Galatians 6 Circumcision or Cross?

Galatians 6 NIV
Apparently there were some Jewish Christians who felt that if they did not insist that all believers were to be circumcised they would come under scrutiny by local or national authorities. That could prove to be trouble for them. Being a follower of Jesus, the one who was executed, was not always a pleasant thing. It could get your persecuted. Many were afraid to lift high and boast in the cross of Christ alone.

Paul on the other hand had no fear of boasting in the cross of Christ. Rather, he insisted that would be the only thing he could boast in. He was not thrilled with the idea of Christians hiding under the rite of circumcision. We cannot hide from God. Either we are Christians or we are not. If we live to protect our own flesh then we will reap what we sow. If we live to please the Spirit, then we will also reap what we sow. Think about it! One leads to destruction; the other to eternal life!

Let us boldly lift high the cross of Christ! Do not be ashamed to say that you have been crucified with Christ and now are a new creation in him.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acts 5:11-16 Believers Do Not Fear To Follow

Acts 5:11-16 NIV
There are some things that we should stay away from. There are those things that we might and probably should fear. After the death of Ananias and Sapphira at the hands of God, many who otherwise might have associated with the believers in Jesus, stayed away. I'm thinking that they understood that pretending to serve God in Christ Jesus was probably not a real good idea. Attempting to lie to God is not wise. They feared being confronted as Ananias and Sapphira were confronted. (Acts 5:1-11)

This was a very good time. The Gospel was shared. Multitudes of people were healed. The power of the Holy Spirit was active through the apostles. Peter did not even have to lay hands or pray for some of them to be healed; all that it took was for his shadow to fall on them. Talk about faith! So; although, there were many who did not believe that stayed away; others came who did believe. The church on earth was full of faithful followers and it grew.

The church on earth is indeed persecuted in many ways; yet, at the same time we have something precious that those who are merely pretending to be followers and stay away do not. We do not have to fear death, for by faith in the Son who gave himself for us; we have been made whole and reconciled to God our Father in His Kingdom for all eternity. Death has no power over us.  

God's Peace - Pr. Judy

John 19:38-42 Secret Friend and Follower

John 19:38-42 NIV
Nicodemus, a secret friend of Jesus, and Joseph of Arimathea, who had kept the fact that he was a follower of Jesus a secret for fear of the Jews, buried Jesus.

As I consider these verses from John today, I am reminded of the decades that Russians had to worship in secret, sometimes in graveyards, lest they be arrested and suffer the consequences for their faith. It reminds me that even today, multitudes must try to hide their faith in order to save their lives so that they might continue to share the Good News even if it must be done clandestinely.

May God help us, who are free to proclaim our allegiance to Jesus, to proclaim it freely.

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 16:1-15 Killing Christians

John 16:1-15 NIV
Jesus' prophecy has been fulfilled and is even now being fulfilled. He warned that there it come to pass that there would be those with the false belief that if they kill Christians they will be doing a service to God. That is what happed to his many of his first followers, including most of the original disciples. There are many, even today, who are killing Christians with this false belief that they are doing a service to God.

The cross is not so easy to bear as some would think. It is more than just putting up with annoying people. It is not having to show up at church on Sunday or helping your neighbor. If we think our crosses are those annoying little interruptions of the day, we should think again. As we take up our cross and follow him, we will find that at the end of the path is death. (And... then, thanks be to God is eternal life) But, Jesus told us many things that would help us to bear up our crosses and follow him. He warned us of the hatred that would come toward his followers so that we would not be unprepared for it. We would know, in advance, what was coming. Then, he did even more. He sent the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Truth will guide us in the way in which we should go. Trust the Spirit of Christ. Do not be afraid. He is with you now and always - through life and death and life!

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 15:26-27 Disciples Share The Truth

John 15:26-27
We've been discussing discipleship at our Wednesday evening Worship for a few weeks now. There are a lot of marks that distinguish a follower of Jesus from those who merely believe that he existed at one time. Disciples testify to the truth. They share the Good News of the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus with others.

