2 Thess 1 - Trials Then Glory

2 Thessalonians 1 NIV

Toksovan Lutheran Church, Russia (2002)
A church, then communist meeting hall,
now a church. There is always hope for
those who persevere.

In the face of persecution by friends, family, community; how easy it would be to just give up and follow in the ways of the world! But, for those who are confident in the Lord and in His justice, we do not give up. Our hope is in the Lord and in His promises. We know that in the end God will work all things out for the good to those who love Him and He will be glorified.

Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians begins with words of encouragement. He commends them for their perseverance and faith. They are enduring many persecutions and trials; yet, they remain faithful.

We are tried, daily, in many ways. We suffer many injustices here in this world. Yet, we know that our trials will bear fruit for the good of all of God's children. May God help us to persevere in faith 'till the day that we will see His glory in all its fullness.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Philippians 1:1-14 Chains

Philippians 1:1-14 NIV
Paul continues his ministry while he is in prison and not just to those who are around him. He writes this letter to the church at Philippi reminding them that he loves them and how their partnership with them in the gospel brings him joy even in his chains. This exuberant love that he has for them and for the gospel helps to embolden those in Philippi, as well as those around him, to also proclaim the gospel. In spite of persecution; in spite of imprisonment, Paul is joyful and full of love toward others. He knows that his chains are a means to further the gospel.
 
Today, around the world, there are countless Christians in chains for the sake of their faith in Christ. Some are facing possible execution. Some have recently been executed. But, most will never renounce Christ. They will keep the faith even to death. May their deaths not be in vain. Their chains will advance the gospel as we hear of their great love for our Lord.

 

As we remember them today and every day may it be a reminder to us of the great love others have for our Lord. May God grant that our love abound more and more in knowledge and understanding so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. May God grant that we be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

Galatians 5:13-26 Love; A Fruit Of The Spirit

Galatians 5:13-26 NIV
Love - a fruit of the Spirit of God! There are days that I just shake my head in wonder at the lack of love that I witness around me. People using people to get what they want. I believe that everyone wants love but they have no clue that gratifying the desires of the flesh isn't going to get it. Sexual immorality, anger (temper tantrums and tirades), idolatry, etc. isn't going to get you love. Love is of the Spirit, not of the flesh. Love is not self-seeking. Love seeks unity with one's neighbor. Love seeks good for others and not harm.

According to St. Paul: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." (vs 19-21) He warns us that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

On the other hand, those who live by the Spirit of God, will have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. They will produce fruit of the Spirit. "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." (vs 22)

Can you imagine a world in which the fruit of the Spirit is more plentiful than the desires of the flesh? What an awesome way to live that would be!

May God help us to love others, even as He loves us. May His Kingdom come - His will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 15:1-8 Branches Don't Bear Fruit Alone

John 15:1-8 NIV
My gardens have been a mess this summer. Very little time to care for them. My flower garden and raspberry bushes look especially unkempt. This is my fault. Much to my husband's chagrin, I have allowed a family of raccoons to eat, play and rest there. But, I do live in the woods and I figure they live there, too. No one hardly ever sees the garden beside me and I do enjoy watching the baby raccoons as much as I enjoy the flowers and raspberries. Consequently, I have had a lot of broken flower stems and broken raspberry branches to gather and burn. No, hollyhocks this year; they stand alone and when one is trampled it dies. But, there have been a lot of raspberries. It is as though they have been pruned; yet, not destroyed. After all; the branches of the raspberry bush do not stand alone. They are connected to one another.

Lately, I've been noticing that there seem to be a lot of another kind of branches not connected to the vine or at least they appear not to be. Maybe, I am mistaken. But, it does appear that many who claim to be members of the true vine, who is Jesus the Christ, don't actually appear to be connected to him or to the other branches via the vine. Consequently, they appear to bear little or no fruit. Jesus said, "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (vs 4)

When we are connected to the vine, we are connected to that vine with other branches. Together, we bear much fruit. Alone we can do nothing. Or do you suppose the gardener, our Father, has cut off every branch besides our self? That would be a strange looking vine with only one branch and not very fruitful, at that.

