Do Good; Seek Peace

Psalm 34:12-22 KJV

What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

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Depart from evil; do good and seek peace! What person would not want that? I suppose even a person whom we might consider does a lot of evil desires peace in their life. They may desire it; but, don't know how to go about pursuing it. Do they really know that the evil that they have been pursuing not only harms those they perceive as their enemies as well as themselves? Do they know the difference between what is good and what is bad; what is sin and what is not sin?

We are all sinners. That is a fact. However, those who trust in the Lord; those who listen to him; have contrite spirits and they seek peace with him. They not only seek it; they receive it for they are promised that those who trust in him are redeemed. The Lord delivers them. They shall not be desolate. Their lives shall be full. Their spirits will be at peace as they live life in the presence of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Knowing God Is God

Psalm 46:10

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

But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.                                                                               

                                                                                     (John 6:35-40 KJV)

Doubt can creep in when one is least expecting it. Trouble may came and you wonder where God is. Does he really exist and if he does why would he allow this to happen. We cannot see him face to face now and sometimes it might be hard to grasp this Father in heaven. I have heard him described as a bearded old man living in the clouds or other such absurd analogies and those descriptions coming from adults! SMH!! It is absurd to make fun of something or someone that one does not know. 

But, those who worship him, do know him. As Job declared that he would one day see God face to face so do those who know and love him declare it. 

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. 

                                                                                             (Job 19:25-27)

Our God is not some far away god who sits on a cloud. He is here with us, in us, above us, all around us. He is not an old man either. He is eternal and he is God Almighty. We do not have to see him face to face in order to know him. We read and hear the testimony of his many children. We witness his acts of love and kindness everyday in the Christians around us. We behold his creation and we are in awe of his handiwork.

Thomas knew Jesus. He was a follower of Jesus. They were friends. Yet, when Jesus rose from the dead Thomas doubted that this could possible be true. He had see him with his own eyes to believe it.  

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

We don't have to see him to believe. We are witnesses to his grace and his mercy and his love. Blessed are you who believe for you have received everlasting life in the presence of God Almighty!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

God The Father and Creator Of All

Bond Falls, MI - I spent much time there as a youth

 PSALM 8 KJV

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

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By the time you read this the North American Lutheran Church's Lutheran Week in Corpus Christi will have ended yesterday.  I have written a weeks worth of blogs in advance so I have more time to be with the friends I haven't seen in years. 

The theme this year is "God The Father Creates." Indeed he has and he does. He rested on the seventh day; but, then there was the eighth. God is always at work, watching his children, watching his creations, leading us, protecting us, guiding us in the way that he would have us go. 

His creation is not only evidenced by the vast number of those who follow him and let the light of Christ shine through them. The whole creation around is a wonder to behold. What music we have been given in the singing of the birds that entertain us on quiet evenings. The majesty of the mountains and the seas are breathtaking. And, the prairies display such wonder with their beauteous sunsets. The beauty and majesty of his whole creation is so vast there are no words that can express it fully. 

Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Do What Is Right

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." 

                                                                                                  (Eph 4:17-32 KJV)

As Christians we are given new life through the sacrifice of Jesus' blood for us. No matter how hard we try we will also continue to sin. That is our nature. But, we must at least try not give place to evil in our lives. The indwelling spirit of Christ will be there to aid us; to guide us in the way that we should be going. St. Paul admonishes in his letter to the Ephesians to do what is right.

As Christians who are sinners; but, by the grace and mercy of God we are also saints. We have been chosen by God and sanctified by the blood of Christ.  St. Peter wrote: 

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

                                                                                                            (1 Pet 2:9-10)

As Christians we have been set apart. We should be set apart from our old ways of thinking and doing and being.. Let us not live in those old ways; but, in the new life in Christ live that so that we do not dishonor our Father in heaven.

As people of God may God help us by the power of the Holy Spirit to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God has forgiven us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Lord Provides

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 

                                                                               (1 Kings 19:1-8 KJV)

Jezebel is after him so Elijah is on the run. She has sworn to kill him because he has killed her prophets. His departure is so quick that he doesn't take any provisions for his journey. The escape wore him out so after a ways he lays down under a tree and falls asleep.

