Jesus Is The Light For The World

John 1:1-14 KJV; Jesus is the life and the light. He is the Word that created all things. Live life in the light! Live life in Christ!

Service In The Lord's Army

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

No One Is Good

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

                                                                        ( Mark 10:17-22 KJV)

No one is good. No, not one. We cannot do enough good things to save ourselves. If we do any good things is because of the Spirit of Christ that abides in us and guides us. His love inspires us to follow him reaching out and helping others.

What then is required to inherit eternal life? To give everything for the sake of others?  To put others before yourself? That's what Jesus himself did. He was willing to give even his last breath on earth that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven for all of eternity.

There will come a day when we will realize that the possessions we have on earth count for nothing as we stand before the King of Creation. There will come a day when in humility we understand the lust for power was misplaced.  

It is in the giving of ourselves and all that we are to others that we are lifted up even as Christ was lifted up on the cross that all who would believe in him would inherit eternal life.

We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

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.

Love Your Neighbor

 

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt 22:37-39 KJV)

Do no harm! And... don't stand by and watch anyone do harm to others. It was many years ago in Spain. One of the Marines had witnessed an assault on someone. He did nothing more but witness the event. He ended up in a Spanish prison for not going to the aid of the victim. When we stand by and do nothing but witness the harm being done to others are we also not sinning? 

When we strive to love as God loves we will not only do no harm; but, we will help and support them in any way that we can as we learned from the Small Catechism that Martin Luther wrote for us so that we might better understand the word of God.  

"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." (Matt 13:8-10)

Love is seen when we do all that we can to help our neighbors in time of need. But, we must be careful that we do not support anyone to further victimize others.  

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Mic 6:8)

And... last but not the least thought for this morning:

"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. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor 13:4-7 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Sacrifice

 

Psalm 50:1-6 KJV

The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

+++

There is nothing that we can sacrifice to seal the covenant with God. There are no good works that we can accomplish that will cover our sinful ways. We have all fallen short of keeping the first covenant; the covenant of law. We have found that we are incapable of keeping the letter of the law as was given to Moses.

Our hope is found in faith alone in Christ alone who willingly became the sacrifice for us that the new covenant might be sealed with his precious blood. We are sinners; yet, we have become God's saints because of Jesus' sacrifice and not because of any good thing that we have done or sacrificed. By his blood we have been washed clean. 

John's greeting in the letter to the seven churches reveals his vision affirming that it is by the blood of Christ that has united with God and his Father.

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Rev 1:5-6)

May God help us to trust in Christ alone for our salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Cleansed By The Blood Of Christ

Psalm 32:1

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." 

                                                                                (Psalm 51:1-4 KJV)

The Psalmist prayed that God would forgive him all of his sins. He acknowledged that he had sinned against God. No matter what offense we commit it all comes down to a sin against God. When we use or abuse anyone whether it is in word or deed it is a sin against God. When we cheat or slander our neighbor, that is not just a sin against the neighbor. It is a sin against God who gave life to the neighbor.  

David acknowledges his sins and asks to be cleansed of them. According to the First Epistle of John in we must acknowledge that have sinned. If we do not or cannot acknowledge and confess our sins we are nothing more than liars. In other words, in our lack of confession we sin against God. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (John 1:7-10)

The first man and woman welcomed sin into the world. We continue to exist in a sinful world being sinners ourselves. Humankind was kicked out of that beautiful garden in paradise. We could no longer walk in the presence or talk in person to the creator of all things. But, God so loved humankind he had a fix for that. He had a sacrifice that would make us worthy even though we were not worth. He sent his only begotten Son, Jesus to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven; that we might be cleansed of our sins; and that we might live in communion with our Father in heaven today and for all of eternity.

In the Revelation of John he writes to the churches what he has seen and heard in his visions from God. He begins by reminding them that Jesus who was the first begotten from the dead washed our sins away with his own blood.

