Ask For Wisdom

My son, if you accept my words    
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and
    understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.
                                                           Proverbs 2:1-8

The LORD gives wisdom to those who ask.  Are you asking?

I don't think there are too many days that I don't shake my head in wonder at some of the things that are done with a total lack of wisdom or discernment. So many people making choices that will destroy their own lives and they don't even know it. They are not wise enough to even recognize that they are miserable!

If you are tired of making wrong choices and seeing bad consequences, ask the LORD for wisdom. Follow in the path that He has set before you. Quit derailing yourself. The wisdom of the LORD will help you to make your journey through this life with peace - peace of heart and mind.

May God grant you wisdom and peace with His and the whole world around you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

It's Time For The Old Adam To Die

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!" (Matt 18:6-7 NIV)

I was watching an episode of Last Kingdom last night. It is fiction based on the life and reign of King Alfred the Great. A couple things occurred to me while watching it:

1. That all those wars and rumors of wars that I hear are escalating today really have been around for a long, long time. As King Solomon said there really is nothing new under the sun. The hateful lust after power; control; and wealth turning humankind against God and neighbor is not a new thing. The sinful nature of humankind has been around since Adam. It has not gotten better. It doesn't appear to have gotten much worse, either. It is just there. Sin continues to reign in the hearts of many and atrocities occur. Woe to those

2. The church was not any different than the leaders of the various tribes and regions. The lust for power was immense and so false teachings prevailed. I pray that the church is different today. Unfortunately, the old Adam still reigns in many hearts and the lust for personal power creeps in and the focus is switched from the cross of Christ for the reconciling of the nations to God and one another to worldly endeavors; to personal power; to absolute control; for financial success. When the church focuses on such things it causes many to stumble.

Woe to the person who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble by their false words and deceptive actions. Woe to those who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble.

May God help us to always lift up the cross of Christ; proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God through the loving sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Glory Has Departed

She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” (1 Sam 4:21-22 NIV)

The Israelites attempted to use the ark as a means to manipulate their odds of winning the battle with the Philistines - like God is some puppet that if we say the right words or do the right thing He will do our bidding. They never consult God. They don't ask Him for guidance. They bring the ark of the covenant onto the battlefield in order to manipulate the outcome to their favor and they lose. They lose the battle. They lose the ark. The glory has departed from Israel.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the power of God and His many gifts to us. I think especially of the gift of His presence with us. He is with us always. His glory is with us. Yet, I wonder if we are really aware that God is with us? Do we use words like "God is with you" as platitudes in order to try to comfort the lost, the lonely, the hungry, the bereaved? Or, do we really believe these words? Do we use the words like magical incantations - hoping they will comfort - hoping they will help conquer? Or, do we really believe? Where is God's glory in all this? Is His glory with us when we use his word - his law - call upon His presence - like a magical incantation - to manipulate the outcome - to bring us success?

The glory had departed from Israel. They were still His people. Yet, they had entered into some dark times because they did not trust Him or His will for them, rather they tried to manipulate it for their benefit.

The glory, I believe, has departed from many lives - lives of His children today. Simply because we use the gifts, the freedom He has given us in Christ to try to manipulate Him. We don't trust Him. We don't go to Him. We don't listen to Him. We do all the talking and telling. We don't have glory. God is the glory! Without His glory, we are going to be in a very dark place. As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, let us remember that without God we are nothing. From dust we have come. To dust we shall return.

May God help us on our Lenten journey that we might return to the LORD, our God. There is only one God and that is not us! Let us bow down and worship the one true God and not to our own desires.  May He help us so that we might learn to hear His Word, listen to Him, and return to Him for our life and salvation.  

God's Peace - Pr. J