His Plan In His Time

2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV; We may want things to move faster; but, we must have patience as God has a good plan to be executed in his time, not ours.

Too Much Negative Social Media?

2 Thessalonians 3:10-14 KJV: Spending more time gossiping on social media than being productive?

What Are The True Riches?

Luke 16:10-15; The true riches are found in the Kingdom of God.

Bless The Work Of Our Hands

Backyard in Aura, MI

Psalm 90:12-17 KJV

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

+++

Traveling no longer makes me glad in my days. Although, the land that God has given us is beautiful and I enjoy the scenery.  I do not enjoy the traffic.

We are back home in Florida with prayers that our home in Michigan is sold quickly.  There are things to do here; fruitful things things to do. For the next couple of days I will be unpacking, sorting things out, putting them away and doing a lot of cleaning. I am hoping that in the near future I will be able to plant a garden or two now that I am not having to rush things between our seasons of moving between two states.  

May God bless the work of our hands that He might be glorified.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

No Discriminating For Any Reason

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 

                                                                                  (James 2:1-6 KJV)

To show favoritism to one means to discriminate against another. James warns against showing favoritism. Sadly, we see this way too often. People are discriminated against for their race, their sex, age, where they work or if they don't, how they dress. The list goes on and on.

I admit that there have been times in the past when I have purposely dressed down just to see if security would follow me around in particular stores. They usually did. In fact, I have been followed around even when I thought I was clothed all right. Not sure why; but, every now and then someone thinks that I might look suspect. On the other hand, if I wear my clergy collar, I almost always get a lot of friendly greetings no matter where I am.

Years ago, when kayaking the shores of Lake Superior, I pulled up on the shore of a town that I had visited often in the past. They had known me as a pastor and had been very friendly toward me when they had welcomed me in that capacity. This time; however, they apparently did not recognize me. I had been on the water for about a month and was wearing an old pair of Marine fatigues over my swimsuit. My hair was a ratted mess hanging out from under a baseball cap (the ratted hair is actually normal for me). I looked pretty forlorn. I needed to use a phone as there was no cell connection. I was not welcomed well. It took forever to find a pay phone as no one apparently had a phone that I could use to let my family know where I was.

When encountering others, it would do us all well to heed the words written by St. James, "If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (vs 3-4 NIV)

None of us like to be discriminated against. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt 7:12 KJV)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." (2 Cor 13:14 KJV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Seek Counsel From God

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

                             (Isa 29:15-16 KJV)

We neglect to hear the counsel of the Lord. instead we turn to the understanding of the world. We make a very big mistake when we trust the words of those who hunger for power; who seek to lead us astray for their own benefit, instead of the one who is all powerful and all knowing and does all things for the benefit of his creation.

In Isaiah's vision he hears that there will be sorrow for those who think that they can hide the things that they do from the one who created them. 

God knows what his children; his creation think and say and do. He knows what is best for you. Listen to him!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Idleness Destroys The Home

By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. (Eccl 10:17 KJV)

I was raised to appreciate the opportunity to work and accomplish something. I learned to actually enjoy working as most Saturdays and many evenings were filled with the whole family taking care of household chores. We were doing things together. When chores were being done no one was alone in doing it. No one was sitting on the couch or taking a nap while others took care of things that needed to be done to keep the home and any other property in good condition. We kept the house going as a family.

Both of my parents worked hard to provide for all of us and to teach us to do the same. My mother, especially, had her ideas of how to take care of a home. We never went to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Bedding was washed every week if not every other week and; yes, after we took them off of the clothes line outside we even ironed sheets and pillow cases. Our home was always clean. The lawn was always mowed in the summer and sidewalk shoveled in the winter. I learned to plant a garden, to fish, to gather wild fruits, mushrooms, and greens and then to preserve what could be canned. I was taught that it takes much work to have things. I was also taught it would take manual labor to maintain those things. All of this takes time and effort. 

I have learned over the years that amassing too much stuff may take more time and effort than one actually wants to spend on maintaining the stuff. Sometimes, purchasing things we don't need to live on kills the opportunity to actually live life. 

In the end we must count the cost of actually having stuff that we don't need and won't want after we have it for a short while. Is it worth working endless hours to pay off an expensive cell phone when an Android will do the job?  And, if we commit to purchasing and making payments on frivolous stuff will we be able to afford to fix the vehicle that gets us to work to buy the things we actually need to survive?

