The Day Of Darkness

Amos 5:18-24 KJV; 24th Sunday after Pentecost; Pray for justice and righteousness not for the day of darkness; for the day of darkness will bring about destruction; not peace.

We Cannot Hide Our Secrets From God

Isaiah 29:15-16 KJV; Our God is a just God. He will provide justice for all people; even for those who would lie to his children for their own benefit.

Blessed Are You Feb 13 2022

What A Vision!

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

                                                          

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 

                                                                          (Isa 6:1-8 KJV)

Who will go? With a vision like Isaiah had of the Lord I'm thinking that we would all go if we saw the same! 

But, we don't get to have the same vision Isaiah had so who will go? Who will bring the message of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ to the world? Oh, yes... that would be the clergy. But, not just the clergy. Every single person who knows the truth who is Jesus the Christ will bring the truth to others. We do this because we know the awesomeness of God and we want to share it.  We know the great love that Jesus has for us; a love so great he was willing to die for us. And... because his love so overwhelms us we cannot do anything but share the knowledge of his love with others. 

The presence of God Almighty in Isaiah's vision overwhelmed him so much that he was willing to do whatever God asked of him. The presence of God in our lives will do the same. Once you know this God who loves you your love for him will overflow and you will go wherever he sends you. Everything else will take second place. When God asks you to go you will go. If at first you say no and this is most likely going to happen, be aware. He will keep on asking. He never gives up on us.

Isaiah's vision was tremendous. Here is a tremendous picture to consider:  A child born in a manger grew up. This innocent man was persecuted, tortured, and hung on a cross to die for our sins. He was found guilty. We were acquitted so that we could receive the inheritance of eternal life in our Father's house; in the Kingdom of God where Jesus reigns! Now, that is a vision to keep focused on!

When he calls you to deliver this message of the Kingdom; will you go?

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Woe To The Oppressor

"Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!" (Zeph 3:1 KJV)

Woe to those who oppress others. Woe to those who neglect and abuse others, whether it is by word or deed that is either done or left undone! Woe to those who continue in their unrighteous ways and know no shame. What is with that, anyway? What good is in it for anyone who persecutes others unjustly?

God dispenses justice. He so wants to dispense mercy and grace to all of His children. He so desires that His children would turn to Him and love Him even as He loves them. But, anger abounds; jealousy lives, and greed survives.

But, the story does not have an unhappy ending for those who love Him. He will save! He does save! He is with the oppressed. He is with the abused and neglected. He is, even now, gathering those who love Him, into the Kingdom that is prepared for us by Jesus Christ, our LORD.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matt 5:8)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jesus' Way

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

                                                                                   (Luke 17:1-4 KJV)

Only four verses and so much in them!

Jesus warns his disciples and us that we are to be very cautious on how we treat others. We are not to cause any one to sin. In other words, don't be teaching others to sin, either by word or example. Don't be promoting sin! But, if someone does sin against you, forgive them. Actually what Jesus says is: “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

Please, note that Jesus does not tell us that we are to accept everything that everybody does. Everything is not OK or beneficial. Sin needs to be addressed in order for others to not stumble; in order for us not to stumble. Christians sometimes get accused of not being very Christ-like because they will not accept sin simply as an alternative and acceptable way to be. There is only "One Way" for the Christian. Jesus is "The Way." To teach or approve of any other way is to set up a stumbling block. To close our eyes to sin or say that there is no sin is setting up a stumbling block for ourselves as well as for others. The consequences will be devastating. But, if a brother sins against a Christian, the Christian will bring it to their attention and when they repent will forgive them in order that neither of them will suffer consequences worse than have a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea.

I'm OK.
You're OK.
When Jesus is "The Way."

God's Peace - Pr. J

Too Much Laughter

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

                                (Luke 6:25 KJV)

I am not all that comfortable being around people who laugh all of the time. I am not saying that we should never be joyful. But, it makes me very uncomfortable to be around people who think unless the outcome of a conversation is something that makes everyone laugh it has been an unfruitful conversation.

I simply do not view laughter or even happiness as the reason for being. If it were the reason for living then it would stand that those who grieve; those who are depressed would have no reason for being. That is a false narrative. In fact, I cannot help but wonder if the fact, that society wants us to believe that in order for our lives to be validated we must be happy, is the reason for so much depression today. We end up depressed because we are not as happy as the world seems to promise us we should be. 

Life is tough. Not everyone should be expected to be filled with laughter all of the time. We must give others (and ourselves) the time and opportunity to grieve; to be sad; to be contemplative. 

There is a difference (at least for me) between being happy, happy, happy, laughing all of the time and being joyful. Each and everyone of us have a purpose; a reason for being. Joy can be found in having a purpose and reaching toward fulfillment of that purpose. Joy can be found as we face challenges of the day knowing that God is with us and that in Him, His will will be accomplished. He is with us and so we can face another day and yet another challenge with peace and with joy.

