Shepherd of our souls

1 Peter 9-25 KJV; 4th Sunday of Easter; The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls is our righteousness.

Itching Ears Lead Us Away From The Way Of Christ

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 KJV; Those itching ears lead us away from the way of Christ when in fact all Christians are called to share the word of God; to share the Good News of life and salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Service In The Lord's Army

2 Timothy 2:1-13; All who believe are called to serve in the Lord's Army.

He Bore Our Sins

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 

                                                                                    (1 Pet 2:21-24 KJV)

It is causes us much grief to witness someone suffering. How much more grief we bear when we understand that the suffering and death that Jesus went through was solely for our sakes. On that cross he bore our sins in his body. He bore our sins that we might be healed; be made whole in the eyes of God.

Because of his suffering you are forgiven all of your sins! God forgives you. Don't neglect to receive that forgiveness and live life in Christ!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Hinds' Feet; High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights." 

(Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." 

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. It is the story of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd who takes them through many dangers to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet. It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God.

This is a familiar story to many of us as even daily we journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers we encounter as we journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine.

God's Peace - Pr. J NIV)

By Grace We Are Saved

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:1-10 KJV)

Sinners, dead in our sins; yet, Saints alive in Christ Jesus. We are sinners. That is a fact. Everyone of us sin, even daily. We lust after things of this world. We fall prey to following in the ways of this world rather than in the path that Jesus has set before us. There are no excuses that will justify our sinful natures. The only thing that justifies is the blood of Christ shed for the sins of the world.

We cannot save ourselves. No matter how many good things we try to do they will never balance out or cancel out our sins. Our salvation is a free gift from God. We cannot earn it by any good works. It was given when His only begotten Son worked out our salvation for us by hanging on the cross; by suffering and dying for our sins. Since we can do nothing to save ourselves we thank God for this gift of life in His kingdom; in His presence.

By grace through faith we are saved. It is not our work the procures our salvation. It is a gift from God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Peace By Jesus' Blood Alone

 

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." 

                                                                              (Rom 5:1, 8-11 KJV)

We who were not God's children are now God's children. We who were the enemies of God now live in peace with Him by merit of Jesus' blood alone. 

There was and is nothing we can do to atone for our own sins. For in the process of attempting to we will continue to sin. But, faith alone in the atoning sacrifice of  Christ alone will reconciled us to God our Father.

The knowledge that Jesus did for us by his suffering and death what we cannot do for ourselves brings us great peace and joy. For now we can live in the presence of God reconciled with Him with the confidence that He will guide us through any dark times that we may encounter. In that we can rejoice. In that we can find peace. 

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled."

                                                                                  (Col 1:20-21)

Thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ who died that we might be reconciled to God our Father and abide in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Bear Their Pain

"O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." 

                                                                             (Psalm 139:1-10 KJV)

I was looking at all of the homes and other buildings as we were driving down the road last night and it occurred to me that God knows and loves each and every one of the people inside of those places. He created them. He knows them. He knows every word they say; every thought they think; every emotion that they feel. He knows all of this and yet he cares deeply for them all. 

Only God is capable of this and just maybe that is why humans tend to be so clannish. To know what God knows about us would be overwhelming. To know the joys and sorrows, the pains and the suffering of every single individual in the world would be overwhelming for us mere mortals.  It is difficult to watch the people around us suffer. But, to know, to really know, what everyone in the whole world is going through; to feel their suffering is way beyond our ability. We would crumble under that kind of emotion. 

How amazing it is that our Lord loves us so much that he can know and completely understand what we are going through. He is there for us. He is right there with us through thick and thin; through every second of the day. He can understand and no matter who we are or what we may have done he still love us. He can bear all things for us. He can handle the joys of the world and he can handle the suffering of the world. He did in fact take all of our sins upon himself. 

I cannot imagine bearing the weight of all things for all people. But, on the cross our Lord Jesus bore the sins of the world. 

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 

                                                                                        (1 Pet 2:21-24)

As humans we may find that there are times that we tend to isolate ourselves to protect ourselves from experiencing the pain and suffering of others. To know and feel the pain of so many might be overbearing. But, to follow in the steps of Christ means to love. It means putting yourself out there to know and understand not just the joys; but, the sorrows of others as well.

If Jesus loves each and every person so much that he was willing to give his life for us and if we really desire to follow in his footsteps we ought to at least try to love others no matter who they are. 

God's peace be with you all - Pr. J.

Imprisoned

"Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me.."

                  (Philemon 1:9-11 KJV)

Greetings: 

I remember receiving word that a young friend (a former secretary) had "received life." Now in the Christian context you might assume that he has received Christ into his life; that he has received the promise of eternal life. I wish that I could say that this was so. He "received life" in the worldly context. He received three life sentences in prison, without parole. When I heard the sentence he had received, in grief, I voiced it aloud: 

"HE RECEIVED LIFE." 