Every branch needs the vine. Remain connected. Remain in the word that you might bear much fruit, showing that you are his disciple to our Father's glory.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 13:1-9 Repent; Bear Good Fruit

Luke 13:1-9 NIV
In the parable of the fig tree that refused to produce fruit, Jesus sounds a bit harsh. He says, "Cut it down!" (vs 7) But the man's whose vineyard the fig tree was living in intercedes with Jesus for the life of the fig tree. Give it another chance. Give it one more year.

It may well be time to consider and give thanks for all those people who have interceded for us throughout our lives. There have been times when we have been totally unfruitful, deserving of no more chances. Yet, we have been given what seems to be unlimited opportunities to bear fruit for the Kingdom. But, the opportunities are not quite unlimited. I officiated at another funeral yesterday. The death of a loved one is a reminder that our days are indeed numbered; a reminder that our opportunities on earth to bear fruit are indeed limited.

Repent and bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 6:43 - 49 Stand Firm; Bear Fruit

Luke 6:43-49 NIV
There's a familiar children's song about the wise man who built his house upon a rock and a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The house built upon the sand will fall in stormy weather. The house that is built upon the rock, who is Jesus the Christ, will stand no matter what attempts to destroy it. In fact, the home of the wise man, like the good tree, will bear much fruit for our Lord.

Be wise and live life bearing good fruit.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 3:1-20 - Repent!

Luke 3:1-20 NIV
Now John baptized people for the forgiveness of sins. According to Luke, he admonished people to repent of their sins. It does not appear that he was a light-hearted jokester. His words were not meant to please the itching ears of humankind. He appears to be a pretty serious character and an unafraid character, as well. The people who came to him to be baptized, he called a "brood of vipers." He rebuked Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife and marrying his brother's wife. He was not afraid to be a truth teller. He was thrown into prison for it.


People flocked out to be baptized by John; yet, he was hated by many.  And, so goes the way of the those who strive to speak the truth. It and the purveyor of truth will be accepted by some. Others will do all they can to destroy the truth sayer in hopes of destroying the truth with him.

Repent and receive forgiveness. Let your sins be washed away. Repentance is not as easy as some may think. Because, before we can repent of our sins, we must first acknowledge them. If we cannot recognize our sin, our brokenness, then what is it that we think we are going to repent of? How are we going to change if we refuse to acknowledge that maybe there is room for change in our lives?


John's words may sound harsh to our ears at times. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (3:7-9)

It sounds harsh to those who refuse to repent; to change their lives and follow Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 21:14-45 - Faithful and Fruitful

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” (Matt 21:16 NIV)

Today we have parables relating to the destruction of those things which are not fruitful and do not glorify God. Jesus curses the fig tree that was not produce so that he could eat of it fruit. It died. The parable of the two son reminds us that it not the one who promises, but doesn't act; but the one who is faithful and fruitful who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable of the tenants reminds us that we are but tenants on God's land. All that we have belongs to Him. How then or why is it that we often give more to our leisure time, personal indulgences and pleasure, than to the work of His Kingdom?

God sent His own Son to us and yet, we killed him. Do we suppose we would not do the same thing today, if he were here insinuating that we are not doing His Father's will? Well, his word is here. It has not changed. He is here. What is he saying to us in his word today? Has that word been rejected?

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”  (Matt 21:42-44)

May all God's children give thanks and praise for the marvelous works of God. Produce fruit and give to God what is God's. (see next chapter - Matt 22:21)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 7 - Judge Fairly

Today, I get to say something about this often misquoted and misinterpreted verse from Matthew. It is usually quoted without considering the context of this whole chapter.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matt 7:1 NIV)

Often I hear people remind others that no matter what someone does we can not judge them. Let's look at verse 2: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." That is; when someone is to be judged, it should be done fairly, based on the facts. We don't get to go around falsely accusing someone of something without hearing all of the facts. Everyone deserves a fair hearing. Everyone deserves the opportunity to present their side of the story. We do not want an innocent person judged guilty because we were not willing to hear all of the facts. Likewise, someone who has gravely damaged others should not be left off of the hook, just because we were unwilling to use discernment of hurtful behavior or to judge between right and wrong. We would not want someone judging us without being able to present our side nor should we be judging anyone without hearing their whole story, either. But, sometimes the rest of the story must be told and a judgment made, once all of the facts are made known (but, not before).

