We See Dimly

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinth 13:11-13 NRSV


What a glorious day it will be when we shall see the Lord face to face. But, for now we have faith, hope and love as we wait for the day when the shadow is gone; the shroud is removed and the fog is lifted so that we will see His full glory as we stand before Him.

No matter how dimly we might see now; it is better than not seeing or knowing Him at all. May God open our eyes that we might see and know Him more clearly each and every day.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Bringing Up Servant Leaders

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."

                                                    Prov 22:6

This past Sunday, our children led a traditional liturgical worship service at Zion. As they stood in line to process into the sanctuary, I counted. I counted seventeen young people from preschool through High School who would in some way participate in leading the Advent Worship. This may not seem like a large number to many of you reading this. However, given the size of the community around us this is a huge number. The population is right around 200 in Skanee. Our public K-6 school has less than ten youth enrolled. The truth is that most of these young people come from elsewhere in the county.

We do have a couple of very shy students who will acolyte or receive the offering; but, most of our young people are willing to sing in the choir, to read, to pray, even to preach publically. For many years, we have been busy training not just adults; but, our children, as well, to lead worship; to proclaim the Good News in word and song. I have led very few mid-week Advent or Lent services since I was called to serve here as I understand a large part of my call to train others to be servant leaders. I do design the services; but, I do not lead them. We use these mid-week services to help others in the congregation to confidently lead this congregation or other congregations. One of our members presently serves as Lay Pastor to a congregation that is so small that they cannot call an ordained pastor. Pr. Peter is also very active in ministry at assisted living homes.

Our young people love being able to lead the liturgy, to pray the prayers of the church, and; yes, even to preach. They are becoming very good public speakers and witnesses to the Lord. I am grateful that we have this opportunity to train them to be servant leaders. Whether they will use these things that they are learning in the church or out in the world is yet to be seen. But, we trust that they will not depart from the way which they have been shown when they are old.

We do not believe that children are just the future of the church. They are also the church today. With the help of God, one day they will be training their children in the way that they should go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Great Things For Us

"For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." Luke 1:49

Mary was beside herself with joy and wonder at the amazing things God was doing in her life. Wonder and joy are probably not the only words that could be used to describe how Mary felt. Anxious, nervous, afraid might be some others. We like to think that we are at least in charge of our own lives; of our own destinations. But, God blessed Mary with a gift that she had never requested. Her life and ours was forever changed by this gift. In her, God's Son was conceived. Through her, God's only begotten Son was born.

God gave this gift of His son not just to Mary; but, to the world. He has done this great thing for all of us. Thanks be to God for this precious child born to save us from ourselves. May God continue to do great things for us; turning us from ourselves to serve the living Lord.

The Savior lives! He is risen! He is risen, indeed! 

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Are God's Beloved

"But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matt 12:48-50 NRSV

We had an awesome dinner last night! Brothers and sisters in Christ gathered together to enjoy a simple; but, delicious meal in the church dining area at Zion. After dinner, we, the children of God, gathered in the sanctuary to worship our Lord.

 

I realize that in today's world "family" is not what it use to be. Many rarely sit down for a meal together. So many families never take the time to talk to one another; to listen to their loved ones. These are people we love. Why don't we take the time to fellowship with our families?

 

When you were baptized into Christ; you became a child of God. All who were baptized into the Body of Christ are members of God's family; brothers and sisters; children of our heavenly Father. Let us not neglect to actually be family, in more than name only. 

 

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:24-25

God's Peace - Pr. J

The Lord Looks At The Heart

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7

When the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the next king over Israel, Samuel saw the stature of Eliab and thought for sure this one must be the one. But, the Lord let him know that He had not chosen the next king of Israel by his outward appearance. In the end, it was Jesse's youngest son, just a shepherd in the field, who was called to be anointed to be the next king.

In the spring when the dandelions begin to bloom, my husband is in a hurry to get rid of them. I see the yellow blossoms as doing no harm. They are a sign of spring and I enjoy their presence in my yard. We each have a different perspective on what we see or hear. We see things differently. My husband sees weeds. I see flowers; a gift from God that are, in fact, consumable.

God see things a whole lot differently than we do. So what does God see when He looks into our hearts? Our neighbors may see our hearts as dark as the night. But, what does God see? Does he see a child in pain who has not yet learned how to deal with life around him? Does he see a heart that is aching for only the peace that He can give? 

No one; but, God, can know what is truly in the heart of another person. Whether good or evil; whether a weed or a flower, only God can know for sure.