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  

                                                                                      (John 1:4-6)

Let us give thanks that God has sent His only begotten Son to die for us in order that our sins might be washed away by his own blood on the cross. We give thanks for our sins have been completely forgiven and we have been reconciled to God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

Rejoice; for in Christ your sins are forgiven!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Be Not Afraid, Only Believe

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 

                                                                   (Mark 5:22-24, 39-39,  38-42 KJV)

"Do not be afraid, only believe." Jesus told the ruler of the synagogue not to worry himself; that he should not fear; but that he should believe; he should have faith. That is not to say that there is no fear that is healthy. Fear of God can be a good thing.  In the book of Hebrews we read:  "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 'For our God is a consuming fire.'" (Heb 12:28-29)

Fear and faith. Which shall we live by? Where there is no faith, you will most often find fear. Where there is no fear, there faith is found. According to Lutheran Theologian, Paul Tillich, "Fear is the absence of faith." Now that is not to say we totally lack faith if we get anxious over something. But, a little bit of anxiety should not turn into a fear that keeps us from moving forward in life. Fear should not stop us in our tracks! Fear should not keep us from living life in Christ.

I live in a rural community. There are a few small cities near by. In two of them, I find myself most comfortable. In another, I am not. I am not comfortable with the rudeness and arrogance I hear people aiming at one another of late. Some of them will even claim that they have to correct people because they love all people so much. Unbelievable! I know that the reason that they most probably do this is because they live in fear. It is a very sad thing to witness people living with so much fear. But, I admit that this bullying of others, that stems from fear, does make me a bit anxious as well (ok, a lot anxious) and so I avoid that community as much as possible. I do my business in the communities where people live in real community; where they show grace and mercy; respect and kindness to one another.

Over and over again Jesus told people not to fear and to have faith. Is that knot in your stomach, born of fear, something you really want to live with for the rest of your life? Believe in God, Trust in the promises that He has made to all who believe in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

"...be not afraid, only believe." Believe and live an abundant life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Inhumanity At Jamestown And In The Present

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Psalm 64:1-7 KJV

Has humankind become more humane over the generations or just better at justifying our inhumanity before others? We must always remember that no matter how we attempt to justify our own inhumanity, we cannot justify it. We are only justified by faith in the blood of Christ shed for us. St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "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." (Rom 5:8-9)

I spent a lot of time the other day trying to hook my husband up with PBS Passport so that he could watch the "Jamestown" series. Oye! Oye! Oye! I have been attempting to spend more time with him so have been trying to watch at least some of it with him. "Some of it" being the key phrase. I cannot stay in the room to witness the inhumane words and actions of so many in "Jamestown." The misuse and abuse of others: the Naturals (Native Americans); the African Slaves; the White Indentured Servants; even each other; is just overwhelming. It makes me just a bit crazy to watch such injustice for the sake of wealth and power. Since, I know the outcome of Jamestown, even though I know the series is fiction, I do not doubt that much of what is portrayed in the series is indicative of what actually went on in Jamestown. And, these people of Jamestown, for the most part, claimed to be Christian.

What about today? Around the world people are being imprisoned unjustly. They are being tortured, beheaded, and killed in so many ways so that others may  continue their pursuit of power or wealth or both. How many in this country are unjustly accused and persecuted? For the most part, innocent men and women are not imprisoned or killed here. But, it does happen and it happens with the facade of justice. This too makes me very weary to witness. 

Jesus once told the Pharisees (and ultimately us) "...Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)

There is a better way to live than to climb up any ladders on the backs of others. According to the prophet Micah: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

May God help us to live more justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly following  in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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.

Witness To The Light

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

                                          John 1:6-8 KJV

As I live in a land and in a time where egos reign, I often think about the faithfulness of St. John the Baptist. His mission was to be a witness to testify to the light that was coming into the dark world. That light was Jesus the Christ. John was a humble man. That is not to say that he was timid. Rather, he was quite bold in his proclamation and did not worry that he might offend anyone with his words. He did not brag about himself. He did not worry about his daily or his future needs; after all, he was a wandering missionary, whose meals came from the wild and whose clothes were made of camel hair. His only concern was to announce the coming of the Savior into the world.

May God help us all to remember that our main concern is (or should be) the proclamation of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ our LORD, which was purchased for us by the shedding of his blood.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Speaking the Truth in Christ

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost," (Rom 9:1 KJV)

This verse never fails to bring a smile to my face. I find it a bit bewildering and amusing that a man of St. Paul's faithfulness would have to defend his integrity. 

