Consequences To Not Sharing The Word

1 Samuel 3:11-20; KJV the rest of the OT reading for this coming Sunday the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany; Eli's household suffers for the sins of his sons and for not restraining them from their vile sins.

Love For The Children

Galatians 4:4-6 KJV; Even as God has loves us, His adopted children, we love and care for our children.

God Resides In His Temple

2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 KJV God resides in His temple. He lives in us. Hear His promises and be born again as children of God.

Wisdom Calls

Proverbs 8:1-4 KJV Wisdom calls. We should listen.

Where Were You?

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
                                                                                   (Job 38:1-8 KJV)

Where were we when the Lord did all these things? Were we there advising God? Were we even there to witness it? Of course not! We were not there. He is the creator and we are his creation. Who are we to question his motives? Who are we to consider that we might have more insight; more knowledge; more wisdom than God? Who are we to judge God? Who are we to be making decisions that clearly go against his will for humankind? 

The Lord is our God. He is the only true God, the creator of all of the heavens and earth. Listen to him! 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Not For The Fear Of Hell

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

                           (John 1:12-13 KJV)

I was reminded this week of something a confirmation student once asked me. That question was:  "Why do I want to go to heaven?"  Why indeed!?  What brought this to mind was something I heard this week. Not a direct quote; but, what I understood this person to imply strongly was: "We need to repent so that we do not go to hell." 

Hmmm....  Still knots in my stomach, days later, over that one! That reasoning is really hard for me to grasp for it certainly is not my reason for wanting "to go to heaven."  You see, I am a child of God. We have a tremendous Father in heaven who truly loves us. By faith alone in Christ alone we have been reconciled to our Father in heaven. I love Him and I want to be in his presence every moment of every day. That why I want to abide in heaven.

On the night in which he was betrayed Jesus told the disciples that he would be leaving them; but, that they should not be worried. He was going to prepare a place for them in his Father's house; our Father's house. He told them:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

                                                                                    (John 14:1-6)

The truth is humankind was kicked out of paradise for despising God's word. They did not listen to him. What a great loss that was! Humankind could no longer walk with God in the place he had prepared for humankind. But, through the sacrifice that Jesus made for us we can now live with God in paradise; in the heavenly kingdom. 

It is not for the fear of hell that we should desire to go to heaven. It is for the opportunity to live in our loving Father's presence for all of eternity. After all, who doesn't want to love and be loved?

God's Peace - Pr. J.

His Beloved

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." 

                                                                                            (Zeph 3:17 KJV)

He has saved us. With the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus, we have been spared. 

No matter what is going on in our lives here on earth we can know that He is with us and loves us. He loves us more than is possible for any human being to love. Rejoice in Him as He rejoices in you. 

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 

                                                                                         (1 John 3:1-2)

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  You are His beloved child!

God's Peace - Pr. J.  

You Are A Child Of God

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

                                                                                   (1 John 3:1-2 KJV)

How great is that! We are called the children of God. Those who do not believe in Jesus have a real tough time figuring out who we are and what we are about. They do not understand us because they just can't understand that great love God has toward all of his creation. 

No matter what we have done in our pasts, God still loves us and desires that we trust in the gift of salvation and life in His presence through Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord. 

No matter what you have done; what sins you might wish you had not committed; Jesus died to take away those sins from your rap sheet. You, a child of God, are forgiven! 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Saints and Sinners

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."

                                                                            (1 John 3:1-5 KJV)

Each and everyone of us transgresses the law. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8) Yet, God loves us sinners enough to send his only begotten Son to die on the cross for us. He died to take away our sins.

We, who are sinners, are also saints by virtue of the blood that was shed on the cross for us. Even though the sinner in us is way more apparent at times than the saint in us; God still calls us his children. We are brothers and sisters with and in Christ. We are one in the family of God. 

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.." (Heb 2:9-11)

"...Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." (Rom 4:7)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Living God

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:15-16 NIV)

Today is the day to rejoice for our God is a living God. He is not a god made with human hands or imaginations. He lives and he loves us. He loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to die that we might be saved from our sins. 

Believe Him. Believe in Him. Trust Him. Rejoice, for the living God loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to live and die for that we who were not His sons and daughters might be his sons and daughters. 

With Peter and all of the saints let us all confess, "Jesus is our Savior, the Son of the living God!

God's Peace - Pr. J