Who knows? The next weed that you try to destroy just might be a treasured flower; a beloved and chosen child of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Galatians 4:1-7 Child and Heir

Galatians 4:1-7 NIV
Rejoice! The time has come. The time has been fulfilled. You have been set free by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are a child of God; an heir of the eternal Kingdom!

All thanks and praise to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!

God's Peace - Pr. J

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Yoked

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV
Our reading today does not mean that we should not minister to unbelievers. It does not mean that we should not make all attempts to live peaceably with the unbeliever. It is a reminder that we should yoke ourselves to other Christians and not make lifelong commitments with unbelievers.

If you doubt this, then ask a Christian man or woman who is married to an unbeliever how that's working out for them. It does work out in many cases. But, it can be most difficult. It can be terribly trying for the believer who has Christ as the priority, while the spouse has another focus. Sometimes that other focus might be something that goes directly against the will of God. Sometimes it is more subtle and can drag the believing partner down.

Take St. Paul's warning against being yoked to the unbeliever. Love your neighbor, do justice... but, be careful that you are not tempted to live in such a way that Jesus takes a back seat in your life. You are a child of God. Live as a child of God within the family of God. However, if you have yoked yourself by marriage to an unbeliever; do your best to be a witness of God's love for them and for you so that in the end they too might be saved.
God's Peace - Pr. J

2 Corinthians 1:12-24 Yes

 ^{2 Corinthians 1:12-24}
Sometimes we plan to do way more than we can physically do. I tend to "overbook" myself and end up changing one or more of my plans as to what I will be doing on any given day. I thank God that my congregation and community understands what flexibility is. Sometimes I say yes to something and because a greater priority or emergency arises I will have to change the schedule and say "No, I cannot go," at the last minute.

Paul planned to go to Corinth twice. At first he said yes. But, his travel plans changed and he had to say no. That's the way it is sometimes. Plans change, but God does not change. His plan for us does not change. Sometimes His plan is difficult for our sinful minds to discern. The message of Jesus the Christ does not change. That message is always a yes. Whether we are with you personally or not, the Lord is and He says yes to all who would believe, Yes. you are my beloved child. Come to me all who are weary. Come to me and I will give you rest in my Son, Jesus Christ, your Lord.

God's peace - Pr. J

Romans 15:14-21 NIV Make It Your Ambition To Proclaim the Good News

Romans 15:14-21 NIV
I woke up this morning, mistakenly, thinking that it was Christmas morning. You see, I have a few services to attend today and for me, Christmas day is the day to celebrate Christ's birth. It just seems natural to me to celebrate his birth on Christmas Day. I've never quite adjusted to these early Christmas Eve Services. Something about them just doesn't seem quite right. For one; those who are traveling on Christmas Eve often don't get the opportunity to worship if there are no Christmas Day services. Being the wife of a retired Marine, I, remember many Christmas Eve's traveling and missing out on many Christmas Worship Services because there were none on Christmas Day. Secondly, I've always had the fear that Christmas has become so secularized that people would rather not spend the actual holiday as a Holy Day; but, more in line with the expectations of the world. I've kind of thought that maybe Jesus was taking a backseat on Christmas day.

I, personally, feel like I'm slacking by not sharing the Good News on Christmas Day. For years, I insisted on both an eve and a day service. However, due to lack of attendance; (the organist, usher, and me showed up), I finally acquiesced. Now, I go out and try to visit all of our shut-ins on Christmas Day, so that I am still able to proclaim:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6,7

 

I also insisted that we put in a midnight service to replace the service that had been deleted the following morning. We celebrate Christ's birth at Zion, not only at 6 pm on Christmas Eve; but, also at 11 pm. I have a notion that 11 pm might be closer to the time of Christ's actual birth and the service tends to last into the first minutes of Christmas morning.

Despite my personal preferences, it most probably does not really matter when we actually gather to commemorate Christ's birth. We should all be gathering often not only to commemorate his birth, but his life, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension into the Kingdom that he has prepared for us. In every season and in every place, we should, as St. Paul did, make it our ambition to proclaim the Good News so that those who have never heard will hear and understand. Jesus the Christ was born and lived and died and lives again for you! Enter into his peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. As for me, I will celebrate Christ's birth in community today and tomorrow with those who cannot be with us in community this evening. I hope those of you who will gather as community to worship today, will consider doing the same. Merry Christmas!

Romans 8:31-39 Our Father Loves You

Romans 8:31-39 NIV
The love of a parent for a child is beyond comprehension. Most human parents will go to all lengths to protect and guide their children. There are even times when, because we are human, a parent's love actually enables our children; harming their futures. There also may be times when something comes between a parent and a child; but, that does not mean that the parent stops loving them no matter what their children may have done.

