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PSALM 14 KJV

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

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Is there any understanding of the good will of God for all people? The Psalmist doesn't seem to think so. Indeed, we are all sinners. We look out for our own welfare while eating up our neighbors (next door and around the world). We desert those in need for our own welfare and prosperity. What a shameful world it can be!

May God grant us all eyes to see; ears to hear; and open hearts so that we might come to the aid of others according to the good will of our Father in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Called To Love

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV)

We are called to love one another even as Jesus loves us. Because of what Jesus has done for us we are of the mind to follow in his footsteps, humbling ourselves, putting the welfare of others before our own. We care for the sick. We care for the hungry. We care for the homeless. We care for those who have lost their jobs and cannot care for themselves or their families adequately. We care for those who are disabled. We care for the elderly. We care for the young. We care for the persecuted and for those who are unjustly accused. 

We do not fear. We step up and care for those who are in any need because that's what Jesus did and does. If Jesus truly abides in us then we will be of like mind with him; putting the welfare of others before our own.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Best To Leave God's People Alone

"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."                                                                                       (Isaiah 54:14-17 KJV)

What a heritage! Our God is a Mighty God. I have relied on these passages, quite a few times, to keep me from seeking vengeance. I trust the Lord to provide justice when justice is due. This justice may not come about in the way that we expect it to; but, it will come in God's time and in His way. 

This does not mean that we should not stand up and defend ourselves or others; but, that we should not seek revenge just for the sake of revenge. We should not stoop down to the level of those who would attack others for personal agendas.

It is not a good idea to attempt to oppress the children of God. So, the next time anyone would consider plotting against a child of God or against the church  for their own personal welfare or prosperity, it would be a very good idea if they would first consider both the possible short-term and the eternal consequences.

"The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence." (2 Sam 22:3)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Which Direction?

 

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV)

The word of the Lord through Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon was for them to seek the welfare of the city that they have been exiled to. They were to build homes; to have families; to live life in Babylon. He gave them direction according to His plans for them.

Lately, I've been waking up each morning wondering what direction the Lord would have me go. I am at an age where I could retire. But, is that what I am supposed to do? There are a lot of possibilities for the future. At this point, I have no clue in which direction the Lord would have me go. I would like to retire and be able to be a little more spontaneous in every day life. Unfortunately, I am a bit of a workaholic and I am not sure what I would do if I was not working. I get bored and restless even now during the hours that I am not working. 

I have heard from many in the past who simply wanted a straight forward answer from God regarding the direction that they should go. I can empathize with that. I know that the Lord has a good plan for me. (Rom 8:28) But, I have a feeling that I have been so anxious about what it is that He would have me do, that I haven't taken the time to be still and listen to Him. 

May God help us all to trust that He will lead us in the direction He would have us go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God's Will Prevails

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.     (Jer 29:11 NRSV)

This morning I have been considering whether a "Christian" with no integrity should be confronted or if he should just be placed in the hands of Almighty God and let God deal with him as He will. Sometimes it can be totally left in God's hands. At other times, God will indeed use his servants to protect the sheep from any wolves in sheep's clothing. 

It is a most horrendous thing for Christians to attempt to tear down the church and the local congregations. It is even more horrendous for one who is in a servant/leadership position within the church to do that. The good news is that in the end they will not succeed in their own agendas. God's will; God's plans for the welfare of His people will prevail. We may not see it today or even tomorrow. But, His will is going to be accomplished. 

May God have mercy on those who choose to stir up strife rather than proclaim the good news by putting their personal egos and wills before the good will of God Almighty.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is not self-serving; rather, it is about serving others. In other words love is not all about me. That word "love" gets thrown around a lot. There are many kinds of love. We love our friends in one way. We love our spouses in another way. We even love our enemies and pray for them. Whomever it is that we love, we ought to understand that genuine love calls for a commitment. Genuine love will make sacrifices for those whom we claim to love even as God sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross because of His great love for us.

Love is not just a word. Love is action. It calls us to put the welfare of others before us. It calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus for the sake of others that God who loves us so deeply might be glorified.

Love the Lord your God. Love others in the Spirit of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J