Help Us To Give!

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 KJV; Christ the King; Help us to recognize your abiding in presence in others. Help us to give even as you have given.

The Last Shall Be First

Matthew 20:1-16;17th Sunday after Pentecost; Mark 10:35-44; The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Humble yourself and serve others rather than your own egos and personal desires. 

By Grace Through Faith Alone

Ephesians 2:8=10 KJV We do good works not because they will save us rather because by God's grace we have already been saved.

Execute Judgment, Lord!

Psalm 119:81-88 & 2 Chronicles 7:14 Execute judgment, Lord, upon those who persecute others for their own profit and glory.

United As One Holy Priesthood In Christ

Psalm 133:1-3 KJV

Beware Of False Gods

 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 

                                                                      (Gal 4:1-9 KJV)

We know that through Christ we are free men and women. We know that we are the children of God and have been freed from bondage to those who by nature are not gods. Yet, something within us keeps driving us back into bondage to serve those false gods. Beware of the false gods that would creep into your life. Some of those false gods might seem innocent enough. But, they are not. They will take away our freedom. 

We are not always even aware when we have become obsessed with them; after all, we live in a world where false gods tend to take center stage in the world. When we cannot do without something or some activity then, dear friends, know that you have sold yourself back into bondage. You have sold yourself to a false god. as you are giving your time, your money, your life, to serve this false god. These false gods cannot save you. They can even bring you any real happiness or joy. They will not give you peace of heart or mind or soul.

We are children and heirs of the living God. Jesus freed us from bondage with his blood. Take hold of that freedom and turn away from all that would return you to bondage. 

Rejoice, for the Son has set you free and you are free indeed! (John 8-36)

God's Peace - Pr. J

One Body In Christ

Serving Together.
Worship in Laskela, Karelia, Russia (2002)
Russian Interpreter, myself preaching, Rev. Antti Lepisto as Finnish Interpreter
Two interpreters makes for a very long sermon; yet, by serving together all heard the message 
in their own language.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

                                                                            (Eph 4:1 KJV)

Only one!  There is only one Body in Christ! There is only one Body in Christ who worships and serves the one Father by the power of the one Spirit of God.

We, all who believe that Jesus who is the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin, lived and died on the cross for them and yet lives again in and through us all, are members of his Body.

Yet, there are many divisions within the visible church on earth. Not only individuals; but, whole congregations and even denominations, over the centuries, have turned to themselves to micromanage faith; to micromanage mission; to micromanage evangelism! Way too often we do not reach out because we who are in the church consider our own particular ways of being the church more important than being the Body of Christ.

Christ's ministry was to reach out to others. He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He healed the sick. He fed the hungry. He did all this with hand's on! He came to this earth as a true man for our sakes; to serve us. After teaching us many things, his ultimate act was to usher in the Kingdom of God for us by dying on the cross so that we might be forgiven our sins and live life as citizens of the Kingdom. But, before he ascended to that Kingdom he gave us a command. He told us to go and make more disciples by teaching about everything he had said and done and baptizing others.  There is only one Body in Christ. We are that Body. Christ continues to work in and through and above us all to continue serving others. 

But, if anyone thinks that we should stand aside though while false teachers and prophets proclaim a Gospel that Jesus did not proclaim, think again! Jesus did call out the false teachers and prophets. He did call out sinners. But, he loved them all. He loves us all enough to suffer and die a cruel death that we might live. We too love are to love all people. We ought to love them enough to call them out if they are teaching another gospel.

The faithful will work together to continue the mission of the Body of Christ reaching out to all people. We cannot isolate ourselves from the whole Body of Christ. There is only one Body and every member is needed for the Body to be fruitful. There is not one member more important than another that the other should be cast aside.

The Body of Christ serves others in unity by the power of the Spirit of God.  It is not we who do the work of our Father; but, God himself who is above all, and through all, and in us all. 

May God help us to drop the egos and the isolation so that we may love and serve one another as members of the Body of Christ.

God's Peace be with you all.  Pr. J.

By the Spirit

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

                                                                                        (2 Cor 3:3-6 KJV)

We serve not because of fear of the law; but, by the indwelling spirit of God. The Holy Spirit works through us to lift up the lives of others around us. We are ministers of God serving others not because we are so good; not because we are so capable; but, because the love of God in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit empowers us to do so.

The Spirit of God sets us free to live life to love and serve God; to love and serve others even as the Spirit of Christ loves and serves others through you. Live life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Freed From Bondage To Love And Serve Others

"And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes."

                                        (Num 11:4-6 KJV)

God's chosen ones whining! He has just delivered them from bondage and they are complaining because all they have to eat in the desert is manna. They seem to prefer the fish and vegetables they were able to eat as  slaves rather than their freedom from slavery.