As I have witnessed this love between parents and children, I have often thought; so how does our Father in heaven feel when we go astray; when we do what we ought not or fail to do those things that we ought to be doing; when we turn our backs on Him; when we reject His good gifts and receive worldly favors of false gods? No matter what influences might come into our lives that would estrange us from our Father in heaven; Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Of course, God knows you personally, because He is your Father and He will always love you. May He help us to love Him more, because He loves us so.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 1:57-80 - Thanks Be To God!

Luke 1:57-80 NIV
God's will has been and will be done.

The elderly Elizabeth gives birth to her long awaited son. Thanks be to God!

Zechariah's mouth is stopped until the day of the circumcision and the naming of their child. Thanks be to God!

Zechariah is filled with he Holy Spirit and prophesied regarding the future of his child. Thanks be to God!

"....the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel" (vs 80) proclaiming the coming of the Savior of the world; proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 1:1-38 Angels' Message

Luke 1:1-38 NIV
Angels went to the parents of John and Jesus to tell them that they would have these children. Can you imagine? Can you imagine the fear that might grip you if an angel of the LORD suddenly appeared to bring you a message from God?

Sometimes His Word will cause us fear and trembling at other times and sometimes at the same time it will bring us joy. Zechariah was not only felt fear, he must have felt much joy and relief in knowing that at long last his prayers that he and his wife Elizabeth would finally have a son will finally be answered. I'm not so sure that Mary would have been so joyful with the news of her pregnancy. She would have a lot of obstacles to face. She, after all, is not married, and has a bit of explaining to her fiancée as to how she got pregnant. But, then again, this child, she is told, will be called the Son of God. He will be exalted. That ought to make any mother happy.

Sometimes the Word will bring us joy. Sometimes it will bring us a bit of anxiety. God calls us to follow in ways that we might not choose to go ourselves. I haven't heard of any angels visiting anyone with a message from God, lately. However, He does have a word for each and all of us. We can read His message to us anytime we pick up the Holy Scriptures. We can hear His message to us during Worship. God still speaks to us. His message might be one that maybe we don't want to hear. It might be one we have been longing to hear. No matter what it is, we can know that is for the good of those who love Him. Even as the angel(s) told both Zechariah and Mary, "Do not be afraid..." (Luke 1:13,30) Listen to Him!
God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 3 - Brood of Vipers; God's Children

John the Baptist is one of my favorite characters. Can you imagine if I went around saying to people, "...You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance..." (Matt 3:7-8 NIV) Well, actually I do say things similar to this at times, I just don't recall actually calling anyone a viper. Oops, I take that back, too. I do recall an occasion or two when I've let someone know that they were acting like a snake.

Here is John, baptizing with water for repentance and along comes Jesus, the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, to be baptized by John.
     "But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
     Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
     As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:14-17)

Anointed by the Spirit of God at baptism, we hear from that same Spirit, that same God, welcome us into His family with these reconciling words, "You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased."

A brood of vipers, we are. Yet, by His grace, we are His children.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Nahum 2 - Warning To Turn Back

God is against Nineveh. The people are warned to turn back. But, they will not.

I warn people all of the time to turn back to the LORD and worship only Him. Sadly, the warnings fall on ears that will not hear. I am often looked at like I am a silly old goose. I have been told that there is no God. Experience has taught me that there is, for sure. Experience has taught me what happens when one turns their back on the LORD and refuses to turn back to Him, again.

I know that I am not the only one whom the LORD has tried to teach these things to. I am not the only one who has been warned.  Let us all heed the warning that He will restore His children. Yes, the restoration of His people is a warning - it is a warning to those who would attack them. The LORD our God will deliver all who turn to Him from the enemy.

Which shall you be? A child of God or an enemy? Will you turn your back to Him or your face to Him that His light might shine upon you?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Hosea 11 - Help Us To Love The One Who Loves Us

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.
But the more they were called,
    the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals    
    and they burned incense to images." (Hosea 11:1-2 NIV)

I'm thinking there are a lot of parents (and grandparents) who can relate to this. Sometimes, the more you love a child, the more they pull away. It's as though they honestly don't want to be loved. I don't get it. But, sometimes, it seems, that is the way it is. They wander off seeking love from those who do not, cannot, or will not love them instead of living in the warmth and love that is being freely given to them.

God loves us and calls us to be His children. So what is so difficult in living in His love?

May God help each and everyone of us to realize the great love He has for us. Open our eyes, Lord! Open our hearts, LORD! Help us to receive the love you have given us through Jesus Christ, our LORD. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Isaiah 49 - Can A Mother Forget Her Child?