Are you truly a disciple, a follower of Jesus? When was the last time you witnessed to what Jesus has done for you? I know it can be difficult to step out and speak a word that the world rejects. But, do not be afraid, for the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of truth is with you and in you. Trust the Spirit of truth to give you the words to speak when you don't know what to say or maybe would rather not.

God is with you. May He help us to be disciples; not in name only; but in reality, sharing His truth with all who need to hear.

God's Peace - Pr.

John 15:18-25 Bullied for Jesus

John 15:18-25 NIV
It is tough for Christians who desire to be faithful. You may have friends. But, you will also in all likelihood have a lot of enemies as well if your first love is Jesus. The world did not (does not) love Jesus and will not love his followers, either.

When my granddaughter was in elementary school (about 3rd grade) she had a friend who belonged to a Christian group that thinks females should wear long dresses or skirts all of the time.  Wearing a dress has actually become a symbol of faith in Jesus for that particular faith community to the people in the larger community. A woman who dresses in this manner is easily recognized as a dedicated Christian. This young girl wore dresses to school all of the time. To put it bluntly; she was bullied quite a lot because of it. Now, my granddaughter is not a big fan of dresses. She usually only wears them for special occasions. One morning she donned a dress for school so that her friend would have "company." My granddaughter thought this might help others to accept her friend. When she got home that day I asked what the kids in school thought about her dress. She replied that when she got off of the school bus some kids pushed her in the snow bank along with her friend. But, she was ok with that. She was in good company.

There will be those who definitely don't like you if you don't conform to the standards of the world around you. Even the tiniest hint that you might be a faithful follower of our Lord, Jesus Christ, can get you bullied and persecuted.

May God help us to not judge other Christians based on adiaphora; but support them in their desire to serve; as they strive to be reflections of Jesus to the world. If the world hates them; if it hates you; remember that the world hated Jesus first for no reason. You are in good, real good, company.

God's Peace - Pr. J  

Ezekiel 29 - I Am the LORD

“On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 29:21 NIV)

Israel, had trusted in Egypt to protect and care for them; therefore, not only will Israel go into exile, but Egypt, as well. For forty years, the LORD promises, that the Egyptians will be scattered among the nations for thinking that they, themselves, were some kind of god, in control of even the river Nile.

God's hand extends way beyond just those who purport to be followers of Him. He is the creator of all things and all things are His. He will care for His whole creation according to His will. May He always be with those who have been exiled. May God guide those whom He has sent out into the wilderness for refining or for testing or for whatever reason He has sent us there for so that we might know that He is the LORD above all lords. We are not god. He is!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezra 1 - Cyrus More Faithful Than Us?

We begin the book of Ezra pretty much where 2 Chronicles left off...

     "...the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
     This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

     ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.'"  (1:1-3 NIV)

What would possess this non-Jew who had power and authority over the people of God to release them from their captivity and bless them as he sends them on their way to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem?  Scripture tells us that the LORD moved his heart.  Just as He moved others to come up against His people so that they would learn and turn to Him, He also moves the hearts of others to show grace and mercy.

Cyrus was not of Abraham's or David's lineage.  He was not a part of the promise; yet, he attributes his position over all the kingdoms over the earth to the LORD, the God of heaven.  He attributes it to the one God.  That just amazes me. 

How many of us, who claim to be followers, who claim to believe, claim all that we are and have and do, to the one God, our LORD?  In a very real sense, I think, that Cryus was more faithful than many (most?) of Abraham's children, than of David's. 

It is election year.  This may be a reminder to us that the one who claims (or others point out to be) the most Christian may not necessarily be the one whom God would have lead us.  For countries or world governments, it is not always the one whom we perceive as "Christian" who listens to the LORD's will for His people - and we are all His people.

May God bless each of us with the knowledge, the realization, of how much He has given us and help us to use those gifts to do His will, glorifying His holy name.