Freedom does have its costs. To break free from bondage often requires some sort of sacrifice. In the case of God's chosen in order to receive their own land from God they will travel through the wilderness depending totally on God to protect them and feed them. But, they don't like the food that he feeds them with. They prefer what slavery had to over them.

In any huge change to our lifestyles we need to be prepared to experience more changes than just the change that we want. The Israelites apparently weren't expecting the hardships they endured to get to the promised land.

If you seek the promised land, the Kingdom of God; if you seek to be freed from the bondage you have to a materialistic and self-centered world, you must be prepared to have your lives changed. You must be prepared to do without those things that have kept you in bondage.  Life will not be the same. You will need to trust God completely to lead you through the wilderness. You will need to have faith that He will provide for your daily needs. It was not easy for the Israelites and it will not be easy for anyone today.

In Christ we have been made free. But, our freedom is not so that we might indulge ourselves. We have been freed by the blood of Christ to love and serve  God and to love and serve our neighbor.   

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."  (Gal 5:13-14)

Even as God chose the Israelites to be His chosen ones, He has called us to be His children as well. He has freed us from the bondage to sin by the blood of his only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we might go forth loving and caring for one another. Jesus loved us enough to die for us. Likewise let us love our neighbors even as he loves you and them.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Humble Yourself In Order To Serve

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 

                                                                                    (Phil 2:1-4 KJV)

I was listening to Jordan Peterson yesterday on YouTube. He's not everyone's favorite intellectual person. But, he makes some very good points when it comes to getting along in this world and with others in this world. Basically he says that in order to take care of others you must have your own house in order. It is not so much that you are supposed to think of yourself before you think about others. It is more like get your stuff together so that you are really able to help others. Taking care of yourself is not a selfish pursuit; but, a step in the pursuit of getting along with and helping the world around you.

None of us have our own homes in perfect order. Stuff happens and things fall apart; but, we work at putting things back into right order. But, if our lives our perpetual messes then it is really going to be difficult to serve outside of our own spaces. You cannot even begin to change the world if you cannot change yourself.

Think about others. Humble yourself so that you do not think so highly of yourself that you imagine that you can make things better for others when you are even able to make things better for yourself.

We do not live in a vacuum. Our actions do affect others around us, either positively or negatively. As you move about through your days consider how you affect others by what you do and say as well as by what you don't do. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: "When Christ call a man he bids him come and die." When Christ calls us to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves at the very least our egos must die. in order to serve God and others we must put aside any jealousies and strifes. We must put aside our cravings for more and more worldly things and take care of what God has already given us. Then we will be able to be more helpful in the preservation of the world around us and to help our neighbors preserve what belongs to them. 

May God help us to get our own houses in order that we might be more prepared to serve others to the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Created For Good Works

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10 KJV)

"God don't make no junk." I heard that phrase a lot a few years ago; but, not so much lately. Indeed, he doesn't. He has created all things with a purpose. He has created all people for a good purpose. That purpose is not to do harm. Yet, here we are doing harm to the people; the world, around us.

Years ago I was in a Bible Study that was studying the ten commandments. One of the women related that she didn't worry about all of the "shall nots." She found that if she just focused on loving the people and world around her she didn't fall into quite so many traps of doing harm to others. If you love your neighbor you will not steal from them. If you love your spouse you will not commit adultery. If you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind false idols will not be rising up to center stage in your life. We would probably all be better off if we worried a whole lot less about what we can't do and spend that time on focusing on the good that God has created and called us to do.

In Christ we have been freed from the bondage of sin. In Christ we have been set free to love and serve God and one another. In Christ we have been given new hearts; hearts not made of cold stone; hearts that desire to do good; to do no harm. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezek 36:26)

Let us pray: 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." 

                                                                                    (Psalm 51:10-12)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Whom Will You Serve

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God. 

                                                                                                   (Josh 24:1-2, 14-18 KJV)

The journey is over. The Israelites have been promised the land for generations. They have been led through some hard times. They have been blessed by the LORD. Joshua's days are almost over. He reminds the people of all that the LORD has done for them and tells them:

"...choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15)

Who indeed will you serve? Which gods? Will you revere the LORD in sincerity and in faithfulness? As Joshua encouraged the Israelites to recall their history with the LORD God, I encourage you to do the same. Who brought you out of bondage? Did any of your false gods really help you? You cannot serve two gods. Choose ye this day, whom you will you serve. And, whichever one you choose know that they will each desire faithfulness from you. Will you choose the One who first chose you, who is faithful, and has always been faithful to you? Will you choose the one who loves you so much that He was willing to die for you? Or will you choose a lesser god, a god that does not love you, one that will only take from you, a god that will take your very joy and leave you alone and helpless? Choose ye this day... And, do not be deceived there is only one God that loves you. Put away all those false gods, for you cannot serve them all and live.