There is much work to be done just to survive. Slothfulness will not get you very far. In the end everything that you have that you so desired will be lost when you cannot afford to take care of it or after you decided that naps are more preferred than taking care of the property that you have been blessed with. 

The destruction of a home from laziness does include more than the physical property. Consider how not caring for and tending to relationships will also destroy the home. Relationships not tended to will rot away. They will fall when they are not taken care of. 

May we all be filled with a desire to be good stewards of all that we have so that we might produce fruits to the glory of God. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Sabbath; Remain Still

Scripture is pretty silent on any human activity during the day after the crucifixion of Jesus. It is silent because it was the Sabbath. Travel was limited by law. Work was curtailed. The Sabbath was and is a time of rest. It is a time to recount all that God has done for us.

And, how much recounting there was during that Sabbbath! 

The Priests and Pharisees were still worried about the man, Jesus, that was crucified the day before. They remembered that Jesus had said he would rise from the grave on the third day so they went to Pilate to have the grace sealed, just in case...

The followers of Jesus had lost their teacher to a horrible death the day before. They were grieving this Sabbath. They were in shock and in fear for their own safety. Oh, how their minds must have been racing as they recounted the past three years following Jesus and the events of the past week. Their hearts and minds may have been racing; but, it is was the Sabbath so they remained still. According to tradition they stayed in place until they were allowed to go out again on Sunday.

Today, is the Sabbath. It is a good thing to remain still and recount the happenings of the previous week. For many people today, it is unlawful to leave their safe places unless it is absolutely essential. It is an opportunity to take the time to reflect on all that Jesus has done and continues to do for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.    

Thoughts Of Peace For You

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer 29:11-13 KJV)

We want to be loved. We want a peaceful and good life. Unfortunately, there are way too many who do not get to experience the peaceful life. Many seek the good life in places that it cannot be found. Genuine peace; peace that encompasses us even in the times of trouble, is found only in one place. That place is in our Lord. 

The Lord who loves you has a plan for you. It is a plan of peace. No matter what assails you, know that God is with you and will remain with you. He longs for you to call upon Him for help in your time of need as well as in your times of plenty. Seek Him and you will know peace in the confidence that God will see you through these troubled times. Trust Him!

"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 8:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Work With Integrity

Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. 

                                     (Prov 20:10-11 KJV)

One of my pet peeves is working without integrity. Someone gives you a job; then thank God that you have a job and the ability to support yourselves and your family. It is not up to anyone else to support you in perpetuity. There is help when you need help and there are many people who genuinely need help.  There are also many who can work and won't or they do such a poor job that it takes two or more people to do the job that one can do.  If you can work then work and do the best that you can for yourself and for the person who has employed you. 

I see a lot of complaints on the news and social media that minimum wage needs to be raised to fifteen dollars an hours and complaints about the self check-outs taking away job in various businesses. I personally use the self check-outs in these establishments. 

Just prior to Christmas, I was shopping for a nice tie for a young boy who likes to dress up. I had to ask three people in one store before they could direct me to them. None of the three even smiled. In fact, they acted like I was disturbing their day. When I finally found the children's ties there were no nice ones. I ended up purchasing him a necklace with a superhero logo. That took standing around at the counter for about ten minutes before anyone showed up after the call for help. That person was not friendly either. I had definitely disrupted her morning routine. Although, there was not anyone at the check-outs with cashiers, I went to the self check-out. I had no desire to have another encounter with another employee who was not happy to be doing their jobs that morning.

For the sake of yourself and others: do yourself a favor; do for your employer what is right and do the work that you have been hired to do and do it with integrity. If in any way you serve the public; serve like you actually like people and want to help them.  It may not always be easy. It may seem like an uphill battle at times; but, do it any way. Work with integrity and do what is right and good so that there might be peace in the workplace and that God might be glorified.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jealousy Kills

  "And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."

                                                                                 (Gen 4:4-8 KJV)

It appears that the Lord favored Abel's offering over Cain's because his offering was raised up through hard work. The Lord told Cain that if he had worked well to present this offering it would have been accepted. Cain was not happy. He was so jealous that his brother had found favor and he had not that he killed his brother.

