Praising Him For All Eternity

Psalm 111 KJV; His righteousness and truth never change. They will last for all of eternity. Praise ye the Lord!

Make Known His Wondrous Works

1 Chronicles 16:8-13 KJV; Share the Good News that all might rejoice in His wondrous works!

Sing A New Song!

Psalm 96:1-9; 21st Sunday after Pentecost; Sing a new song; declare his awesome works to all people.

Jesus Is The Christ

13th Sun after Pentecost:; Matthew 16:13-20 KJV; The confession of the faithful is that Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Christ!

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:1-14 KJV; Let not your heart be troubled. Believe that whatever you ask in the name of Jesus will be given you.

Good Works Come From Faith

1 Peter 1:17-25 KJV; 2nd Sunday after Easter; Good works come from faith that God loves us without respect of persons and because He does, we love Him and desire to do His will here on earth even as it is done in heaven.

Without The Law We Would Not Be Sinners

Romans 4:13-17; 2nd Sunday in Lent; Some would do away with the law altogether in or not to feel guilt or shame.

Deliver Us From Evil Works

2 Timothy 4:14-18 KJV; 20th Sunday after Pentecost; Deliver us from those who persecute for proclaiming the Good News of Jesus the Christ.

Corruptible Things Will Not Save You

1 Peter 1:18-21 KJV; We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone not for anything we tithe or any good works or even any traditions that we might think we need to follow.

By Grace Through Faith Alone

Ephesians 2:8=10 KJV We do good works not because they will save us rather because by God's grace we have already been saved.

Let Your Light Shine!

Matthew 5:14-16 KJV Do not fear what others might think of you; but, let the light of Christ shine before others.

Do Good; By Grace Through Faith In Christ

By Grace Through Faith

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8-9 KJV)

I don't seem to be able to say it enough!  We are not saved because we consider ourselves good or that we've done so much good in the world because we aren't so good.  None of is declared righteous by our own merit. None of us are that good. We are saved only by the grace of God through faith in the one who lived and died and lives again for us. If we could be saved by our own righteous then Christ has died in vain!

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal 2:16, 20-21)

We ought to love one another. We ought to help and support others! In fact, we are commanded to do it. But, do not think that these good works will save you. Your salvation is purely a gift from God. It is not of your own doing.

Lord, God, open the ears, hearts and minds of all people that they might comprehend and receive your grace and your love through faith  in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Help My Unbelief!

And... that is a gift from God
Eph 2:8-9

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 

                                                                                  (Mark 9:20-24 KJV)

A father cries out:  "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  This father has begged Jesus to heal his son even as he asks Jesus to heal him of his lack of faith. He knows that he cannot come to faith except by the grace of God. Faith is a gift from God. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

We cannot come to faith; we cannot be saved by anything that we do. Our faith is not our own work. It is a gift from God. Our salvation is not by our own works. If we could save ourselves then Christ's death would have been in vain. Salvation is a gift from God. 

As Lutherans we affirm that faith is a gift from God in the third article of the Apostle's Creed and what it means to us as can be found in the Small Catechism in the Book of Concord:

"Of Sanctification.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean? — Answer.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true."

Let us pray even as the father who brought his son to Jesus to have the evil spirit removed:  "I believe; help my unbelief!"

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Christ DId Not DIe For Nothing

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

                             (Gal 2:20-21 KJV)

This past week I have been thinking a lot about these verses written by St. Paul to the Galatians.  

There seems to be a lot of confusion about who saves whom; who it is that makes us righteous. Again, I remind everyone that we, you and I, cannot save ourselves. We also cannot save anyone else. Only Jesus saves. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that we are saved.

Do not frustrate the grace of God because there are no good works that will make us righteous. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. No, not anything! Our righteousness; our salvation are purely gifts from God purchased for us by the blood of his only begotten Son. If it were actually possible for us to do so much good that it outweighed the evil that we have done then Jesus would have suffered and died on the cross for nothing.

That does not mean that good fruit is not produced by the Christian. More aptly it is produced through the believer.  For when we are baptized into Christ, Christ abides in us and we in him. When we are baptized into Christ, we are crucified with Christ. We die to ourselves and he; his abiding presence, works through us.

It is Christ in us who does good things through us. We ought to humble ourselves and remember that without Christ we can do nothing good. But with Christ all things are possible.

Jesus likened himself to the vine. We are the branches of the vine. As in all plant growth the branch cannot bear fruit except it be attached to the vine. 

