No One Knows The Hour!

Matthew 24:36-44 KJV; Devotion for 1st Sunday in Advent. Are you as prepared for Christ to return in full glory as you are for Christmas morning?

Heaven And Earth Will Pass Away

Gospel according to St. Mark 13:31-33; We do not know the day when heaven and earth will pass away; but, be prepared for death to this world is inevitable.

Gifts For God's Glory

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

                                                                     (1 Cor 12:1-11 KJV)

We do not all have the same gifts. But, we all have been given gifts by God to use that God might be glorified. Jesus was willing to be tortured and die a cruel death for us; yet, so often we are not even willing to use our gifts for the sake of others; for the sake of the Kingdom; for the sake of glorifying God.

Do not worry about what gifts others have.  If everyone had the same gift not much would be accomplished toward the Kingdom of God. Use the gifts that God has given you and thank him for the opportunity to use them. Do not be afraid to use your gifts for God would not have given them for us just to set them on a shelf in the closet like an unwanted Christmas present. 

You are a child of God and he has given you good gifts for a purpose. Use those gifts for the growth of the Kingdom and ultimately to glorify our Father in heaven!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Your Words In My Mouth

"Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." 

                                                                                   (Jer 1:4-9 KJV)

Now, in order for prophecy to be heard it must be spoken. Words must be used and they must be heard for the prophecy to avail anyone. When the Lord informed Jeremiah that He had ordained him to be a prophet to all nations, Jeremiah was not convinced that he was up to that vocation. But, the Lord told him that he was because He would be with him and He would tell him what to say. He touched Jeremiah's and said, "Behold I have put my words in they mouth."

Like Jeremiah, we are often not sure what words to use to share the word of the Lord with others. We are often not sure what words to use to tell people about the love of our Lord Jesus. Yet, if we don't use words the Good News will never be heard. 

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

Help us Father by putting your words in our mouths so that we might tell the world about your great love and mercy toward us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Speak, Lord, For Your Servant Listens

And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

                                                                           (1 Sam 3:1-10 KJV)

Three times the Lord called out to Samuel. But, Samuel did not recognize the voice until Eli told him that it was the Lord trying to speak with him. 

How often does the Lord speak to us and we do not hear him? Too much noise; too many distractions; too much of everything going on to be still and listen to Him? Maybe you don't listen for His voice because you don't believe that He will actually talk to people in this day and age. 

Praying is not just about telling God what your "give me this list" is. It is not just about thanking him. It is both of those things. But, it is also about listening to Him; listening for God to whisper your name and to affirm that He truly loves you and is with you.

There's a lot of prophecy flying around on the internet these days. I've heard many "prophets" say the Lord told me this or that is going to happen. It can be difficult to know what is real prophecy from God and what is not.  I haven't really seen much, if any, of it come to fruition. The word of the Lord, coming to us in the form of prophecy, does not usually tell us what is going to happen as many of these prophets have been telling us. Prophecy, the word of the Lord, does not work like a fortune teller; it is not like a crystal ball. He does not  tell us the future, especially not in full detail. He has given us free will, so the future can change. As in the days of Jonah, prophecy is most often a warning that there will be consequences if we don't change our ways; if we don't repent of whatever it is that we are doing that we ought not be doing. 

God does speak to us. He speaks to us through the word found in the Holy Scriptures.  He speaks to us through others who know Him. He speaks to us in the stillness of our hearts. But, we can't hear that voice unless we slow down and listen. A little warning here... Have you noticed that many of the prophecies have done nothing more than cause you to be a bit or a lot anxious about the future?  The devil and his minions have no problem with pretending that they are the Lord speaking to you. Make sure the whisper that you hear is from the Lord and not some other entity trying to stir up trouble and that the word you hear is supported by the word found in the  Holy Scriptures.  

In the darkness and the quiet of his room Samuel heard the voice of God call to him. May God help us to change our ways and take the time in prayer to really be still and ask Him to "Speak Lord, for your servant listens." Then listen! Listen to His promise that He loves you and is with you always to comfort and guide you in the way of our Lord Jesus the Christ. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Destroying the Children

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

                                                                              (Matt 2:4-8 KJV)

Herod was not in the least bit interested in worshiping this child born in Bethlehem. He wanted to find him so that he could get rid of him.

Why exactly would Herod be so afraid of a child? Could there have any other reason than that Herod believed the prophecy about Jesus? He was afraid. He was afraid that Jesus would replace him. He was afraid that he no longer would be the center; that he would lose his own power and authority; his prestige. It would not be one bit convenient for Herod this baby to grow up. 

After Jesus was born, Herod had ordered all of the children under the age of two years in and around Bethlehem murdered. Fortunately, Joseph had been warned of this in a dream and the family escaped Herod's wrath. Herod's fear of this child was great!

I cannot help but wonder if that is so like the reason so many parents today would rather destroy their children than raise them up in the way that they should go. Are they afraid that the children will grow up and the evil ways of those around them will be exposed and they will no longer have power or authority over the child? Are they afraid that when they are exposed they will no longer be lifted up in anyone else's minds? Are they afraid that the child will be protected by others and grow in the way they should actually be going rather in the self-centered way that the adults around them would have them go.

It is a sad thing when children are neglected and even persecuted so that the adult can look good. A very sad thing, indeed! Adults ought to be protecting them not destroying them for their own convenience and ego's sake.

May God protect the children from adults with their own personal agendas which have very little to do with the children's welfare.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Savior Comes

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days..” 

                                             (Micah 5:2 NIV)

The prophecy of the one who would be born in Bethlehem... The people of God looked for and waited for this promised savior to deliver them; to bring them peace. He is the one whose birth we celebrate on Christmas morning. The Christ child, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem as God, through Micah, promised. The savior has come. The bringer of peace is here. He came to bring His peace so that the people of God would be one with God and with one another. The divide would be forever destroyed as it has been for all who would live and abide in His name, through His death; His resurrection and His ascension.

During this Advent season, we remember how the people longed for this savior to be born. We remember; and, as children of God, we prepare for Him to come again in full glory.

Remember always and prepare your hearts for He has come! He is Risen! And... He will come again!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Refined On The Way

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside."  (Job 23:10-11 NIV)

Unlike Job, I would dare to say that none of can say that we have kept to the way of the Lord without ever turning aside. There have been moments in all of our lives. "As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
    there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one. (Rom 3:10-12)

Job was an amazing man who was always faithful to the Lord according to most interpretations of the story. I have never been able to fully accept this. I've been around. I know people. I know me. I have a very difficult time accepting that anyone is that righteous. He may have closely followed. He may have even kept to his way without turning aside. But, I wonder if he ever stumbled on the path and was in need of being picked back up by the Lord. If he had not; if he was perfectly righteous to begin with why would he say that was he was tested he would come forth as gold?

Job was tested and when he was he did; after all, question God.  He was not at all happy about the trials that God was allowing him to be tested with. He was quite grieved. We too become grieved when put through trials and testings. We become grieved when we walk through fiery ordeals. But, just as Job did, we need to remember that the fires are meant to refine so that once we have walked through the fire we will come out more pure than even silver or gold when they have been refined.

Be careful to stay on the path. You may feel like you are stumbling and falling; but, be assured the Lord will lift you up. According to the prophecy of Daniel: "Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." (Dan 11:35)

    I will refine them like silver
    and test them like gold.
They will call on my name

    and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.

(Zech 13:9) 

God's Peace - Pr. J