Yes, before he knew Jesus, he hunted down Christians to put them to death. Even in that, as horrific as it was, he was ferociously dedicated to what he believed was God's will for the good of the people. But, once he met Jesus his life changed. He was convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah and was totally dedicated to proclaiming the truth in Christ.

It is good when we one say with Paul that I am speaking the truth, my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit. But, sadly that is not always the case. The truth of Christ Jesus is often tainted with personal desires. It is difficult to know when someone is truly speaking the truth and so we must depend upon the Holy Spirit within us to help us discern the truth.

Paul's truth in Christ, sometimes hurt people. The truth is not always pleasing to hear. May we always speak with integrity for the good of those whom God loves.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Seven Detestable Things

There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
   haughty eyes,
   a lying tongue,
   hands that shed innocent blood,
   a heart that devises wicked schemes,
   feet that are quick to rush into evil,
   a false witness who pours out lies
   and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
                                      (Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV)

When teaching confirmation classes I have always made a point of asking the youth what the worst sin is. As expected, the overwhelming response is always murder. I then proceed to go through all of the Ten Commandments and teach them how breaking any one of the Ten Commandments can lead to the death; the murder, of both body and the spirit of others. It usually opens at least one or two eyes to the fact that things like gossiping, bullying, envy, lying, stealing, and adultery can actually contribute to physical and/or spiritual deaths. All sin, no matter what it is, drives a wedge between us and God as well as between us and those who would be our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Sin divides family and communities. It was sin that drove Adam and Eve out of the garden; out of God's presence. It is sin that drives us out of God's presence; as well, as it causes us to turn our backs on him and seek other things. Sin separates us from our Father in heaven.

God's purpose for sending His only Son to die for us was not to divide us but to unite us. Jesus died that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven and with all who believe in him. May God help us to understand how damaging our words and actions can be and help us to avoid those things that would separate us from Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Mighty Warrior

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

A might fortress is our God! The Might Warrior is He!

It never ceases to amaze me how God will protect us and bless us in so many ways. There are days when I have to actually laugh out loud as I witness the work of His hands. Yes, there are days that things don't seem like they are going so good. But, in the end; in the following days we can normally see how God worked the good for us as it is promised. (Romans 8:28)

Those who trust in the Lord to save them will see the salvation that He has promised; we will see the good that He has promised.

May the peace of the Lord be with you always! Pr. J

Fake News And False Witness (Conspiracy Theories?)

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Ex 20:16)

What does this mean?  We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully lie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything. (Luther's Small Catechism)

I come from a family of storytellers. Though, he rarely spent time with his grandchildren, I understand that my paternal grandfather could tell some pretty good stories when he was with his friends. My Uncle Leonard was a great storyteller. He told us many bedtime stories in hopes that we would fall asleep. The one I remember most is how he captured a field mouse, taught it to speak, and sold it to Ed Sullivan. Some of you might remember that little mouse, Topo Gigo, that starred on the Ed Sullivan Show. The story went on and on over many visits. Each time he told the story, he added more to it. As a child, I believed him. Then there was my father's cousin, Frans Sillanpaa, the first Finnish author to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, I come from a family of storytellers and I am pretty good at being able to discern between fiction and the truth. But...not always. There are just way too many opinions, theories, and conspiracy theories running around to have the time to pick through what is truth and what is fiction. Life is really too short to get caught up in all of that.  

The mainstream media presents a lot of opinions; without basis in any facts, as truth. It's what's called fake news. It appears; though, that there is a whole other side to this fake news. That other side is all of those conspiracy theories that are being thrust upon us. Some of them actually seem like they might have some validity to them. Others do not. The latest conspiracy theory and the one that prompted today's blog is one I saw on Facebook this morning. The theory is that Finland does not actually exist. Finland is a lie created by Russia and Japan to aid in Japan's fishing industry. Hmmm.... Yeah.... Major storytelling.... Oi Vey! 

When such outlandish stories are put out there; it is pretty difficult to accept any of the conspiracy theories we read or hear about. We just want to dismiss them all even if some might end up being truth. Why not just tell the truth based on real facts all of the time or at least most of the time!? And... who comes up with these stories anyway? It crossed my mind this morning that it might just be the CIA in order to keep us from believing anything conspiracy theories about them. Okay... I am just joking. There is no basis in fact to that statement. None whatsoever. Do not perpetuate that story!