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (Matt 15:4-5)

So be careful about showing off your piety. The Pharisees did that and they did not love Jesus. They loved the law. Do not exalt yourself because you consider yourself so good because you chose Jesus. Remember that long before you were even born he chose you. He chose to die for you. That is the good news. He died for you because you and I were not good enough to enter into the presence of God. But, now we are because of his good work on the cross; not because of anything that we do.

Jesus did not die in vain. He loves us so much that he was willing to humble himself and die on that cross for us sinners that we might live life in the presence of God; in the heavenly kingdom, where peace, love, and hope know no bounds.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Faith Alone In Christ Alone

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

                                                                                 (Gal 3:3-7 KJV)

We are indeed foolish if we think that we can be saved by keeping the law for not a one of us can keep the law perfectly. There is only way to be saved. We are saved by grace through faith in the promises of God. We are saved by faith in that Jesus died for us; for our sins.

Just as Abraham was saved by his faith in the promise of God so shall we all be saved by faith. And, where exactly would we expect our faith to come from? It comes from hearing the Word of God. Faith comes from hearing the promises. How can anyone possible believe something that they have not heard? As our reading for Transfiguration Sunday reminded us; "Listen to him." (Matt 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35) Listen to him!

Rejoice, oh sinner, by faith alone in Christ alone you have been redeemed to live  in peace; to live in the presence of Almighty God for all of eternity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Created For Good Works

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10 KJV)

"God don't make no junk." I heard that phrase a lot a few years ago; but, not so much lately. Indeed, he doesn't. He has created all things with a purpose. He has created all people for a good purpose. That purpose is not to do harm. Yet, here we are doing harm to the people; the world, around us.

Years ago I was in a Bible Study that was studying the ten commandments. One of the women related that she didn't worry about all of the "shall nots." She found that if she just focused on loving the people and world around her she didn't fall into quite so many traps of doing harm to others. If you love your neighbor you will not steal from them. If you love your spouse you will not commit adultery. If you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind false idols will not be rising up to center stage in your life. We would probably all be better off if we worried a whole lot less about what we can't do and spend that time on focusing on the good that God has created and called us to do.

In Christ we have been freed from the bondage of sin. In Christ we have been set free to love and serve God and one another. In Christ we have been given new hearts; hearts not made of cold stone; hearts that desire to do good; to do no harm. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezek 36:26)

Let us pray: 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." 

                                                                                    (Psalm 51:10-12)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Faith; Believe On Him

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

                                                                                 (John 6:26-29 KJV)

Not by the works of our hands do we inherit eternal life. It is a gift from God received in faith in the one who lived and died and lives for us, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Not of works, lest any man should boast."

                                                                                              (Eph 2:8-9)  

God's Peace - Pr. J.     

All God's Creature Praise The Lord!

Psalm 145:10-22 KJV

All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

+++

Let all of God's creation praise the Lord!!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Freed To Love And Serve

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12 KJV)

I am reminded this Fourth of July morning of Ninevah who after Jonah finally got around to warning them of God's impending judgment repented. They changed their ways and God changed his mind about their destruction.

"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." (Jonah 3:10 KJV)

We celebrate our independence from England today. We celebrate our freedoms. Sadly, we do not always understand that our freedoms should not inflict pain and suffering on others. As Christians we are not free to abuse others so that we can get our way.

As we contemplate our freedom today may we all remember that the freedoms that we do have are not to be abused rather they should be used to love and serve God; to love and serve others. Do good! Not evil! Everything that we do does affect others either negatively or positively. We do not live in a vacuum. We live in communities.

Remember the words of our Savior: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:1) We are not all called to actually physically die in someone else's place or to free others. But, many have given their lives. Jesus did. He died so that we might be reconciled to God and to one another. May God help us to live that life of reconciliation in Christ Jesus. We can do that by remembering that everyone has certain freedoms in this country not just you or me. We cannot use our personal perceived freedoms if they are going to harm others in anyway. But, we certainly can use them to make sacrifices of our own egos for the betterment of our neighbors; the country; and the world.

We are free to love and serve God. We are free to love and serve others as Jesus did and as so many others have. What a wonderful world this would be if we could only remember that. As we celebrate Independence Day may God bless us with ears to hear so that we might better understand what changes we might make to make this country and the world an even better place to live for all people.

God grant you safety as you celebrate this weekend.

God's Peace - Pr. J.