Taxes

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (Luke 2:1, 4-5 KJV)

Thanks be to God that we don't have to travel far distances to be taxed! Taxes are an inevitable part of life. There are property taxes, sales taxes, income taxes and all sorts of other sundry taxes. They cause can stress and worry for  people.

Income tax season is fast approaching. Along with the season comes the concern whether you are going to have enough money to be able to pay the income tax on April 15th when the income taxes come due. Then, there is always the question as to whether they were done accurately and if you might end up talking to the tax collectors. 

Taxes are as inevitable as life and death to this world. However, thanks be to God for all who believe death has no power of us. In Christ Jesus we have eternal life. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Do Not Resist Arrest!

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake." 

                                                                              (Romans 13:1-5 KJV)

Message for the day: If you are asked by an officer of the law to stop; STOP. Do not attempt to flee. Do not resist arrest. Do not assault the officer in any manner; physically or verbally. Just, don't do it! It's not the way to go. It will not turn out well for you or anyone else.

There are ways to peacefully protest. Harming or attempting to harm police officers or civilians who might get in the way is definitely not the way to go. Looting or damaging the property others have worked hard to obtain or maintain is definitely not the way in which a Christian would go.

May God grant us peaceful resolutions and reconciliation. May He help us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Remember that Jesus did not raise a hand to defend himself nor would he allow his disciples to fight when he was arrested.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ten Thousand Shall Fall

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

                                                                                  (Psalm 91:1-8 KJV)

This is my daily prayer that a thousand who come against justice; a thousand who persecute and attack others unjustly, shall fall at His hand, ten thousand by His right hand. Simply put: I am very, very tired of people being attacked for their belief system and so I pray... What is wrong with living in peace? Why do people have to assault people and their property because they do not like what they believe? 

Let there be peace. May God grant that we should agree to live in peace without assaulting those whom we disagree with. If we refuse to live with justice for all then may God use His hand to bring about justice in His own way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Refuge From The Storm

For God alone my soul waits in silence,

   for my hope is from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor;

   my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
   pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.  Selah

                       Psalm 62:5-8 NRSV

Storms in the south; storms in the north, in the east, and in the west! The storms this past week or so and the storms that are impending have surely shaken many people. They have destroyed much property. They have brought fear into the hearts of many. We have yet to see if the storm in the south has taken any lives. We will see what is left; who is left, when the waters recede.

There is nothing that we can do when a storm approaches; but, to do whatever  we can to attempt to protect lives. Stationary property is at the mercy of the wind and the water. There is nothing we can do about that. One day it is ours. The next day it is gone. Even though this Psalm of David confesses that neither he nor we should be shaken; I cannot say that I am not shaken at the losses. 

I am shaken at the loss at the loss of life and property. But, I am confident that my soul is safe. I am confident that all who believe that Jesus died that we might live will indeed live in the presence of God for all eternity. In that I am not shaken. 

Sadly, we will suffer many losses in our lives here on earth. But, not one who believes will suffer from the loss of their life in the Kingdom of God. We remain confident that God is our deliverer. He is our fortress and refuge. In Him we shall trust for our deliverance; for our salvation; for our eternal life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Don't Worry

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matt 6:33-34 NKJV)

Is that not the truth? Do we not usually have enough trouble to worry about each day without considering what trouble might come our way tomorrow?

Actually, I tend to look ahead a lot! However, I do not look ahead with worry. I look ahead because I strongly believe that things go much better with preventive measures taken prior to the anticipated problem becoming a real problem.

For example: I pay my bills on time so that I do not have to throw more of my income on late fees or added interest in the future. I try to take care of the necessities of today, today. Tomorrow there will be enough for me to do without adding the things I was supposed to take care of today. Not being responsible for taking care of things that should be taken care of today just adds to the worry and stress of tomorrow. In the end, it is best to just worry about today and take cares of the tasks at hand and you will have very little time to worry about tomorrow.

In about eight months, my intention is to retire from Parish ministry. No, I'm not giving up on serving the Lord, just retiring from Parish ministry so that I am not tied down to serving in one place. My husband has been retired twice already. It is our intention to down-size as much as possible and pretty much live off the grid. We will be selling our home in Florida. Am I worried about not having a home in a state we plan to spend a lot of time in? No! God has been with us our entire lives. We have had some really tough financial times through the years. There were times when we were first married forty-some years ago that we were so broke that all we had for supper before payday was pancakes made with flour and water or navy bean soup with no meat whatsoever. Between my husband's and my careers, we've moved more times than I can even count any more. We have owned a lot of homes with those moves and lived in just about the same amount of rentals. Buying homes is costly and selling them can be even more costly. But, no matter what has gone on in our lives, God was with us through each and every day and has blessed us richly.

One of the things that I have realized over the years is that it can be quite difficult to seek first the kingdom of God or to follow wherever he would lead us when we're tied to a piece of property or any kind of contract with someone in this world. Those obligations often end up taking precedence over serving the Lord. It is time for me to be beholding to no one but the Lord.  