Verse 6, of this same chapter of Matthew. gives us an example of why we need to judge fairly, although it must be an honest and fair judgment. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." In order to follow these instructions, it is necessary to use a good deal of discernment and, yes, even judgment. But, be cautious again as to what measuring stick you are using to do the discerning. Verse 16 tells us,  "By their fruit you will recognize them."  Everything must be weighed and judged appropriately. "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Be careful that you do not advocate sin, by your silence, because you think that God does not allow you to judge between right and wrong. 

Hosea 10 - God Brings Forth The Fruit

Israel was doing well. "Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself." (Hosea 10:1 a NIV), but "As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered, he adorned his sacred stones." (Hosea 10:1b)

Israel did not credit their growth to God. They had become reliant on the work of their own hands and often they gave credit to false idols. God wants them to repent and turn to Him. But, they do not recognize Him or the gifts that He has given them. They will fall.

So often in the church we lift up the good works of others, those who have been busy helping the church to grow. I know that I am often thanked for all the work I do. But, that is very dangerous business. I get a little uncomfortable with talk like this. For it is not we, who grow the church, but the Spirit of Christ who does, working in, through, and all around us. It is not we, but God who should get the glory for all things.

Remember to give Him thanks and praise for the fruit that He provides for us and all people.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Isaiah 37 - The Kingdom Thrives

Hezekiah finally figures out that he needs to turn to the LORD. He humbles himself and prays for help. The LORD answers. He will deliver Israel from the hands of Sennacherib and within three years their land will once again be fruitful. 

The LORD blesses the people. He blesses the land. The promise of the LORD through the prophet Isaiah is this:

"“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:

“This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this."  (Isa 37:30-32 NIV)

 

Have you ever had to learn the same lessons twice or thrice or even more times? Over and over again, God's people turn to other gods; things start going really bad and a portion will have enough sense to humble themselves and repent. They are blessed. And, then... they start worshipping themselves or the work of their hands, again. Since, they are doing so well they leave off from trusting in God for all things, above all things. And, once again they are brought to their knees in humility and repentance.

 

It is awful that we should desert our God who loves us so quickly. But, He does not desert us. Over and over again, He provides a way back on the Way for each and all of us. 

 

I think of it this way: Adam walked with God in the garden. How awesome is that! But, Adam chose another way. He chose to do what God asked him not to do. He lost the opportunity and privilege of walking with God. We often do what we ought not. But, through Jesus Christ, we are delivered from sin. All of humankind is invited to walk with with God, to talk with (not just to, but with) God. That is the greatest blessing of all. In fact, it is the good news. You are invited to live in His presence, to walk in His way, in His Kingdom for all eternity (beginning even now). We have been reconciled to God and with one another, in His Kingdom, through Jesus Christ, our LORD. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Song of Songs 4 - Receive Great Passion

My first reaction to chapter 4 of Solomon's Song is that it is about his desire (lust) and her invitation to come and eat of the fruit of his desire.  It is indeed a beautiful love poem, full of vivid description. It is so full of vivid imagery that it is difficult to see it as an allegory for the Christ and the church - the Bride and the Bridegroom.

Since we're way into imagery this morning. Imagine the LORD as the he in this poem and the female as the whole church - everyone in it. The LORD calls us to love Him and reminds us that God love us with such a great passion that He was willing to give His very life for us. And, in return, we the bride open our arms to receive his love, even as He, with great passion, opened his arms in love on the cross for us. So, do we open our arms and our hearts and all that we are that Christ may abide with and in us more fully? Do we welcome His love? Are we willing to receive the love that He gives so freely? This love poem is about the adoration and passion between a man and a woman in love. How great is your adoration and passion for the LORD? Do you love Him enough to worship Him today? Will your love and your passion for Him be evident in your words and actions today and tomorrow and every day after?

I'm trying to put a good construction to this Love Song of Solomon and I'm not sure how successful I can be at that. There are quite a few chapters left to go through. But, I will try. May God help me.

God's Peace - Pr. J