I understand that there can be some big money to be made in storytelling; in fake news. These fictional stories; fake news, can also thrust someone into the limelight and help swell the ego mighty large and some people really do enjoy being the center of attention.

Many of these stories are being the told under the guise of bringing truth to light; to protect us from further harm; even to bring about peace in the world. But, lies and the purposeful slander of others are definitely not the way anyone is going to find peace. Live life in the present and live it without fear. Do not be creating fake news to protect yourself or to make gains for yourself. Live life in the truth, who is Jesus the Christ.

Have a blessed day and maybe turn off the news for at least a day or two. Live life in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

Slander

A perverse person spreads strife,

    and a whisperer separates close friends.
The violent entice their neighbors,
    and lead them in a way that is not good.
                Proverbs 16:28-29

Somewhere, somehow, we must take a stand and protect the innocent from slander. Debilitating depression results from slander; for both the one who breathes the slanderous accusations and gossip and the one who is gossiped about.

The temptation to slander others to make oneself look righteous often comes from one source: the ego or maybe it would be more accurate to say the devil who resides within us. Those in whom the Spirit of Christ does not reside often attack their neighbors; their friends; their enemies; even their loved ones unjustly, causing much chaos, pain, and sorrow. Standing idly by because you do not want to become involved or become the next target is not all that helpful. Rather, as most of us confess on Sunday mornings, we end up sinning by what we have not done; by not supporting and helping our neighbor in need. We should not support sin by our actions or our inactions. We do need to confront those who would entice others in a way that is not good even while we support and protect those who are falsely accused. 

We teach our children in Sunday School and in Confirmation classes that the eighth commandment; "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." We also teach them as Luther taught that this means: "We should fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, lie or gossip about our neighbors, but defend them, speak well of them and put the most charitable construction on all that they do." How soon we forget what we have learned!

May God help us to love our neighbors and not cause them to suffer any form of anguish because of our actions or inactions.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Deserting Jesus

  In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)  and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.  He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

  (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

  “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

    “‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’

  and,

    “‘May another take his place of leadership.’

  Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

  So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.                                       (Acts 1:15-26 NIV)

It is a sad thing when one would turn their back on Jesus. But, that is what his friend and follower, Judas, did. There was nothing left to do for the disciples after his death, but to replace him so that there would be the twelve to witness to what they had seen of Jesus' life; from his baptism to his ascension. Two men were nominated; Matthias was elected by casting lots. Casting of lots helped avoid biases and divisions among the people. There were no great debates as to who the better candidate was. There were no expensive campaigns. There were no recounts. They simply trusted that God would guide the results of the lots; whatever those lots might be.

Even today, we encounter those who would turn their backs on Jesus; betraying him; deserting him and his church. Sometimes, they will choose to stay within the church as they don't even realize that they have turned their backs on Christ, simply because they happen to like the ritual of being there or they like serving to serve their own egos or maybe they have a more secular political purpose in mind.

Some find themselves disillusioned because the church is not what they want it to be for them as individuals. They cannot comprehend they mystery of the kingdom of God. When they choose to leave, like Judas, they also find themselves without hope.

Our hope is found in Jesus Christ. Without him, we can do nothing. It is a sad thing for all involved when we lose a brother and sister in Christ to worldly desires. Hear the witness of the many generations that speaks of Jesus' gift of life and salvation for you. Receive it and live life in the Kingdom of God, in the Body of Christ, even today.

God's Peace - Pr. J

No Anger And Malice!

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (Eph 4:29-31 NIV)

As Lutherans, we learn at a young age what the eighth commandment means according to our Small Catechism:

   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

   What does this mean?--Answer.
   We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our
   neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on
   everything.

Whether in government, business, the church or even our families it is way too common for unwholesome talk to be the way in which many choose to go. This unwholesome talk, this yelling at or about someone, this disrespecting others' way thinking or being only brings about division and harm. We witnessed a very good example of that yesterday on the ball field where Republican Congressmen were practicing for a game with the Democrats. Five people shot and wounded; with the shooter ending up dead. So much grief for so many. There are peaceful ways to discuss and settle differences. We also need to understand that we don't always get our way. Sometimes, there needs to be compromise. Sometimes, we just need to accept the fact that someone else is in charge for now. It also wouldn't hurt if we reminded ourselves that it is God who is actually in charge and He does have a good plan whether we like the plan or not.

