James 4 Fights, Quarrels, Injustice

James 4 NIV
I watched the news, the unpeaceful protests in Baltimore, late into the night last night. Sadly, that is just a tiny fraction of the unrest in the world these days. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people will use the excuse that they seek justice to commit more injustice. Breaking the law and throwing rocks and bottles at cops is not going to promote anyone's agenda for the good. How can looting and setting other people's property on fire be justice in anyone's mind? Yet, there are quite a few who think that it is.

There is so much dissension in this world. St. James asks: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (vs 1-3)

We are taught by scripture that we are to love our neighbors and that doesn't mean just the people in the church. We are to love even our enemies. We are to care for them. To unjustly attack our neighbors or even our enemies is sin. To cause harm to them whether it be intentional or unintentional is sin. What we do or what we ask God for should not be for our benefit alone; because it might be pleasing to us; but, for the good of all people. 

"If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." (vs 17) "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (vs 7,8)

May God help us to learn to better trust that His will is for the good of all of His children.. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

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

Eph 6:10-24 News or Slander?

Ephesians 6:10-24 NIV
I tried to watch the news last night. I don't do that very often. I find that it is much easier for me to read the headlines online without all the editorials than to watch it on television. Broadcast news is now something different than what it was even a couple of decades ago. It appears to be more opinion than truth - a lot of negative opinion - even slander! It is bad enough that so much sin is committed; but, to hear people demonized to such an extent gets more than a bit tiring. There is enough trouble in the world without the news media attacking individuals so judgmentally and aggressively and usually it is to suit their own political purposes or egos.

St. Paul wrote "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (vs 12)

Rather than constantly attack others, I would find it a bit refreshing if we spent a little time praying for them. It might be a bit more fruitful to pray that the evil one have no power over them. St. Paul reminds us that in order fight this battle we are to put on the full armor of God. God's armor does not include ego or slander. When injustice is done we must certainly speak the truth in love. But, we ought not respond to injustice with more injustice. Slander is a grave injustice. It would be good if news reporters would just report the truth and then the world would know exactly what we are really battling.

We are not fighting mere humans. We stand against the powers of a very dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We cannot win the battle by our own strength. Without the full of armor of God; without God, we can do nothing. Therefore; pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Keep alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray that whenever we speak, words may be given us so that we will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Pray that we will all speak the truth in love. Pray also for the world's news reporters that they might also speak only the truth!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Habakkuk 1 - Gentler Lives

Habakkuk appears to be a gentler prophet - less accusing than many others. He (like many shepherds/pastors/prayer warriors/etc. today) implores of the LORD:

"How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice is perverted." (Hab 1:1-4 NIV)

How long, LORD, must the people suffer at the hands of one another? We would like immediate help from the LORD; but, the truth is God has given us free-will in many areas of our lives and we choose to hurt one another. We choose to put our own wills before the will of God. We choose to put what we want before the good of the whole.

God will answer our prayers. But, beware; the answer may not be what we're hoping for. May God help us to lead gentler lives; lives that do not inflict violence or injustice upon others. May He lead us in His way so that we are not the wicked that others are praying for deliverance from.

May God grant us mercy and give us His peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 13 - Peace When There Is No Peace

“‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,  therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth." (Ezekiel 13:10-11 NIV)

God's peace be with you. Every Sunday morning we greet one another with words similar to this. When we do this, we are breaking down any walls that may have stood between us and the persons we share this peace with. Ezekiel likens false prophecies of peace to a poorly constructed wall. This false peace will break down walls, as well. But, instead of truth and the genuine heart felt peace of God; it will open up the gate so that false idols might enter in.

These false declarations of peace, when there is no peace, does not actually create unity. It divides as it creates more victims. This false sense of peace whitewashes the injustice that is being done so that the doer of injustice is given a free pass to continue persecuting others; to do what is not right in the eyes of God. I'm OK. You're OK. Everything and everyone is OK. But, everything is not OK. There are still multitudes who are hungry, multitudes who do not know justice, multitudes who are lonely and afraid, multitudes who live without the knowledge of God and His great love for them, and the list goes on.

There is only one way to everlasting peace. That way is through Jesus the Christ.

May His peace be with you always. Pr. J.

Jeremiah 22 - Have Compassion And Do Justice

Have compassion and do justice... and, you will live. You will live in peace. 

 

Sadly, the King of Judah lacks compassion. He does not do justice. He is too busy building up himself a kingdom. He is busy amassing wealth for himself. Because of his self-serving life, the king has led the people in a wrong way. He has led them to destruction. They are about to be kicked out of the kingdom.

 

Sadly, we have many kings today. So many of us thing we should all be able to live like kings. We have built up for ourselves tiny castles which we must protect and build up no matter what it costs us or others. You have probably heard the saying a "man's home is his castle." Think about how much you have put into that home and why. Think about how much the labor that has gone into making it the envy of your neighbor's eye may have cost you in relationships with family and friends. Think about how it may be costing you your relationship with the LORD. Think about how the time spent in making that home your own little castle has directed you away from living and enjoying a more fuller life that God intends for you to have. You want you own kingdom and refrain from entering the Kingdom of God. I am not saying that we should not have nice, comfortable homes. I am simply saying, how much is it really costing you? (See Luke 14:28) In the end, the compulsive desire and attempts to acquire great luxury will lead us down the path of destruction.

 

In the end, on that final day, the house will be gone. All acquisitions will go to someone else or maybe to the dump. On that final day, we will stand at the gate of the Kingdom and we will either be welcomed or sent away. Will we follow in the path of Jesus, living lives according to God's will, and ultimately enter through that gate that He has opened for us?

 

The choice to do justice or injustice is ours. The choice to live life to its fullest or spend our lives envying others and striving to have all that they have and more is ours. Heaven is not something just for the afterlife. It can be lived and experienced now. Even as we pray, "Thy kingdom come," it has come. We can live in God's presence even now. As I have often asked before, why would you desire to live in God's kingdom after you pass through the gateway that is death, if living in His Kingdom, His presence, isn't good enough for you today?

 

Even as our Lord Jesus had compassion on us, may God help us to have compassion on others and do justice that we might live in His presence together.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 12 - Justice

Jeremiah wants to know about God's justice. He's not a happy camper. He wants to know why the way of the wicked prospers and the faithless live at ease. This is an age-old question. We continue to ask why and when God will put a stop to the injustice in the world.

It is difficult to watch people whom we love suffer from the injustice of the world - of not being loved or cared for - when they are alone or hurting. It is most difficult to see those who do not worship the LORD trample on the hearts and minds of those who do.

But, if we think that the LORD does not see and will not act (Jer 12:4); then we are mistaken. The LORD will act. He will uproot us and send us far away from Him, from the land (vs 14), from His people. But, if we repent... He will restore us and bring us back. He will establish among His people those who were once estranged from Him. (vs 15-16)

The LORD sees... let us, as this new year begins, return to the LORD and with compassion help and do not harm our neighbors.

God's Peace - Pr. J