Of course, the Lord knows all that Elijah has done to let the people know that their false gods and prophets are just that: false. And, the Lord still has plans for him. He sends an angel to care for him; to feed him and to give him drink. The Lord provides for his servant in need. 

The Lord still provides for his servants. He provides our daily bread. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Jezebel

 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

                            (1 Kings 1:1-2 KJV)

I have this real vivid picture of Jezebel in my head. Some things you picture you just can't forget. My Grandma Hill was a very strict Lutheran. Now, I have no clue what Jezebel actually looked like but my grandmother seriously portrayed her as a not nice lady of the night. I will never forget her comparing females who wore red lipstick to Jezebel. 

I have never been able to wear lipstick except maybe a little clear gloss one and then. Every time I've even thought about wearing some, I thought about my grandmother and how disappointed she would be and decided against it. Some things we learn never disappear. They are imprinted on our hearts and minds forever.

Other than really judging women who wore lipstick; she was a good, patient, and  a very loving woman. Although, she may seem a little strict by today's standards and even the standards of the sixties I learned a lot from her. She put up with a lot of stuff being thrown at her. Yet, she put up with it out of her great love for others. I witnessed how she cared for her family and her neighbors no matter what trouble they might be stirring up. It was also very evident how very much she loved the Lord.  She was a sinner as we all are. But, in Christ she was a saint!

My hope is that when I am gone from this earth I have lived a life that has been  an example of patient and loving service to others.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Try Jesus; You Just Might Love Him

Open The Door And Let Him In

 

Psalm 34:4-8 KJV

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

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There are some social media posts going around that want to know what foods you like and which ones won't you eat. I haven't found anything that I won't eat or at least try. There are a few that if I have a choice I would definitely choose something else. The reality is that unless you try it you will never know if you actually like it.

The psalmist tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How do you know he's not to your liking if you've never really got to know him or to be in relationship with him? How will you know if you've never opened the door to your heart even a crack to let him come in? In St. John's vision he heard:

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

He's there. He loves you. He want you to be in a loving relationship with you. He wants to help you. Trust him. Let him in. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are you who trust in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Gladness Springs

Psalm 34:1-3

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

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Gladness springs from our very beings when we consider what God has done for us. His gifts to us are endless; but, the one gift is truly eternal. That gift is the gift of eternal life in his presence through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, for us. 

Bless the Lord always and join together often to exalt his holy name with songs of joy and praise!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

We Have Hope In His Goodness

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 

                                                                               (Psalm 119:114-116 KJV)

Since the beginning of time as we know it people have endured much hardship. The troubles often come at the hands of others; sometimes by our own poor choices. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be led astray into some serious "stinking thinking" through social media or hanging out too much with others whose lives are lived in darkness. Sometimes natural disasters are the cause of our grief. 

When troubling times come we often turn to the Lord and either blame Him or  maybe we have enough faith and good sense to trust him to see us through these times. There are definitely times in our lives when the only thing that can keep us up is prayer and hope in His Word; His promises.

We have hope because we trust God and we trust His Word. No matter how horrible things may seem God can work it out for the good for you and already has a good plan for you. Trust him and live with hope in His Word.

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.

Jesus The Bread Of Life

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

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

                                                                             (John 6:32-35 KJV)

Jesus is the bread of life. Many of us have not been being fed very well this past year with all of the shut-downs and restrictions due to COVID. We have not been being fed with the Word who is Jesus the Christ nor have we been being fed with the Sacrament of his body and blood.  So just a little reminder from Luther's Small Catechism found in the Book of Concord this morning that because of the restrictions we may have gotten out of the habit of hearing the Word and partaking in the Holy Sacrament and should get back into the habit. 

Sacrament of the Altar

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

01 What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

02 Answer: It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

03 Where is this written?

04 Answer: The holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul, write thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

05 What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

06 Answer: That is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

07 How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

08 Answer: It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, as the chief thing in the Sacrament; and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

09 Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?

10 Answer: Fasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.

But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the words For you require altogether believing hearts.

Hungry and thirsty?  Jesus who is the bread of life will fill you for all of eternity.