Whatever we deem the purpose of life to be; I simply cannot accept that it is to make everyone laugh unless your profession is as a comedian. We cannot laugh away the troubles of the world. Troubles must be dealt with not hidden under laughter. If your neighbor needs help; help him or her as they face their trials. It does no long-term good to sit down and tell them jokes. There are times when you may have to sit beside them quietly and grieve with them. You just might have to actively do something. If your neighbor is in trouble; maybe, you just may need to assist them in some way to face the challenges of the day. 

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.." (Eccl 3:4) There is a time for all of these things according to the author of Ecclesiastes. We should know the difference. Laughter is not the answer to all of life's experiences. There is a time for laughter; but, it is not what we should expect of every outcome. 

I am very uncomfortable with people who think that laughter has to be the outcome of every visit; every meeting. Experience has (unfortunately) taught me not to trust those who laugh too much. And, yes, I do laugh and even smile quite a bit. But, tears also are a part of my experience. They are a part of the human experience. Grieving is a part of life's experience, as well. There is both a time to weep and a time to laugh. Let us do both as the situations we find ourselves lead us to.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Sorry for the rambling today. I am not against laughter. I am leery of those who think that we must laugh all of the time or that we are less than.

Holy, Holy, Holy is God Almighty

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-5 NIV)

Holy, holy, holy is God Almighty! The whole earth is full of his glory! Talk about shock and awe! Can you imagine having a vision similar to Isaiah's? To come into the presence of God in such a manner; to see His full glory! I believe it would be the most earth shattering experience possible. All of a sudden we would realize that we, who can be so full of ourselves at times, are nothing. God is everything. And, that God who is everything cares about us so much He would bring us into His Holy presence.

I can only begin to imagine what it would be like to see a vision of God in this manner. But, I know that one day I won't have to imagine because I will truly experience God in this manner. One day I will see Him with my own eyes and not just with the eyes of faith and I am quite sure that I will be as awestruck as Isaiah.

Holy, holy, holy is God Almighty! When we come into the presence of God to pray; to speak with Him; and maybe even more importantly; to listen to Him, maybe we ought to more deeply consider that we are truly in the presence of Almighty God and maybe just a little more awe; a little more respect, might be called for. Just maybe we ought to remember that we are in the presence of the King of kings!

May God bless us with a greater understanding of our sinful natures and of His holiness so that we might worship Him with respect and adoration. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

He Knows You

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

                                                              Psalm 139:1-12 NIV

Don't be trying to hide from God! It will not work. He sees everyone and everything. We can try to hide who we are or what we do from our neighbors or our families or our friends. Some of them may even buy into the mask that we wear. But, God does not.  He discerns our every thought; our every move. He is with us even now. He is with us every moment of every day no matter where we might be. He sees and knows everything we think and do whether it be for the good or for the not so good.

The good news is that he loves us in spite of knowing us so well. So, return to the LORD, for His mercy and His love endures forever. Return and do what is good in His sight for the sake of the one who died that we might be forgiven and live life eternally in His presence. Return, so that His hand might guide you through the darkness into the marvelous light.

God's Peace - Pr. J

It's Time For The Old Adam To Die

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!" (Matt 18:6-7 NIV)

I was watching an episode of Last Kingdom last night. It is fiction based on the life and reign of King Alfred the Great. A couple things occurred to me while watching it:

1. That all those wars and rumors of wars that I hear are escalating today really have been around for a long, long time. As King Solomon said there really is nothing new under the sun. The hateful lust after power; control; and wealth turning humankind against God and neighbor is not a new thing. The sinful nature of humankind has been around since Adam. It has not gotten better. It doesn't appear to have gotten much worse, either. It is just there. Sin continues to reign in the hearts of many and atrocities occur. Woe to those

2. The church was not any different than the leaders of the various tribes and regions. The lust for power was immense and so false teachings prevailed. I pray that the church is different today. Unfortunately, the old Adam still reigns in many hearts and the lust for personal power creeps in and the focus is switched from the cross of Christ for the reconciling of the nations to God and one another to worldly endeavors; to personal power; to absolute control; for financial success. When the church focuses on such things it causes many to stumble.

Woe to the person who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble by their false words and deceptive actions. Woe to those who would cause any who believe in Christ to stumble.

May God help us to always lift up the cross of Christ; proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God through the loving sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Woe To Those Who Think Too Highly Of The Work of Their Hands

"In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. (Isa 17:7-8 NIV)

How bad does it have to get before people will look to their Maker, the Holy One of Israel? It just amazes me that we have to face destruction, even live through it, before we give up trusting in the work of our own hands, before we turn and trust the LORD. 

Isaiah prophesied that the people would plant and they would grow, yet the harvest would be worthless. The work of their hands would come to nothing. They would be hungry. He prophesied against those who rage like the stormy sea. "In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us." (Isa 17:7-8)

Woe to those who rage against others. Woe to those who plot secretly to destroy them. Do you not know that you will not prevail? Do you not know that you are bringing an end to yourself? Leave off trusting in your own ability to prevail. You are not a god. Leave off trusting in your false gods.

Return to the LORD, look to your Maker, and rejoice for our Father has mercy on all who hear His Word and believe. Live life justly!

God's Peace - Pr. J