Noise That Glorifies God

Psalm 100:1-5 KJV; 3rd Sunday after Pentecost; Noise for the sake of noise - turn it off and listen to joyful music that glorifies God.

Rejoice In The Lord Always!

Philippians 4:4-9; Rejoice in the Lord always especially when you're feeling down.

Walk In Christ; Live Life In Him!

Reading from Colossians 2:6-13 KJV As we have been buried with Christ in baptism; we are also risen with him in new life.

Think On Good Things

A reading from Philippians 4:4-9 KJV; Think on whatsoever is just, pure, lovely, of good report and glorify our Father in heaven.

No More Tears May 7 2022 Revelation 7

The Cup Of Salvation

Time With God

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. 

                  (Psalm 59:16-17 KJV)

Early morning is my time with God. He is with me all day and I pray often throughout the day. But, in the early morning hours it is quiet and still enough that I can spend intentional time with him without interruptions.

And... when I do spend intentional time with him in this way, I find that I am more aware of his presence throughout the day. Every day brings at least a challenge or two; but, I know that God is with me. He is my defense.  When the challenges come, I find my mind going to the promises found in scriptures and more and more lately I find myself singing songs of praise and thanksgiving as I meet those challenges.

God is with you. He has a good purpose for your life. He will defend you. He will lead you through each trial. If out of love for us he would send his only begotten Son to die for us; to die for our sins, would we suppose that he would not continue to protect and care for us?

He has shown us mercy through the shed blood of Jesus. He continues to show us mercy. He is our refuge and strength.

Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy endures forever!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Rejoice In God's Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

                                                                         (Phil 4:4-7 KJV)

Every day; all day long I pray with thanksgiving that He is with me.  Without Him I would have no peace at all.  The world is a mess. It seems to always have been. So many spend their lives filling their own desires with so very little consideration for how that fulfillment might be detrimental to others. Where is the peace in being so self-centered? It gets you know where.

Christ's whole purpose in dying for us was so that we could be reconciled to God and to one another. Self-centeredness divides it does not reconcile. It brings no peace.

But, abiding in Christ, who was totally selfless, can and does bring peace. Live life in Christ and live with peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what the world throws at you.

Give thanks and rejoice for the peace of God that is given you!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Give Thanks!

Psalm 136

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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Today we have just a short list from the psalmist of things that the people of God were or at least should have been thankful for. There is all of that and so much more.  

Around the holidays and especially thanksgiving we are reminded to be thankful for the gifts that God has given us. What are we thankful for?  Are we thankful for friends and family? How about the food that we eat even it may seem meager at times.  In the wilderness God provided the Israelites with  manna that fell from the sky when they were without enough food. At first they were thankful; but, then they complained because they were tired of the same old thing. Are you bored with the provisions that you have been given so that you are no longer thankful for the food you eat? Maybe you just don't like the kind of food that you are being served? House not big enough or fancy enough?  Let us be thankful for whatever shelter we have been provided with.

God has given us much to be thankful for. But, most of all He has given us His Son to live and die and live again for us and with us and through us. 

Let us be thankful that although we have sinned against Him and deserve nothing, He loves us enough to reconcile us to Himself and to one another through the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and his mercy endures forever!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Thank God For The GIfts

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole

                                                                (Luke 17:11-19 KJV)

How many times in our lives have we been reminded to count our blessings?  In this very materialistic world we seem to always want more of something. Yet, the more we have the more we want and what we have already received often gets ignored and neglected. That would include friends and family. Do we take them for granted?

When our sons were little we always had them open their gifts from family and friends on Christmas Eve. Santa's gifts were reserved for Christmas morning. We hoped that by doing this they would not be in a big rush to tear open the presents and be at least little more appreciative and thankful for both the gift and the giver.

Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of the great gift of Jesus being born into this world and for this world. However, that gift is often neglected not just on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas but on every day of the year. How much do we really appreciate and give thanks for the gift of his life for us? 

The ten lepers were all given a gift of healing. Nine of them ran off without even giving one word of thanks to Jesus for that gift. Only one of the was so grateful that he turned to thank Jesus. This one received even more than the gift of healing for his physical disease. He was made completely whole because of his faith in Jesus. 

Let us not just consider the gifts of God on Thanksgiving and on Christmas; but, every day of our lives for by faith in his death and resurrection we have been made whole.  Thanks be to God!

Let us give thanks for all of the gifts that God has given us!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Sing and Rejoice

Psalm 95

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

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Let us rejoice for the God of our fathers; for our God who has saved us and is with us always for the good. It may not always feel good but we know that he has had a good plan. Let us steadfastly follow in the way that he leads us on. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Sing To God

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:4-5 KJV)

It never hurts to sings praises. But, it does hurt to be negative all of the time and refrain from singing songs of praise and thanksgiving.

When we think we have nothing; we have something. When we think we have no one. We have someone. We have our Father in heaven who will cover the hurts of those who call upon him that we may rejoice and sing to God songs of praise and thanksgiving. We have Jesus the Christ who has come to save us from our sins. Praise the Lord!

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 106:1)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Praise Ye The Lord

Psalm 116:12-19 KJV

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

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What, indeed, shall we render to the Lord for of his benefits toward us? 

Because he loves us so much that in spite of our sinful natures he has saved us we give him thanks and praise. We do not worship him in order to be saved. We worship him and give him thanks and praise because he has already done this marvelous thing. 

"Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 106:1)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Dust to Dust

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

                                                          (Gen 3:18-19 KJV)

To the dust you shall return was the sentence for eating of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden, Adam's sentence was death. His sentence (and ultimately ours) was that he would return to the dust from which he was formed.