Peaceful protests can be a good thing. But, speeches and protests that incite damage to others or their property or promote the murder of people whom we don't agree with is very wrong. This hatred toward others will only bring about more hatred. It will only bring about more division. It will only bring about more death. If, we as a country, do not change some of our ways we may find that we have steered ourselves into a civil war. Do we really want that for our children and grandchildren? This hate-filled speech that we keep hearing is not helpful nor is the drama that comes with it. It is most harmful. Gossip (and I have been the subject of that on more than one occasion) will only cause more problems for both the one who slanders and the one who is slandered as well as the many people around them.

Scripture tells us that we are to lift others up according to their needs. We are to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. I grant you that this can be tough to do at times. If you find yourself ready to participate in bringing about more division with unwholesome talk, maybe take a time out for yourself? Talk to God? You might find that distancing yourself from the situation (maybe shutting the news off) for a time will help bring you back to a place where you can focus on God's will rather than your own. His will is a good will for you and all people.

I realize that there will always be trouble in this world; but, why do we have to add to it? "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, alone with every form of malice." Do what is right! Speak the truth; but, speak it in love and not anger! Live in peace!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Bearing Christ's Name

Some of Christ Lutheran's Worship Team That Ministers to

residents at Princeton Senior Living, Palm Coast, FL

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:45-48 NIV)

Those first disciples were witnesses. We, too, are witnesses. We must have seen or heard or experienced something in order to bear the name of Christ. What was it? Surely, you do not call yourself Christian because you belong to a specific earthly congregation. There is more to being a Christian than being on someone's membership rolls. As one of my friends use to remind her congregation, "Sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car anymore than sitting in a church makes you a Christian."

Christian's bear the name of Christ and we are to bear it to the entire world. We are to proclaim, in Christ's name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins, to all nations; to all people. Now, repentance does not mean simply apologizing. It means change. It means turning around and doing things in a way that will reflect the love of God for all people. It means, even as Christ put others before himself, even his own life; we are to put the needs of others before our own desires. We are to set aside our own desires so that the will of God may be done.

We do not bear the name of Christ for our sakes alone. We ought not hide our faith for a hidden faith is no faith at all. Our faith may be personal; but, it cannot be private. We are to proclaim the mighty works of God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, to all the world, for as Christians, we are witnesses to the great love that God has for all people.

May God help us to be more faithful witnesses to all that He has done for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Get Behind Me, Satan!

Take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
                                                                                                              (Matt 16:23-24 NIV)

I've only not been able to restrain my tongue, a couple of times, from telling someone "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block that cares more about the world than the Kingdom of God." I have to confess there have been numerous occasions when the words were at the tip of my tongue and I thought better of it. So, very often I witness personal desires and will being pursued way before any concern of what God would want is even considered. God's will usually takes a back seat to ours.

Peter was more concerned about having his friend around. He and the other disciples were looking for a different kind of savior. They wanted a savior and a king that would rule the Roman empire. They wanted, with him, to rule the world. They wanted Jesus to hang around and be their friend.

Jesus had other plans. He was going to save the world by dying. He was going to save the world by being the scapegoat for us. If he were not to be the sacrificial lamb; as was his Father's will, the world, in no way, could be saved. His concerns were the concerns of God. Peter's was more concerned with losing a friend.

When we compromise God's will in order for us to be able to live comfortably or even luxuriously in this world; we become stumbling blocks. Our focus is not on doing God's will; but, on doing our own or the will of others when our aim is merely to please others or ourselves. 

Jesus called Peter a stumbling block because his own desires were keeping him from seeing and acknowledging God's good will for humankind. In the church on earth, we see this often. Personal agendas become stumbling blocks to evangelism and church growth. They would distract us from the real mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God through the sacrifice on the cross by Jesus for all who would believe.

May God help us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus no matter what cross we might have to bear.

God's Peace - Pr. J