Still, there is hope to be found hope in those words. It is my hope that his sentence in this world is a sign to me that he has received life eternal, although he may not realize that fact, yet. I have prayed for him often; that we would be one in Christ; that he would enter into the Body of Christ. It is painful for me to think of one so young living behind bars for another 50 or 60 years. But, it is reality. A reality that may seem cruel, but may also be the very opportunity needed for him to "receive life." This friend of mine received the consequences of his actions in this world; yet, he still has the opportunity for freedom; a freedom that is found only in Christ; for all of eternity. 

St. Paul spent a good portion of his ministry behind bars. Although scripture has no record of how many received the truth of Christ through the word spoken by Paul, I am sure there were quite a few. We read in Philemon, that he who was in prison had converted the young man, Onesimus.  I guess you could say Paul was called to prison ministry, but not in the way most of us view prison ministry. Paul was there, living it. One on one, he experienced the pain and suffering of those in prison with him. Because he suffered the same pain, he understood and because he understood others listened and received life. 

There is a prison that we don't recognize as easily as we do the earthly prison surrounded by bars and barbed wire. That prison is our bondage to sin; our bondage to the desires and ways of this world; our desires to be served rather than serve in the love of Christ. This prison is harder for us to recognize and so often we never even desire freedom from it. Many actually come to like it in these chains. Within the walls of a correctional facility freedom can be found in Christ Jesus; freedom to love and serve as the world is not competing quite as loudly for first place in your life. 

Jesus promised that: "..the truth shall set you fee." (John 8:32) However, for those of us who may be bound in a prison of worldly comforts of self-serving desires and pursuits, it's really hard to see the truth (often preferring not to see the truth, about our need for forgiveness, so we don't ask for it), remaining in bondage to sin. 

As we consider our own freedom; let us ask God to reveal to us whether we are truly free. Let us pray first for salvation, for freedom in Christ. Let us pray for one another, in love, that forgiveness in Christ be received by all God's children who find themselves in prison: both the correctional facilities and those chained to the desires of this world. Let us also pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for our Prison Chaplains and all who work in the Prison Ministry for bringing the Light of Christ into such darkened lives. 

God’s Peace – Judy

Nothing To Fear; Yet, We Do

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel..." 

                                                                                       (2 Tim 1:7-10 KJV)

What is there to fear? After all; Christ has abolished death and has brought to light life and immortality through his own suffering and death and life.

There is nothing to fear. Yet, the reality is that there are things that do frighten many of us. Death for ourselves is not one of those things. But, the possible deaths of loved ones who do not know and believe in Jesus can cause us to fear for them. The refusal of people that we care about to get to know Jesus can cause us many anxious moments. 

There are a few ways to combat those anxious moments. The first is to turn to God in prayer. The second is to be bold in our testimony of our Lord; to share what God has done for us and continues to do for us through Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour.

May God grant you peace of heart and mind and faith to all whom you love and know.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Prayers of Distress and Praise

"In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me." (Psalm 120:1 KJV)

The truth is that it has been a really long time since I've cried tears of distress. I do still weep to witness the hurt and suffering that others go through. I cry tears of joy from time to time. But, as I've gotten older, for some reason, things that really would have bowled me over in past years just do not affect me as they once did.

I believe it's probably because I now know that no matter what happens God knows exactly what is going on and He is with us in those distressing times. He knows and He hears our prayers before we even pray them. He hears our prayers and He answers.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

                                                                                           (Rom 8:26-28)

Call upon the Lord in good times and in bad times. The Lord is with you and hears you. He hears your pleas for help. He hears your prayers of praise and thanksgiving. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

There Is Only One Who Can Save You

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.

                                                                                   (Isaiah 43:10-11 KJV)

Still in trouble? No matter what you do, does it seem that nothing ever goes right? Maybe, just maybe, it's because you are depending on someone or something other than the One True God to help you with your problems. There is only one Savior and that is our Lord Jesus the Christ. 

Trust him. False prophets; false teachers; false gods will bring you nothing but more bondage; more suffering. They will lead you astray into even darker places. They will lead you off of the path that leads to eternal peace in the presence of God. 

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (2 Peter 2:19)

Nothing in this world can save you. There is only one way and that is by faith alone in Christ alone. Follow him. He will show you the way.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..." (Eph 2:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

He Is With You In Suffering

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32 KJV)

Feeling a bit depressed? Maybe, a whole lot anxious or depressed. Do not give up. Turn to the Lord for help. Remember that you have a God who loves you so much that He was willing to give his only begotten Son to suffer and die for you. Think about it! If He loves you that much do you think that He would abandon you in your hour of need? 

He is with you always and He is for you. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:38-39)

Do not despair! Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Trust Him! In Him there is hope. There is peace in His love.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Be Kind

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. (Col 3:12 NRSV) 

As the saying goes, "if you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem." There is enough natural trouble in the world without adding to it. There is much suffering due to incurable diseases. Multitudes are homeless. Natural disasters are common and when they happen people often find that they have lost everything that they own.

Most of us feel empathy towards those who are suffering. What do we do about it? Do we look away? Do we continue to cause more suffering with divisions and strife over trifling things? Do we insist on our own way even when that way is damaging to others as well as the world around us?

