Storms Will Come

Luke 8:22-25 KJV; Jesus did not promise no storms. He promised that he would be with you in the storm and you will know calmness even in them.

Offended By The Truth

Luke 7:22-26 KJV Are you easily offended? Offended by the truth? Offended by Jesus? 

What Are You Doing Here?

A reading from 1 Kings 19:9-21 KJV for 3rd Sunday after Pentecost. The Lord asks Elijah was did he run; why is he hiding. Then sends him out to anoint others to do His will.

All Creation Praises The Lord

Praise Ye The Lord

Prosper In Love

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

+++

What does it mean to be blessed.  I don't know about all of you; but, I have found that living in relationship with God is to be blessed. 

There are many who preach that you will have every material thing that you desire if you follow God's law. But, to prosper has more meaning than the materialistic meaning that the word has taken on.   

Prosperity for the Christian is to grow rich in the love of God and to be fruitful by sharing his love with others.  When we share his love we don't have to worry about following every law because when we love God we automatically worship and put him before all others.  When we love others we will do them no harm. We will not sin against them. 

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." 

                                                                          (Rom 13:8-10)

Blessed are those who love the Lord and who love one another for they will be fruitful in edifying the church. They will live lives abundant with  the peace of heart and mind in the presence of God that faith alone in Christ alone can bring. 

There is a prosperity that is not just about money and things. It is better to be prosperous; enriched with these things:  "faith, hope, love," for they will last an eternity while our things will not.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

With Jesus There Will Be Storms

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

                                                                               (Mark 4:35-41 KJV)

When Jesus got into the boat a tremendous storm arose. Expect it! Expect storms if you are a follower of Jesus. His journey on this earth was not an easy one nor should we expect ours to be. There were many in cahoots to destroy him. He was persecuted and put to death in spite of being totally innocent.

Jesus told his followers and he tells us:  "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:18-20)

Do not be surprised if the world is against you for your faith in Christ. Do not be surprised when other berate you for your faith in Christ for when we step into that boat as a follower of Jesus we are promised that storms will arise.

But, the good news is that even when those storms arise and they will, the Christ is with you. He can calm the storm. He will save you. He will bless you with peace. Have faith. Trust him!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Who Is Righteous?

PSALM 1 KJV

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

I remember as a very young person learning that we are not saved by our good works; rather, that because we are saved we do good works. Also, our good works are not counted toward our righteousness for no man is righteous according to the law. We all sin. We are found righteous only by faith in the only one who is righteous, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Those who have been forgiven much love much. They love enough to serve the Lord and one another to the utmost of their ability which will also fall short of perfection. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ who died that through faith in him and his sacrifice we might be found righteous.

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Phil 3:8-11)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ask For Wisdom

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 

                                                                                  (James 1:5-6 KJV)

Solomon asked for wisdom and received it so that he could be a good ruler to the people. James encourages everyone who lacks wisdom to ask God for it. If we ask faith we shall receive it.  The only problem with that is that too many of us are wise in our own eyes and have no clue that we actually lack wisdom. We think that we have no need to learn anything new. We have no need to get anyone else's opinion or advice. We definitely don't think that we should ask God to let us know what is really what since we think we already know everything. We don't ask so we don't receive wisdom or knowledge that would be helpful in not only living our own lives but in helping and serving others. 

Now knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing. There are those who are both knowledgeable and wise. But, the learned are not always wise and the wise are not always learned. It is not wise to trust the wisdom of man for the wisdom of man would tell us that the wisdom of God is nothing but foolishness. And if we believe that the wisdom of God is worthless as many would tell us then we are in for a very difficult road ending in destruction.

We trust not the wisdom of humankind. We put our faith in the wisdom that God has revealed to us in His Son who lived and died and lives again for us.  

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

                                                                                   (1 Cor 1:18-21)

Ask your Father in heaven to place His wisdom upon your heart. Ask in faith and you will receive.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

His Will

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" (Col 1:9 KJV)

Eta is going to put a stop to my morning prayer walk today. I will still pray; but, I will miss the walk. It's raining and the wind is blowing pretty good. It is not terrible; but, not good enough to be walking in either. The last time I took my prayer walk in the wind and rain my umbrella was blown inside out. 

I have found that I can focus more intently on prayer if I am walking outside as I can pray out loud. I can actually have a conversation with God. And... everyday, I pray for all my loved ones and all whom I know some of the same things that Paul prayed for the Colossians: that they might be filled with the knowledge of God's will and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do that will. 

May God grant that our ears and eyes and hearts and minds be open to a greater understanding of His will for us and fill us with the Holy Spirit that we might be inspired and empowered to follow in the way that He would have us go.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ask For Wisdom In Faith

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 

                           (James 1:5-6 KJV)

Again; this morning, my attention is turned to the journey on the wrong paths that end negative consequences. How is it that after doing the same old thing with the same old consequences that humankind does not ask for wisdom of God and follow in the path that leads to fruitfulness; to joy; to peace; to eternal life.

There is a quote which is most probably wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein. It says: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." 