Jealousy destroys. It kills and there are consequences for the sin. If the jealousy over how much accomplishment or honor others receive with their hard work continues it will build up within you until the consequences of the sin become very tough. Cain was exiled to become a fugitive and a vagabond. He would indeed have to work very hard just to survive. 

It is not any different today than it was in Cain and Abel's day. Jealousy will prevail if it is not put in check quickly. It will destroy your future and the future of those around you. God has given you many gifts so that you might be fruitful. There are  consequences for not even attempting to use those gifts as well as you can. The outcome and possible consequences have nothing to do with what your neighbor does. It has everything to do with what you do or do not do with the gifts of God. In the general confession we pray that God will forgive us for sins known and unknown; for things we have done and for things that we have left undone. For the sake of love for the one who lived and died and yet lives for us, it would behoove us to leave a whole lot less undone.

May we always use the gifts that God has given us so that He might be glorified.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." (Col 3:23)

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

To Prosper

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.
                                                                             Psalm 1:1-3 KJV

This word prosper is an interesting word with more than one meaning. Most often people think of it in relation to be physical wealth; financial success. But, it also means to grow. That growing can mean to get physically strong and healthy or even spiritually strong and healthy. 

Prosperity is not just about having things; but, also about what you are able and willing to give. It is a state of being; whether you are rich in things or not. Some of those who have the most are often the poorest for inside they are empty of any of the gifts of God. They lack genuine love for others. They lack empathy. Always seeking more they lack the peace and joy that only God can give. 

The photo above was taken at a congregation in Michigan. Of what they had, they gave to those in need both generously and cheerfully. They worked together to help and to prosper others; to provide for those in need that others might be comfortable and content and that they might also grow spiritually. I am confident that as they worked to prosper others they also grew in spirit.

May God bless the work of all of our hands that others may also prosper in the Kingdom of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Serve God! Enjoy Life!

Howard - Photo by John Arthur Photography

"What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live..." Eccl 3:9-12

Live life!  I can't even begin to count how many times I have told people to live life; enjoy life! 

Well, working on yet another move. Howard has been retired for a few years. It is my turn and the time is getting close. There is only a couple of more weeks before I install the new pastor and leave my present congregation. We closed on the sale of our home in Flagler Beach yesterday and have almost completed the move into the RV which will be our winter home.  It is being accomplished so quickly thanks to family and some really awesome neighbors at Bulow Village.

Just because I am retiring from the position of pastor does not in any way mean that I will stop working. I will be finished at Christ Lutheran. But, as a pastor I am well aware that it does not mean I am finished serving the Lord. Service to God never ends. The call to serve is a life-style and not a job. Serving the Lord should be and is a joy. Through rough times and good times, it is a joy to know that I get to serve him because of the blood of Christ that was shed for me and not just for me; but, for all people. If it were not for Jesus, I would not qualify.

I look forward to this new phase in life. I will hopefully get to spend more time in private conversation with the Lord and more time serving according to his will.

What makes me happy? Serving the Lord!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Righteous Flourish

"He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch." (Prov 11:28 KJV)

Who are these who will flourish like a branch? According to the proverbs, it is the righteous who shall flourish. The problem with that is that none of us can be found righteous by our own merit; our own good deeds. Paul wrote to the Romans, "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Rom 3:9-10)

But, God provided us a way to be found righteous in His sight. He sent His only begotten Son to die for us; for our sins; upon the cross. This was for all people.

We are not found righteous by the works of our own hands; but, by faith in the one who died for us. Thanks be to God we are found righteous because of Jesus' work on the cross and will flourish in the Kingdom of God, now and forever. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Meaningless Love of Money

The older I get the more death becomes a reality, I lapse into more moments of thinking that life is as meaningless as Solomon would imply. Why all the years of toil, if it is to be gone in a second?

This toiling after riches is meaningless.

"The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?

Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.

There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands."
                                                               (Eccl 5:10-15 NRSV)

That is not to say that work is evil. We must work if we expect to eat. But, it becomes very bothersome, even a burden, when one works only to amass riches. Jesus told this story to a crowd who followed to listen to Him:

“And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
                                                               (Luke 12:17-21)

Our work should bring joy to us as well as to others. Live life! Enjoy the life that God has given you! Whether it is in the hours you spend laboring or during the hours you are relaxing with your friends and family, life here on earth is to be lived and enjoyed. Life, abundant life, is a gift from God.