There in the middle of the garden was also the tree of life. Adam and Eve had neglected to partake of the food that was good for them; that God had given them and desired for them to eat. They rejected the fruit which gives life. Instead they chose that which they were told they could not have.

How often it is that we, too, neglect the free gift of life given to us through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ! He has given himself to us and for us that we might have life. Jesus, himself has told us that he is the bread of life.

"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:50-51)

How often we neglect to come to the table that He has prepared for us! He says come and eat. "This is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins." (Luke 22:19) Do not neglect this life-giving gift!

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote that the benefit of receiving the Lord's Sacrament of Holy Communion "...is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation." That is the Good News.

But, today is a grievous day. It Ash Wednesday and we are reminded that we all have turned our backs on God. We all have done what we ought not to have done. Today we remember the sentence: "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Even so, the tears of repentance are also tears of thanksgiving that Jesus has lifted this sentence for us by his own death and his resurrection.  

God's Peace - Pr. J

Feast Of The Ingathering

Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. (Deut 16:13-14 KJV)

Thanksgiving is a day specifically set aside to give thanks for the bountiful blessings that we have received. Contrary to popular opinion days of thanksgiving have been set aside in the fall for thousands of years by various cultures and religions. A day of thanksgiving is celebrated in many countries throughout the world. In the United States the date of celebration has changed a few times. Originally it was thought to be celebrated in October or possibly late September as the earliest settlers celebrated it as a way to give thanks to God for the ingathering of their crops. This tradition for Christians originated from God's command to his people through Moses to observe the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of the Ingathering.

The tradition of giving thanks for the gathering of the fall harvest has lasted through many generations in many forms. Christians are not the only ones who set aside a day of thanks. The Jewish community continues to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Pagans, druids, witches and many others celebrated (some still do) some sort of day of thanksgiving in the fall for the blessings they have received over the year. 

Today families and communities all over the United States will gather together to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. Unfortunately, there will be many who will celebrate alone. Families have scattered around the country and the world. Gatherings in some states have been limited to ten or less people due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Most of us do not have an ingathering today. We do not farm. We do not even have small gardens. Yet, we can give thanks to God for the farmers and the truckers and for all who ensure that we have food to eat. We can give thanks for family, for friends, for the church and especially for the gift of his Son our Savior. Although many will be alone today for this day of thanksgiving we can look with hope to the day that we will rejoice and celebrate with the whole family of God.

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

                                                                                      (Isaiah 25:6-9)

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 

                                                                                         (Num 6:24-26)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Walk In Him

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Col 2:6-7 KJV)

What exactly is the point of receiving Jesus into your life if you are not going to walk with him? What is the point if you are not going to follow him wherever he goes. If he abides in you and you in him how is it that you are not going in the same directions as he is?

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)

May the Lord our God help us to follow in the way of Jesus with both joy and thanksgiving. May the Lord our God help us to live with and in Jesus the Christ!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Grand Entrance

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

                                                                          (John 12:12-13 KJV)

The beginning of Holy Week...

Jesus is treated like a king as he enters Jerusalem to celebrate the passover. The people go out to greet him shouting Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel!

Ah, yes! What a grand entrance. But, how is he treated by the end of the week? 

He is betrayed by his treasurer; one of his followers.

He is denied.

He is deserted.

He is tortured.

He is crucified.

What are you doing this week? Although most congregations will not be having any worship services in their buildings; will you be remembering what our Lord suffered for us? Will you remember as you celebrate Easter Sunday in your homes that there would be no Easter; there would have been no resurrection without Good Friday; without the events of Holy Week?

Let us thank God for sending us His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins and remember this week and every day of the year, with thanksgiving, for the events of Holy Week.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Stand Fast And Rejoice!

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 

                                                                             (Philippians 4:1, 4-9 KJV)

Just about the whole world has been on lock down for a few weeks now and a whole lot of people are pretty disheartened with being limited as to what they can do and where they can go. So many people are doing without paychecks so that they can provide for themselves and their families. Personally, I find it most disheartening that houses of worship have been closed. I am well enough acquainted with the habits of human beings to know that once someone is out of the habit of attending a weekly worship service, it is difficult for them to make the step back to worship. Many churches may end up closing permanently if this lock down continues for too much longer. Many businesses might close as well. To consider these possibilities is disheartening indeed.

That being said, my life has not changed much. I stay at home as much as I can anyway. But, I am not young and I am retired. The young have a much harder time living with these stay at home guidelines and restrictions.

There are many times in this world that we become disheartened. Depression may even get the best of us for a time. St. Paul reminds us just as he did the Philippians to stand fast in the Lord and to rejoice! St. Paul endured trial after trial; yet, he continued to stand fast and rejoice in the Lord.

Think for just a moment about the problems you have encountered through life. Did God not see you through them all? Was He not with you? Those problems are now nothing more than a memory. Rejoice then that any trials and tribulations you may be encountering today will also pass. Continue on in the way of the Lord. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (vss 6, 7)

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.

Give Thanks!

Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

                                                                                  1 Chronicles 16:8 KJV

Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday! I hear that every year from certain family and friends. My reply always is something to the effect of then who are are we giving thanks to on Thanksgiving if not to God. God has given us all things. To Him we give thanks and praise for that He has done for us. Count your blessings this and every day and give thanks to the Lord for them.

May you all have a blessed day of giving thanks to the Lord!

God's Peace - Pr. J.