heart, I find that it is concern for those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. My heart is most often troubled with concern for those who do not follow in the Way. My concern is that their hearts will be indefinitely troubled. My concern is that they might never know Jesus as I know that there is no healing for the broken heart except in Jesus the Christ.

I can do nothing except for pray and continue to encourage, with the Word, those who do not follow Jesus to turn around and follow him.

My heart is troubled. Yet, there is still peace to be found in the promise of eternal peace in the home that Jesus has prepared for all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J