If we can't get along well enough to be part of the solution; then we are a part of the problem. 

Be compassionate and kind, serving one another with humility. That might be a good start to having less suffering in the world.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Clothe Yourself With Good Things

"As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." Col 3:12 NRSV

We are not to be doormats. We are to stand firmly on the truth, which is the Word of God. Jesus, and in the end his disciples, did not back down from the truth. They stood firmly on God's Word and on His promises. 

But, neither are we to be bullies asserting our rights over the rights of others. Paul encourages the Colossians to treat one another with compassion and kindness. We are to try to have empathy for others; to, as the saying goes: "walk a mile in the shoes of others." We are to listen to all sides with humility; humbling ourselves so that we do not put our needs over the needs of others, and with empathy so that we can act with compassion and kindness to those who are suffering.

May God reconcile us to Himself and to one another, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

God's Peace - Pr. J

Choosing The Wrong Way

The clever see danger and hide;

but the simple go on, and suffer for it. 

(Proverbs 22:3 NRSV)

We are free to do as we please. We are free to do what is good for us as well as what is not good for us. But, we must understand that whatever it is that we choose to do there will be consequences. Every action that we take moves us forward in a specific direction. Sometimes, that direction is good for us and for the people around us. Sometimes, that direction takes us to places we would not choose to go and we suffer for it.

There is so much suffering in this world. Some, of which, we cannot avoid. Some, of which, we could avoid by going in the other direction to avoid danger; to avoid the suffering. 

A lot of our suffering and trouble could be avoided if we would but follow in the way that the Spirit of Christ shows us.

May God bless you with the wisdom to recognize and the courage to follow in His Way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Glory

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.  (John 17:1-5 NRSV)

Children love to look good in their parents' eyes. In fact, probably a more than a few are willing "exaggerate" about the good they do and the evil their brothers and sisters do in order to be "glorified" in their earthly father's eyes.

But, when Jesus prayed to be glorified he also knew that:

1. as he is glorified; the Father is glorified. It was not for selfish reasons that he prayed to be glorified. It was to do the will of His Father and that His Father in heaven be glorified.

2. That in order to be glorified he would be lifted up on the cross and put to death. Glory doesn't come by deception that makes others look bad or us look better than we are. Glory has nothing to do with deceit. It has everything to do with being lifted up as a sacrifice to death for others. God was glorified in the suffering and death and subsequent resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ.

If one feels the desire to pray for God's glory to come upon them, it is the same as praying: I am willing to die; I will give up everything, even my life, so that you, Father, may be glorified.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Pupose

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
    the Lord gives sight to the blind,

    the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,

    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

                                               (Psalm 146 NIV)

I woke up this morning wondering, again, what the purpose of life really is. We are born. We live. We die. Life, here on earth, is so short! And... there is so much pain and suffering here in this world. The truth is the pain and suffering is mostly brought on by our own desires to be more than we are. It is brought on by our desire to be our own gods. We have a tendency to thing that we can actually achieve something worthwhile. The reality is, without God, there is nothing. Our plans will come to nothing. But, God has a plan... He has a plan because He loves you. We can't always know what that plan is. But, we can trust that He has one. He created us for a reason. We may not know what the reason is; but, we can be sure that whatever it is, He will not be deviating from the reason or the plan.  He will be faithful to it and to us.

Those who trust in His plans and not our own, praise the LORD all the days of their lives. They will find peace in the midst of the most confounded times. Praise the LORD! Praising the Lord is enough purpose for any of us. Praise the LORD; sing His praises as long as you shall live!

 God's Peace - Pr. J

Hinds' Feet

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." (Hab 3:19 KJV)

I remember a book I read years ago. "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard, gets its' name from Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV). The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

I can't remember too many of the details of the book, as it has been quite a few years since I read it. But, I can look around me daily and watch (and even join) others as they journey through many difficult times in anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; I, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patient as I ought) for the LORD to deliver His people, who I also love, from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

God's Peace - Pr. J

High Places

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights."

(Hab 3:19 NIV)

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

It has been many years since I read, "Hinds Feet On High Places," an allegory, written by Hannah Hurnard. The journey of Much-Afraid and her friends Sorrow and Suffering, as they follow Shepherd to the high places, where they will walk as on hinds' feet, takes them through many dangers.  It is a long journey. They must have patience. They must have persistence. But, in the end, they (we) will dance in the presence of God. 

This is a familiar story to many of us as, daily, we journey through many difficult times with anticipation and the hope of the promised land.

Just as Habakkuk prayed and waited patiently for the LORD to deliver God's people from the enemy, from the many dangers that surround them; we, too pray and wait patiently (sometimes not as patiently as at other times) for the LORD to deliver His people from the turmoil and dangers they encounter as they journey through the dark shadows of the valley of death.

The Lord is our strength. With Him we shall walk through dark valleys to the high places where the light does surely shine. 

God's Peace - Pr. J