If things are continually going downhill for you, just maybe it is time to change what you are doing or the way that you are doing them. Just maybe, it is time to ask God for the wisdom to follow in a way that will be less devastating for you. Maybe, it is time to ask God what it is exactly that you might need to change in your life. 

Ask in faith for wisdom and it will be given to you. But, remember to listen when He answers.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Bread Of Life

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35 KJV)

There are those in this world who are always hungering for more: for more things, for more status, for more power; for more of everything. They run after this more. They spend their lives reaching for more. Yet, they are never satisfied no matter how much more they get. They are so busy chasing after the wind that they do not have time to get to know the one who can satisfy their hunger and thirst.

For all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will know that they already are heirs of the greatest gift ever possible. They are heirs of the Kingdom of God blessed to live in the presence of Almighty God now and for all eternity. 

Live in God's presence and you will find that you will no longer be hungering and thirsting after things of this world; but, will be satisfied in the knowledge that Jesus is the bread that gives you joy and peace with what you have in this world whether it is a little or a lot. There is so much more than things of this world. This world will come to an end for all of us. But, life in God's presence will not end for those who believe.

Partake of the bread of life and live life!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Growing Up In Christ

Growing up in Christ is not easy; but it is essential.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." 

                                                                                    (Eph 4:14-16 KJV)

To truly grow up takes a lifetime and even at the time of death we still will never be as mature as we could be. Society, today, gives us about eighteen years to help our children grow up and then we turn them loose on the society. As Christians, we do our best to teach our children who Jesus is and what he has done for us and why. We pray that they will follow him. But, the devil prowls and not everyone would have our children go in "The Way" that they should go for their own benefit and for the good of society. With the help of God, we do what we can while they are with us and then we continue to pray for them until the day that we die.

It would be most helpful for our children and for society if we could all work together to help all of our children grow up into him is the head, even as we continue to grow in Christ. May God help us to follow in "His Way."

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Winds Blow

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 KJV)

Hurricane Dorian has definitely proven the statement that no one can tell where the wind is going to blow! I have children and grandchildren and many friends in Florida, Georgia, and in South Carolina. They all live within close proximity to the shore, so I have been avidly watching the tracking models and praying. This morning the Bahamas is suffering under great winds and may for many more hours to come as Dorian is moving at only about one mile per hour. The Grand Bahama International Airport is under five feet of water! 

The latest forecast for this morning is that Dorian will probably not make landfall on the east coast of the United States. However, that does not mean there won't be a lot of damage from the wind and water. Matthew never made landfall in Florida and it caused tremendous damage. Our home and a vehicle were damaged when the carport roof was ripped off and a tree fell on the lanais. Everything was repairable. We were more fortunate than many.  

Dorian has had everyone wondering where it will go for over a week now. Who can tell where the winds will blow! So, be prepared!

And, so it is with the Spirit. The Spirit moves in unexpected ways when we least expect. These are two things that humankind cannot control: the blowing of the wind and the movement of the Spirit of God. Regardless of the turbulence we might encounter; we know that whatever happens God is with us.

May God be with us, filling us with the Spirit of Christ, as we face every wind; every storm, that might assail us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Let Him In!

Open the door and let him in.

And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 

And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

                                      (John 6:16-21 KJV)

Who wouldn't be a bit afraid if you were out in the storm and someone came walking on the water toward you? The disciples were just that. They were frightened. But, Jesus speaks to them, "It is I; be not afraid." They recognize his voice and they let him in the boat.

Jesus is anxious to get in the boat with you. He is knocking at the door. He is already with you and for you. But, he will not force himself on you. It is not enough to know about Jesus. Let him into your small boat so you have a chance to really get to know him. 

There are many who profess to be Christians; however, they have no real clue who this Jesus of ours is. They may have heard of him; they may know about him; but, they wouldn't recognize his voice if he spoke to them because they don't know him. There is a difference between knowing who Jesus is and knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is about having a relationship with him. His sheep will hear his voice and answer. His friends will hear his voice and answer. 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Answer the door and let him in so that you might have a relationship with the living God; the Almighty God, our LORD and Savior. Do not be afraid. He is there for you in the storms that you encounter. Let him into your boat, open the door, and let him in. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Listen In Sheer Silence

He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
                                                                            (1 Kings 19:11-13 NRSV)

Alone in the wilderness, the prophets of the old testament spent much time. Elijah was very much afraid because he was being hunted down by that woman Jezebel because he had killed her prophets of Baal. Elijah ran for his life. 

He had no clue what he should do. He needed instruction. He needed to know the Lord's will. An angel of the Lord instructed him to go and stand on the mountain where the Lord would pass by him. When angels speak, that usually catches our attention, so Elijah did as he was instructed. He went to this isolated spot on the mountain and waited. He did not hear the Lord in the wind. He did not hear the voice of the Lord in the earthquake. He did not hear it in the fire. But, when there was nothing; not another sound, Elijah heard the voice of God!  God spoke to Elijah giving him direction as to what he was to do next. He was to anoint Jehu as king over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place.

How often do we wonder what exactly God's will is for me? How often do we wonder what it is that God would have me do? Where would he have me go? What would he have me say? If these questions often plague you, find a quiet place, a place with sheer silence and listen for the voice of God speaking to your heart and mind and soul.