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.     

Serve Together In Love

Love one another; serve in unity

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

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 4:11-16 KJV)

Do we ever really grow up?  To truly grow up can take a lifetime and usually a lot of heartache. 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 good and for the good of society. But, with the help of God, we do what we can and then continue to pray for them until the day we die.

It would be most helpful for our children and for society if we could all work together using the gifts that God has given each of us to help all of our children grow up into him who is the head; who is Jesus the Christ. 

I have been following an interesting and energetic young Christian man who has established a school for teens in Albany, GA. He has just turned 22 years of age yet has accomplished amazing things. His group is known as "the X for Boys."  King Randell is intent on not only making sure that they complete their High School educations; but,  to also prepare them for their futures teaching them life skills as well. A couple of the projects they've been working on are automotive repair and carpentry. 

He uses his God-given gifts to help (not hinder) his community as a whole as he teaches these young men to grow up in Christ and to use their gifts to help themselves and others. What a wonderful world this would be if we would all use our gifts to serve the whole community in love.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

God In All

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

                                                                                       (Eph 4:1-6 KJV)

There is only one God and Father of all. He is above all, through all, and in us all. Worship him and with all humility. Serve him and one another in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

And... The Children Of God Complained

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 

                                                    (Ex 16:2-3 KJV)

God led Moses and the people of Israel out of bondage. And... they complained...

They complained. They felt that they would have been better off as slaves rather than wandering around free from Pharaoh. Freedom came with a price. They were without a real home for many years. They had to actually trust the Lord to provide for them. Those were just a couple of prices that were paid by the people not to be property of another human being. Even after God finally led them to their own land they had to work hard to build up that land. They had to work hard to build homes, supply their families with the things needed to sustain their lives. Many had to work for others in order to survive; in order to live life. It was not an easy way of life for all.

It is not easy for everyone (maybe not for anyone) to provide for anyone today either. It can take a lot of work to survive.  When Adam and Eve turned their back on God and decided that what he had given them was not enough they ate of the tree that the Creator had said not to eat of. The consequence given to Adam by the Lord was: "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Gen 3:17-19 KJV)

St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." (2 Thess 3:10-12)

So, maybe we should just figure out that in order to eat we have to work. There are exceptions of course. There are those who cannot work due to illness or handicap or age. These the rest of us must provide for.

"Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." (Deut 15:9-11)

There are simply too many examples of Jesus reminding us to take care of the poor to begin listing them. We are expected to care for our brothers and sisters; in fact, for all of creation.

The Lord helped the Israelites escape their slavery and they complained. He fed them with manna from heaven and after awhile they complained about that too.

The moral of this blog this morning is to quit complaining; live life thanking God for what he has given you!

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.

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

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Lift Us Up

 

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." 

(Hab 3:19 KJV)

On some days life can be pretty rough. Troubles and obstacles can bring us down. On those days we pray that the Lord will lift us up and lead us through the tough times.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Help our feet to walk in your high places. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Light Of Christ

Psalm 112:4-5 (KJV)

Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 

The light of Christ who is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous shines upon a world that can be very dark. The world can also be full of the light of Christ. But, many love the darkness because the darkness will hide their sins. There will be legislatures that will make what is wrong right so that their own sins may be hidden. There will be many who support this subversion of justice. 

But, those who know Jesus live in the light that the truth may be seen. They live bathed in the light of Christ that they might live in comfort and in peace. 

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

                                                                         (John 3:17-21)

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

                                                                             (2 Cor 4:6)

Jesus the Christ is the light that was sent into the world. Live life! Live it in the light of Christ to the glory of God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Wherever He Goes; We Go

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

                                                                                                                   (Mark 6:53-56)

They ran out into the desert to hear him. They ran to the other side of the lake. The people know a good thing when they hear it. They know that there is something super special about Jesus. They believe; they know that Jesus can heal them. Jesus can make them whole again. And, so they follow him. Wherever he goes they are right behind him; seeking him so that they may be made whole physically or spiritually. 