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me. (Isa 49:15, 16 NIV)

Most of us cannot even begin to consider that we might forget our children. However, the sad reality is that there are many mothers who do. There are many mothers who prefer not to have children and live as though they don't. Once, again, I consider that the court systems in this country still tend to give preferential treatment to mothers over the fathers. And... if and when the courts do grant a greater proportion of the custody of a child to a father or other person due to gross neglect or abuse by the mother, society tends to want to say that the courts were unfair - that they should never take a mother's children away from her. They need her. What they really need is a mother who will love them. She will love them as God loves her. She will put their lives before her own even as God was willing, in Christ Jesus, to give his life for us.

Isaiah 49 was read by me often when my own children were teen-agers and beginning to stretch their wings beyond what was good for them. Those years are long gone and I had almost forgotten the reassurance they gave me. Now, that I have grandchildren hitting those teen years, I suspect I should probably be reaquainting myself with these verses:

"Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.

“Though you were ruined and made desolate
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’
Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’”" (Isa 49:17-21)

 

God's Peace - Pr. J  

Isaiah 19 - Brother Betray Brother or Peace?

Assyria had been warned and so today it is time to read the warning the LORD gave to Egypt, as well. The LORD is coming to Egypt. "See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. 'I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.'" (Isa 19:1-2 NIV)

The Egyptians have turned their backs on God and against God's people. He, apparently, has determined to save some of them. Trouble is coming. Ultimately, five cities come to swear their allegiance to God, while others continue in their descent as they consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

It is not uncommon that people who serve different gods come to have differences, even disputes. They will, even within families, betray one another in order to hide their own guilt, to justify worshipping their false gods. When Jesus entered the scene, was he not hated by the "religious" people of the day - the people who lifted the law and their own righteousness before God? Jesus' own people turned against him.

And... so it will be with those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death." (Matt 10:21) We will not be loved by all. We will, in fact, be hated by many. Our presence is a reminder that Jesus is LORD and not everyone is willing to accept that. They prefer to be their own gods, masters of their own destinies. There are many, even within our own families, who would betray us in order to try to hide or destroy the truth that Jesus Christ is our LORD and Saviour. He is the LORD of all the earth.

There is good news to be heard regarding the prophecy against Egypt. Egypt, Assyria and Judah, together will be blessesd.

"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.'" (Isa 19:23-25)

May the LORD bless and keep you all in the unity found in Jesus Christ, our LORD.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

P.S. Yes,things like unity and reconciliation with one another is a gift from God. It is not something that can be conjured up by man. That kind of peace will not last. No matter how hard we try our own attempts at peace seem to only bring more division and dissenion. We are only truly united through the blood of Christ, an everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 11 - The Wolf Will Live With The Lamb As A Little Child Leads Us

A blog can't even begin to touch these marvelous prophecies of Isaiah! They are the predictions of not only Israel from the Assyrians, but they look even more forward than that.  The Davidic line will be no more than a stump, the tree having been cut down. But, from that lineage which has been pretty much decimated, will spring forth a branch, a leader, a king, who wears righteousness as his belt and faithfulness as a sash around his waist. (Isa 11:5 NIV) Isaiah predicts the coming Messiah, who is Jesus the Christ.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lordas the waters cover the sea. (Isa 11:6-9)

I find it providential that this lesson is coming up today, even as I have been working on another blog article regarding the wolf. In it, I ponder how to discern the difference between a sheep and a wolf in sheep's clothing and how dangerous it is to the flock to knowingly allow a wolf in disguise to be active in a congregation. So, as I consider this chapter from Isaiah, I wonder if the time has come that has been prophesied where the figurative wolves and the sheep (lamb) can live in peace alongside one another, doing God's will. You all know what I'm talking about. There are wolves in almost every congregation and some of them border on being very carnivorous. They are those antagonists who smile a lot, yet manage to stir up a lot of divisions between the members and sometimes even between the members and the pastor. They come disguised as a little lamb, but inside are ravenous wolves. Yet, God manages to bring it all around to a good purpose and even what seems to be the worse case scenario to us, where the congregation actually closes its doors, maybe in the long run we will see the good that God intended from that, as well. All I know is that somehow He manages to produce fruit through even the wolves. Wolves, sheep, lion, ox, cow, bear all gathering together. Even I can be a bear, at times. In fact, I'm thinking, would I rarely, except maybe by some of our youngest children ever be likened to anything as peaceful as a lamb. We live together, as the one who came to us as a little child, leads us. (Isa 11:6)

Peace is good. It is very good, indeed! May the righteousness of God be the rule in our lives. May peace abide in us and we in the Prince of Peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J