The prophets of old found quiet isolated places to communicate with God. Jesus found quiet places to speak with and listen to our Father in heaven. It is most difficult to hear the voice of God when the noise around you is so loud that you cannot hear the whisper of God's voice. 

As children sometimes think that their parents are hollering at them when they are not yelling; but, are simply giving the same direction to them for the hundredth time; I admit that I, too, have ignored the voice and direction of God and when I finally accepted that it was God's will; it has felt like God has been hollering at me, as well. 

God still speaks to his people. Find an isolated place; shut off the noise, and listen. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Refuge From The Storm

For God alone my soul waits in silence,

   for my hope is from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor;

   my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
   pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.  Selah

                       Psalm 62:5-8 NRSV

Storms in the south; storms in the north, in the east, and in the west! The storms this past week or so and the storms that are impending have surely shaken many people. They have destroyed much property. They have brought fear into the hearts of many. We have yet to see if the storm in the south has taken any lives. We will see what is left; who is left, when the waters recede.

There is nothing that we can do when a storm approaches; but, to do whatever  we can to attempt to protect lives. Stationary property is at the mercy of the wind and the water. There is nothing we can do about that. One day it is ours. The next day it is gone. Even though this Psalm of David confesses that neither he nor we should be shaken; I cannot say that I am not shaken at the losses. 

I am shaken at the loss at the loss of life and property. But, I am confident that my soul is safe. I am confident that all who believe that Jesus died that we might live will indeed live in the presence of God for all eternity. In that I am not shaken. 

Sadly, we will suffer many losses in our lives here on earth. But, not one who believes will suffer from the loss of their life in the Kingdom of God. We remain confident that God is our deliverer. He is our fortress and refuge. In Him we shall trust for our deliverance; for our salvation; for our eternal life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

God Speaks To Us

"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’" (Jer 33:2-3 NIV)

Prayer is not just about talking to God. It is also about listening to him. He promises to speak to us; but, we will not hear unless we take the time to listen. His voice comes to us in many ways: in the reading or the hearing of scripture; through the sermons or teachings that we hear while at Worship or Bible Study; through our neighbors as we spend time with them; and in so many other ways. Yes, we can even hear his whisper in our inmost being if we take the time to be quiet and listen. It is most difficult to hear God with the television or radio blaring. Elijah could not hear God in the chaotic winds or earthquake or fire. He heard God's gentle whisper in the sheer silence. (1 Kings 19:11-18)

But, not everyone wants to hear God speak to them. He may tell us something that we do not want to hear. He may ask us to go where we would not choose to go for ourselves; to do something for others that we'd rather not spend our time or talents on. He might even suggest very strongly that we repent; that we turn our lives around and follow His Son. That would require a sacrifice that we do not want to make. So, we turn on the radio, the television, and whatever other noise we can find to lessen the chance that when God speaks we might hear.

God still speaks to His children. Listen to Him!

God's Peace - Pr. J

In The Storm With Jesus

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

                                                                       (Matt 8:23-27 NIV)

It would be very nice if we encountered no storms in life. Or would it? If there were no storms how would we recognize peace? How would we know quiet? Quite often people have the mistaken idea that once a person accepts Jesus as their Lord all will be well with their lives. There will be no more storms. Everything will go smooth from here on out. That is just not so.

The story of Jesus calming the storm reminds us that the storm did not even begin until Jesus got into the boat. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:34 that he did not come to bring peace; but a sword. Troubles will come in this world. They came to Jesus. They will come to his followers. But, we can also be assured that in the midst of those troubles we can know the peace of heart and mind that comes with trusting Jesus. St. Paul wrote to the Philippians:  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-8)

Yes, the storm began after Jesus got into the boat with the disciples. But, do not fear the storm. God hears your pleas and Christ is with you in the midst of every storm so that as you trust in him, you will know the peace that comes from being in the presence of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Run The Race!

"Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.  Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one."  1 Cor 9:23-25

Before the sun comes up, I often find myself thinking about running for exercise. I imagine myself running like the wind through the woods. This thinking about it doesn't burn me any calories. It does not lose me any weight. It doesn't do my body any good. When I rise, I go about morning devotions and then to work. I can usually find a few minutes to exercise in the living room a few times a week. But, I almost always put off the running 'till another day. I do not exercise a lot of self-control or discipline when it comes to physical exercise.

St. Paul compared the discipline runners employ to the discipline that we need to exercise in order to be spiritually healthy so that when we finish the race here on earth we will receive the imperishable prize that has been prepared for us. We do not want any one to procrastinate and say "I'll get to know this Jesus that you talk about, later. I'll have more time to follow him after I retire. I'll have more time to serve, tomorrow." For procrastinators, tomorrow rarely comes. Tomorrow may be too late. Today is the day to get to know Jesus and to live in his presence; in his Kingdom.

Jesus died for you. He died so that all people might live in the presence of God our Father for all eternity. What are you waiting for? The time is now. The Kingdom of God is at hand.

God's Peace - Pr. J