"This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God."
                                                                (Eccl 1:18-19)

While you are yet making your journey through this world focus not on amassing wealth or power to the exploitation of others, but on living life so that God may be glorified.

And... may the peace and joy that is found in being in relationship with God, our Father and with one another, through His Son, Jesus the Christ, be with you always. Pr. J

According To His Purpose

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.. (Rom 8:28 NRSV)

Let's just remember that it says for those who are called according to his purpose. God does call each and everyone of us. However, we must remember that he will gifts us individually gifts to serve according to his purpose. To take on a call that we have not been called to is not in the least bit fruitful. To say no to a call that He has called us to is also not fruitful.

Many congregations are on the decline. Could it be that many who attend have chosen to ignore the call to serve? Could it be that others are answering a call that they may not be gifted for?

All things work together for good when we work together according to the gifts that God has given us according to his purpose.

Just something to consider on this glorious God-given day...

God's Peace - Pr. J  

WORK WITH INTEGRITY!

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. (Prov 18:9 NIV)

I and many others (but, not all) of my generation were taught by our parents to put our all into the work that we do. Whether we volunteered or were hired to do a job, it was about integrity and honor; it was a lot about keeping a good name. 

Today, I do not get to witness that integrity in the work place so much. There is often no loyalty to the one who has hired you. It is just a job after all; something necessary to help you to exist in this world. Why, one might wonder, should I do a great job at something when a good enough job will get me by? To do a "just so" job; to not even attempt to complete it to the expectations of the one we are serving, is the same as stealing from them. We are stealing our wages when we do not work for it; but, sit around thinking of ways to get out of doing everything we are asked to the best of our ability. We are destroying their livelihoods while we sit around and steal ours. 

The same goes not just for the business world; but, for the church and any other charitable non-profit as well. Whether we are employed and drawing a wage or volunteering and garnering recognition do it for the love of God and for the love of others, not half-heartedly because it is an obligation that you have made. 

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. (1 Sam 12:24)

I was taught and taught my sons that work is such a part of our lives that we should enjoy it. We ought to put our whole hearts into what we do, so that we might our whole lives lives most fully. From what I see of the way my sons work, they both learned that lesson well.

May the work of your hands be blessed, as well.

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Goodness Of The Lord

I believe that I shall see the goodness

   of the Lord
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
   be strong, and let your heart take 

   courage;

   wait for the Lord!

                     (Psalm 27:13-14 NRSV)

I wait. There are days when I'd really like to take a very long nap while I'm waiting to see the goodness of the Lord. It is on those days I do something that seems to be very cliché. I count my blessings. There is much goodness to be thankful for when we take the time to change our focus from what seems bad to what is good in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

Yes, sometimes it takes a lot of courage and strength to keep moving forward; to face the evil in the world. But, exposing evil is sometimes required so that the darkness can be lifted and we can see the goodness of the Lord. 

And, sometimes it will take some waiting on our part in order to see His goodness even through those things which we deem to be most evil.

Thanks be to God for "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Meaninglessness Of The Love Of Things

The older I get and death becomes more of a reality, the more I lapse into moments of thinking that life is as meaningless as Solomon would imply. Why all the years of toil, if it is to be gone in a second? This toiling after amassing riches is totally meaningless. Living life to amass things means that we will miss out on living and enjoying our lives in Christ in the here and now. We can; after all, only serve one God. 

Solomon's words of wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes tell us:

The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?

Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.

There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands."
                                                                        (Eccl 5:10 - 15 NRSV) 

That is not to say work is evil. We should work if we expect to eat. But, it becomes very bothersome, even a burden, when one works only to amass riches. Jesus told this story to a crowd who followed to listen to Him: 
 

Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’  Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
                                                                             Luke 12:16-21

Our work should bring joy to us as well as to others. Live life! Enjoy the life that God has given you! Whether it is in the hours you spend laboring or during the hours you are relaxing with your friends and family, life here on earth is to be lived and enjoyed. Life, abundant life, is a gift from God.

This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God. For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts. (Eccl 5:18-20).

Focus your journey here on earth, not on amassing wealth or power to the exploit of others, but on living life so that God may be glorified.

And... may the peace and joy that is found in being in relationship with God, our Father and with one another, through His Son, Jesus the Christ, be with you always.  

Pr. J