Whatever tomorrow brings, there is not much sense in worrying about it. Take care of today and trust that God is with you and will see you through both today and tomorrow. He will guide you. He will guide us wherever He would have us go and ultimately it will be to the Kingdom that Jesus has prepared for all who believe.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Extortion

In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst. Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.
                                                                           Ezekiel 22:12-14 NIV

Although she is no longer living with me, a young member of my family receives credit card offers in the mail at my home from time to time. I look at these offers and wonder how anyone could reach out so unjustly under the guise of helping them. For those young people who are struggling to get on their feet and provide for themselves; how could anyone offer to help them with credit at an interest rate of up to 28%. How could anyone think that they are helping anyone who has fallen onto hard times by charging them such high interest rates help to get them out of hard times? I am sure they could not truly believing that they are helping anyone but themselves. Rather, they are ensuring that the hard times will continue on for years to come.

Years ago when I worked in Administration for Criminal Investigation there was a case where a military wife was lending money to people in need. She was charging around 20% interest. What she was being investigated for was extortion and loan-sharking. It was a crime back then. But now, there are loop-holes that even banks and credit card companies can jump through to charge very damaging rates to those in need without any fear of prosecution. 

Ezekiel was told to judge Jerusalem for forgetting the Lord and for their unjust dealings with others. The people would not protect those who were being used so God promised that He would deal with those who extort unjust gain from others. I wonder why anyone who claims even the slightest connection to Christ would want God to deal with them by extorting large sums from those in need? Do they not realize that would not be a good thing for them?

We are called to help our neighbors and protect all that they own and to not do anything that would cause them further losses or harm. May God change the hearts of those who would use others for their own unjust gains so that people in need can truly be helped.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Condition Of Our Hearts

Jeremiah 17 NIV

The priest, Jeremiah, had a lot to say about the condition of the hearts of humankind. The hearts of the people have sin engraved on them. They trust in things of this world. They lust after and trust in wealth. They will do anything to get it, depriving the poor, spending their very life and breath in the pursuit of wealth and happiness.

The sooner we learn that the pursuit of money does not equate with happiness, the better off we will be. In the end we will lose any and all ill-gotten gain.

We all desire some joy and happiness in our lives. But, the truth is that these things do not come from wealth. They do not come from having "stuff." Real joy comes from being in relationship with others, with God. I have always appreciated that Thomas Jefferson changed John Locke's pursuit of life, liberty, and property, in the U.S. Constitution to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Property does not necessarily equate with happiness. Just think about the upkeep that goes with more property.. and, the taxes! Think about what happens when greed pervades society! All kinds of sin accompanies greed. Yet, multitudes have hearts so hardened like stone that greed and envy are engraved deeply into them. And... they are miserable! They desire more, but they do not know what that more is. 

   

Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay

    are those who gain riches by unjust means.

When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,

    and in the end they will prove to be fools.

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,

    is the place of our sanctuary.

Lord, you are the hope of Israel;

    all who forsake you will be put to shame.

Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust

    because they have forsaken the Lord,

    the spring of living water." (Jer 17:11-13 NIV)

But, there is good news. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God promises that He will remove our hearts of stone so that sin will no longer be engraved on them. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)

There is an answer to our loneliness and sorrow; to our lack of joy. The answer is Jesus Christ, our LORD, who loves us so much that He was willing to die for us, is with us. In that knowledge lies true happiness. May God bless us with hearts filled with His love for Him and for one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Lying To God

Lies invite darkness to descend upon the soul;
even upon the world.

 

  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

  “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

  Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

  At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 

                                                                                                                              (Acts 5:1-10)

I have been lied to and about so many times that there is no way that I could even count the times. We all have. Frankly, it makes me a bit weary. Sometimes, the lies are used to make someone look like someone they are not; like they are in the right and are doing good for others; while they are in truth, not.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira attempted to make themselves look righteous. They wanted to look as generous as the others who had sold their property and gave the proceeds to the church for the good of all of the people. But, they withheld some. Their sin was not so much in keeping some for themselves. The sin was in attempting to lie to God the Holy Spirit. God knows everything we say and think and do. It is just a bad idea to try telling God lies. The humans that we might tell lies to; usually know that we are not telling the whole truth, as well. We may not be able to prove the lies; but, God knows the truth. Lying to God, to others, and to ourselves can be very detrimental to our lives, to our futures.

The rest of the story for Ananias and Sapphira was that when they lied to Peter and to God, they died. They died immediately. When we lie to protect ourselves and our own egos; a bit of us dies inside, as well. When we tell untruths we are not who we were or who we can be in Christ Jesus. Make every effort then to speak and live in the truth with integrity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Only One Body; Only One Flock

Bringing the Good News to our brothers and sisters in Christ

in Laskela, Russia, many years ago. There is only one Body

of Christ. We live and serve by the power of the Spirit of

Christ that all of the sheep may be united as members of that

One Body.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 NIV 

What a tragedy that our Lord would have to die for our sins. Yet, he loves us so much that he was willing to suffer horribly and die for us. He was abandoned by the very sheep he sought to save.