As soon as Jesus got out of the boat the people recognized him and went to him. How about you? Do you follow him? Do you recognize him? Maybe it's time to get to know Jesus a lot better and then follow wherever he will lead you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Finding Rest

Get Out Of Your Safe Space; Seek Other Seas

And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

                                                                                                           (Mark 6:45-51 KJV)

"If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat" is a book written by John Ortman. I've never read it; but, I do like the title.

That doesn't mean that you should step out of your boat and try to walk on water as Jesus did. That would be a bad idea especially if you cannot swim. But, if we want to follow Jesus we need to get out of our small boats; our safe spaces, that isolate us from the rest of the world and as the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns tells us with Jesus we will seek other seas.

What does that mean? Not all professed Christians are followers of Jesus. They are merely church goers. Many consider that one or two hours a week is enough to qualify as Christians. Some think that may be too much and make it for Christmas and or Easter Worship. Some do not even do that. It is, of course, important to regularly attend worship to hear the word of God and to receive the Sacrament. By these means of grace God strengthens our faith. But, we are not saved by attending church. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Rituals are fine when they help to restore us and build up our faith. However, Jesus does call us to follow him and he does send us to share the Good News that we have heard with others. In order to do that when we leave the church building; when we leave our small boats, we are to seek others sees. We are to seek the lost.

Do not be afraid to share this Good News. Even though there will be many who reject the Good News and probably you, Jesus is with you even as he was with the disciples on the stormy sea. And... what happened when Jesus got into the boat with the disciples? The wind and tumultuous seas were calmed.

Do not be afraid to get out of your small boat to share the Good News in other seas. Christ is with you no matter how troubled the waters might get.

The hymn I referred to in this blog is "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore" written by Monseñor Cesáreo Gabaráin. For those who have never heard it and for those who love it the first verse and refrain are as follows:

You have come down to the lakeshore
Seeking neither the wise nor the wealthy,
But only asking for me to follow.

Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes,
Kindly smiling, you've called out my name.
On the sand I've abandoned my small boat;
Now with you, I will seak other seas.

God grant us all the courage to step out of our small boats and to follow Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

                                                                                                (Eph 3:14-21 KJV)

To God be the glory!  He has does such marvelous things out of his great love for us!

Again, I remind you that it is not out of the fear of hell that we worship the Lord. It is out of love for him because of his great love for us.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  We love him, because he first loved us."  (John 4:18-19)

To choose to be baptized just in case that there might really be a hell and you're afraid that you might end up there if God is real then you are merely hedging your bet. That is not faith. That is not love. Love comes from being in a relationship with God. It comes from knowing that he loves you and you wanting to return even a portion of that love. 

If you were in a car accident and someone saved your life would you not care deeply for that person?  Well, God has sent his Son to die to save us from our own sinful selves. It would seem to me that we ought to love him for that act of love and compassion. We worship him not because we are afraid of the possibility of hell; but, because we love him so much that we desire, with all of our hearts, to be in a relationship with him for all of eternity. We want to know God and to know the love of Christ, which passeth all knowledge, that we might be filled with the fulness of God.

For his great love for us we glorify and magnify his Holy Name.  

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Rainbow of Hope

And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.  

                                                                                                                  (Gen 9:8-17 KJV)

It has rained a lot here in Florida this past month. The water in my back yard is over my ankles. I do enjoy a nice rainfall but after awhile it can be a bit dreary. I can't begin to imagine what it would have been like to be stuck in a boat floating on endless water with the rain coming down for forty days knowing that the rest of humanity has been drowned. I am sure that near the end of that time I would have been thinking that I would be spending the rest of my life bobbing up and down in the stormy sea for the rest of my life. But, the rain does stop and God provides a rainbow which is a sign of the covenant he makes that he will never again destroy all of the people of the world in a flood.

Our lives can be flooded with misfortune from time to time. When we feel down the sight of a rainbow fills us with hope that the storm will subside as we are reminded of God's promise and not just the promise given in that covenant made with Noah. When I see the rainbow, I am always refreshed knowing that through Jesus we have a new covenant has been established for all people. By faith in Christ we have been reconciled to God our Father. 

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."                                                                                                                   (Eph 2:12-13)

Thanks be to God for Jesus the Christ who is our hope and our salvation.

God's Peace - Pr. J.