God's promise to you is a for an abundant life in His Kingdom - in His very presence. Do not choose to receive a lesser gift than this. Do not turn your back on the LORD who gives you life.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Serve Together In Love

Love one another; serve in unity

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

                                                                                        (Eph 4:11-16 KJV)

Do we ever really grow up?  To truly grow up can take a lifetime and usually a lot of heartache. Society, today, gives us about eighteen years to help our children grow up and then we turn them loose on the society. As Christians, we do our best to teach our children who Jesus is and what he has done for us and why. We pray that they will follow him. But, the devil prowls and not everyone would have our children go in "The Way" that they should go for their own good and for the good of society. But, with the help of God, we do what we can and then continue to pray for them until the day we die.

It would be most helpful for our children and for society if we could all work together using the gifts that God has given each of us to help all of our children grow up into him who is the head; who is Jesus the Christ. 

I have been following an interesting and energetic young Christian man who has established a school for teens in Albany, GA. He has just turned 22 years of age yet has accomplished amazing things. His group is known as "the X for Boys."  King Randell is intent on not only making sure that they complete their High School educations; but,  to also prepare them for their futures teaching them life skills as well. A couple of the projects they've been working on are automotive repair and carpentry. 

He uses his God-given gifts to help (not hinder) his community as a whole as he teaches these young men to grow up in Christ and to use their gifts to help themselves and others. What a wonderful world this would be if we would all use our gifts to serve the whole community in love.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Will You Lose Your Soul?

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
 

                                                                                  (Mark 8:34-38 KJV)

What indeed will it profit you if you gain riches beyond measure; even if you gain the whole world, but lose your soul? What will it have profited you if in the end you lose it all including your soul?

Christ lost his very human life in order that we might live eternally in the presence of God our Father. He was willing to give it all for us. Would we turn our backs on this precious gift and grab for the pleasures of this world in exchange for a life of peace and of joy in the presence of Almighty God?

Consider carefully what or whom you will serve!  

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

Do not fear the losses you might endure in this world as you serve the Lord; but, rejoice for the Lord has promised you life in his presence through the gift of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Therefore; let us "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." (Psalm 100:2)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Not Consumed By Anger

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

                                        (Gal 5:13-15 KJV)

The Holy Scriptures remind us over and over again that we are to love one another. Anger does very little good. There are a times when anger can motivate us to do as when we someone being abused. But, we do not turn that anger into hate. (Eph 4:26-27) We use it to try to make the world a better place to live in by serving others.

Anger damages the person our anger is directed at. But; it also damages the one who is angry for end up living without peace. As St. Paul advises us in Galatians: "...if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." 

Peace is found in being reconciled to God and to one another by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. It is a gift from God. Living in anger with others will give us no peace. 

"Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." 

                                                                                         (Matt 5:42-45)

Love your neighbor. Bless them that curse you and do good to those who hate you. Live in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Alone: A Good Or Bad Thing

"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."  (Luke 5:15-16 KJV)

Is being alone a good or a bad thing? It can be either.

Scripture tells us that it is good that people should support one another. We should not be without fellowship. We should not isolate ourselves from others but live and serve the Lord and one another together.

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." (Eccl 4:9-10)

And then we have St. Paul telling us that it would be better not to marry so we can better serve the Lord. Yet, if we can not restrain ourselves then it is better to marry. 

"I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn." (1 Cor 7:8-9)

Paul may not have been devoted to a wife. Yet, he was not alone. He served the Lord in fellowship with other followers and above all God was with him.

So shall we live alone or must we, as so many people seem to think, live in some type of committed relationship with another? 

It is good to have someone to share life with. But, in search of that special person be very careful that you are not stepping into a lonely state of being even while you are not physically alone. The loneliness that is sometimes experienced even while you are with someone can be far worse than being alone. 

Despite what some people have conjured up in their minds and promoted, no where in scripture do we find that Jesus himself was in any type of committed relationship with any one individual other than his Father in heaven. For sure, he surrounded himself with people as he served them. He surrounded himself with those he was teaching. Those are good things. But, he would also often withdraw himself from the community in order to talk one on one with his Father, our Father in heaven. "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." (Luke 5:16)

Whether we commit to spend our lives with someone is entirely our choice. May that choice be one based on mutual love and a mutual desire to serve God and all whom God has created. 

It would; however, be very unwise to put any one person before the Lord your God. It is most beneficial to do as Jesus did and withdraw from others at least for short periods of time every day and spend time in prayer; in communication, with our Father in heaven. 

He will be there for you always and He will guide you in His ways. Seek His presence and spend intentional time with Him daily for He loves you as no other can.  

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Jesus Is The King Over All Kings

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
Psalm 72:11

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

(Psalm 72:1-14 KJV)

+++

There is one King and on King alone that can save us. His name is Jesus the Christ!