And, not just was abandoned, is still abandoned. We, like sheep, have gone astray, turning each to his own way. One of the most predominant false gods within the church on earth is ourselves. Rather than God, it is the ego that is way too often served. The false gods of wealth and property also loiter around the church, as well. But, they usually pertain directly to the predominant false god of self. We say we love him and most probably do. But, at the same time we often forget to acknowledge and welcome the whole Body of Christ. Often the sheep do not recognize the other sheep; thinking only of their own needs; their own desires, striving only to fulfill their own egos. 

St Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment." (1 Cor 11:29-31) This not only relates to discerning the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Communion; but, to recognizing the body of Christ that comes to the table with us. It is not about us, as individuals. It is about the whole body of Christ living in His Kingdom, united and at peace with God and with one another. That doesn't happen when the sheep are all busy trying to go their own ways.

Like Peter and the other disciples, when the going gets rough; when it becomes a danger to self preservation of ego or even life itself, the sheep all too often scatter. Yet, he loves us so much that he was willing to suffer horribly and die for all the lost sheep that we might be reconciled to God our Father for all of eternity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Demons Recognized The Power Of Jesus

    

The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go

into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came

out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number,

rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Mark 5:12-1

     When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

     Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

     “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. (Mark 5:6-10 NIV)

In the Gospel of Mark, it is the demons, not humankind, who first recognize Jesus. They recognize that he is the Son of God and has power over them. They know that he has all power over them. In the demon possessed man, they beg him to allow them to enter into a herd of about 2000 pigs. This herd of about 2000 then rushed over a steep bank and drowned themselves in a lake.

You would think, the people would be happy that these 2000 demons were no longer in their presence. They were no longer torturing the man that they had come out of. But, no! They are not happy at all. They want Jesus to go away. The man who was healed of the demons is pretty happy though. He recognizes who this Jesus is and he wants to follow him. Jesus said no. "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19)

The demons recognizes the power of God in Jesus and were afraid. The man who was healed recognized his power and honored him, wanting to follow him. But, the people who were afraid because personal property; their pigs were lost wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  

When was the last time we chose unclean personal property over Jesus?

May God help us to understand the real power of Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Live In Peace

"Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy." Prov 12:20 NIV

Very, very tired this morning after reading the national news. It is draining to see so much animosity toward those who do not believe the way some might think everyone should believe.

There is way too much evil in the world. There is way too much bullying of those who do not think or act like some think everyone ought to think or act. Apparently, it has once again gone way past bullying; but, has advanced to actually destroying other people's property. The bullying has advanced to interfering with the rights and freedom of others.

Jesus, himself, did not get involved in the politics of the world. He got involved in the world, for sure. He forgave the sinner. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He did not promote violence against those who would not accept his ways. In fact, he loved all people so much that he was willing to die for us. He died that we might live in the peace that only God can give as we are reconciled to God through the shedding of his blood on the cross for us. He died for those who denied him. He died for those who crucified him. He died for you and me. This is the epitome of love; of unconditional love.

Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:12-14)

This is true love; that we should give our all for others whether we agree with them or not. Unconditional love calls for sacrifice. It calls for peace and reconciliation; not plotting evil against those who disagree with us.

May God help us to respect and love our neighbor no matter who we might think they are; no matter whether we agree with their politics or not, because we are all children of God. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Seek First The Kingdom of Heaven

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21

With loads of earthly treasure often comes much trouble. The more one has, the more one has to take care of. Sometimes the trouble that includes costly lawyers to settle estate or property disputes. Greed for things of this world can cause one a lot of stress. It can even cause members of a family to turn against one another. "The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live." (Proverbs 15:27)

However, when the treasure we seek is the Kingdom of God, much of this life's worries will disappear. "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt 6:31-33)

May our hearts always seek first the Kingdom of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Decisions

Whom or what shall we follow? What do we want out of this life? Where are our priorities?

At the present time, my husband and I are considering whether we should purchase yet another home; this time in Florida. We have looked at one that would suit us. I will need to turn in the paperwork to get approval for it tomorrow.

This morning, as I prepare to be installed as the pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Bunnell, I am thinking that it would be more beneficial to just live in the RV. I am not sure if I want another commitment to more property in this world.

Pastoring a congregation is a huge commitment and worldly attachments tend to distract us from what God calls us to do. Even the simple (or not so simple) act of looking for a new home takes away time that good be better used in service to God.  I am also not sure where God will call me in a year or two or three. I cannot help but wonder this morning if owning a home here in Florida would become a hindrance in my willingness to go wherever and whenever He would call?

When Jesus called those first disciples to follow him, they dropped everything. They left their homes, their families, their vocations to follow. It seems like it was such an easy thing for them. Yet, today, it is not easy. The law will bind us to many of the commitments we might make. It is not so easy to get out of some of them. Too many worldly commitments makes it much more of a challenge to seek first the kingdom of God and follow Jesus in the Kingdom of God.

May God help us to always be ready to follow wherever and whenever He would call.

God's Peace - Pr. J