For some unknown reason many have deluded themselves into thinking that the government can help us. We even think that the government is going to make sure we are fed. The government will make sure that we have a roof over our heads. Look around. That has not happened. It has not happened in capitalist or socialist countries. 

The governments around the world are made up of fallible human beings who have their own agendas. However, this King Jesus who abides in all who love him helps those in need through you. His agenda that is to love you.

After Jesus had risen from the grave he asked Peter, who had denied him three times at his trial, if he loved him. When Peter said that he did, Jesus told him three times that if he did he would go and feed his sheep.

"He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (John 21:17)

Jesus didn't tell governments to go and feed his sheep. He told you. He told us to. 

At one of the parishes that I previously served; I not only had local people stop by the parsonage for assistance with their needs, I often had travelers stop by my home (usually near midnight) who needed assistance. Some needed gas or a ticket home; some needed shelter (motel for the night); some needed food. Many of the travelers seemed to be coming from Canada. In fact there were so many coming from Canada, I finally asked one of the travelers how he found me since neither the church or the parsonage were on the main highway. I jokingly asked if there was a sign at the Canadian border in Sault Ste. Marie with my address for anyone needing help. He laughed, as well, and told me that he had stopped by the State Police and they gave him my address. 

I cannot help but wonder with all the shut-downs due to COVID-19 how many people in need knocking on church doors to seek assistance are finding the churches closed and no one to help. I am assuming that not too many Police Departments are handing out pastors' addresses so those in need can knock at their homes. 

The governments of the world cannot; do not; and will not help everyone in need and sometimes when they do attempt to they actually cause more hunger and homelessness with their rules and regulations that go along with the assistance. We have been witness to that. 

But, the King of all creation can help. He helps through you. He helps through everyone of his followers who hear his call to "feed his sheep."

There is only one King who can save us. His name is Jesus!

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

He Died For The Good We Do Not Do

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8 KJV)

It is a joy to worship and to serve the Lord. Yet, we often find that we are doing exactly the opposite. This is part and parcel of the sinful nature of humankind. We know what is right. Yet, we find ourselves being steered in the wrong direction. 

St. Paul, the great missionary and evangelist found himself in the same situation. He wrote: 

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (Rom 7:16-20)

There are days when we can be torn between which direction to go in. Is one way wrong and the other way right? Which is which? Which way will lead me to appease the flesh and which way is the way that the Spirit of God would have me go?

When Peter, James and John witnessed Jesus transfigured on the mountain and speaking with Elijah and Moses they heard a voice coming from the cloud that hung overhead: "This is my beloved Son: hear him." (Mark 9:7) 

Listen to him and follow in the way that he would have you go. Sometimes, that still is easier said than done. The world, our flesh, our sinful natures sometimes want to shout over the Word of the Lord and it can be confusing. We can be pulled in many directions by all of these voices. Like Paul, we will do what we ought not do even when deep inside we know that there is a better way; even when we don't want to do it. 

Thanks be to God for his mercy is great. He has sent his only begotten Son to take away the sins of the world. Thanks be to God for the Lamb of God, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Gal 1:4-5)

God's Peace - Pr. J

One Body

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

                                                                             (Eph 4:4-7, 11-13 KJV)

We may be many; yet, we are all one in Christ. We are united in His Body as we abide in him and he in us. We, who are members of this Body of Christ have been called and equipped for service in order that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Do you see what that means? Although our good works contributes nothing toward our salvation; we are called to serve the whole body according to the gifts that have been given to us as individuals for the edification and growth of the body of Christ, who is the Church, who is Jesus the Christ. 

We must all serve in unity, according to the will of God, with the mind of Christ, who is our head, in order for this maturity to happen. What I've witnessed all too often is that when one person tries to do it all nothing much gets accomplished. Too many frying pans in the fire at one time being handled by one person and something is liable to get left undone or burned. Many congregations and even denominations are like that. We equip only a few for service and growth. If there is any growth it is very slow. That is because some of the members of the body of Christ aren't working.

Consider the times that you may have injured an arm or a leg, maybe you had a lung infection or other illness that affected one part of your body. Did that one member of your body not slow you down; maybe, even stop you from doing anything? 

We are all members of one body, meant to work in unity and unison so that the whole body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge and Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

So lets get with it and equip all of the saints! Train the members of the body so that together we might grow in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Receiving A Kingdom

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

                                                                              Hebrews 12:28 KJV

If it weren't for the hope of the kingdom, I would find this world much more difficult to endure. By acknowledging that the kingdom of God is my inheritance by the grace of God, I can stand and keep on keeping on. It's not always easy as my sinful nature likes to creep in and tell me otherwise.

But, in the end, it is the love that I know that God has for me that wins out. I can rejoice in that knowledge.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

                                                                                     Romans 8:16-18

God's Peace - Pr. J