You Shall Not Bear False Witness

The Eighth Commandment.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

"Sticks and stones can break your bones; but, words can never hurt you." Wrong, words can kill! They can destroy life. They can kill a spirit and; yes, they can even lead to death of the body in a whole variety of ways. Think about the one who is on trial and someone would bear false witness against him or her sending them to prison for life or aid in that person receiving a death sentence. Think about the young woman or man who is trying to overcome obstacles and bullies continue to beat them down with words. Not only can this lead to a loss of an abundant and joyful life; it can lead to serious depression and in some cases suicide. Consider the married person falsely accused of adultery, what will their partner who in their pain and anger, do to the ones he or she feels has betrayed him?

 

Do not deceive yourselves. There are no little white lies when it comes to bearing false witness against your neighbor. Lies will destroy your neighbor. Lies will destroy you.

 

God does not desire that anyone be harmed in any way. May He help us all to speak with integrity and to help our neighbors when they are down.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Shall Not Kill

The Fifth Commandment.

Thou shalt not kill.

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need [in every need and danger of life and body].

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

Many years ago, while we were living in Rota, Spain, a young Marine was released from Spanish prison. His crime had been that he had witnessed a taxi cab driver being beaten and he had not gone to his aid.

 

So many times witnesses to crimes will not only not aid the victim; they do not even have the courage or integrity to come forward as witnesses so that the suspect can be duly prosecuted. We don't like to make enemies. We may fear for our own safety or we might think that the crime was justified or maybe we just don't care; so we do nothing.

 

We learn that the fifth commandment goes beyond commanding us to not personally kill anyone; but, that we are to befriend and even defend those who are in any danger.

 

May God help us to love enough to be willing to step forward and help and befriend our neighbors in every need.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acts 28:23-31 Eyes, Ears, And Hearts Be Opened, Please!

Acts 28:23-31 NIV
The Kingdom of God has been proclaimed. Who has heard? Who has listened? Who has understood?

Today we celebrate the national holiday known as Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is that the Kingdom of God has been opened to us through the loving sacrifice made by Jesus, for us. But, how much thankfulness do we really get to see? Sure, there are the platitudes. But, is it a reality in the every day lives of the world around us? Can we see it in the actions around us? The world seems to be in a pretty big mess. People disrespecting people. People killing people; not just in body; but, in spirit; emotionally, as well. People disrespecting themselves. People disrespecting God. Oh, my! Some days the vulgarity seen in this world is just a bit much. It would be a good thing for us to slow down just a bit and give thanks rather than disrespect.

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (vs 27)

In need of a healing? May God grant that your eyes, ears, and heart be opened so that you might know the great love that He has for you and turn to Him for healing; for hope of a life filled with peace. Oh, that's right... There's not enough drama in peace. And... that's no fun. May God grant us a desire and the will to live without the drama.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy
 

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

Luke 13:31-35 Threats Do Not Dissuade

Luke 31-35 NIV
Run! Herod wants to kill you, some Pharisees had warned Jesus. Oh well! Whatever! Jesus had a mission and he was not going to run from Herod. He would continue driving out demons and healing people until he reached his goal. His goal was the cross. He was going to die, so what difference did it make whether Herod was looking to kill him or not. He wasn't about to let a few threats dissuade him from continuing the work he was called to do.

Personally, I get a bit weary of the threats. I am not Jesus. But, he is with me and gives me strength to continue onward wherever he will call or send me. He has led me this far. He will lead me home. I know that even though Jesus' journey took him to death on the cross; it also took him through death to the Kingdom of God. So, threats may wear me down a bit, but they will not strike me down completely. I will continue toward the goal, even if it includes a journey to the cross (which it will).

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 26 - Don't Kill The Messenger

Don't kill the messenger. If you don't like the message that the LORD is trying to get you to hear and understand, it will not help to persecute or kill the messenger. God is not going to change His mind when He asks you to repent; unless of course, you repent.

Jeremiah proclaims the warning from the courtyard of the LORD's house. The priests, the prophets, and the people are not happy! For some reason they think that if they kill the messenger the message will no longer be valid. If the messenger is killed, then the false prophets can continue to preach their propaganda to please those itching ears and make everyone happy. At least, that seems to be the premise. But, that's not the way it works with God. He will find another messenger and yet another.

The message that Jesus proclaimed was pretty straightforward. “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”" (Mark 1:14-15 NIV see also Matt 4:17)

It was the same message that John, Jesus' forerunner, had proclaimed. What happened to the two of them? They were both put to death, but the message did not change. Jesus instructions to his followers was to go out and proclaim this very same message - the Kingdom of God. That is exactly what they did.  For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. St. Paul, "...proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!" (Acts 28:30-31) Tradition tells us that Paul was eventually beheaded for the message he bore to the world. But, all those persecutions and executions did not stop the message from being delivered.

The message does not change, just because you kill the messenger.

Keep on proclaiming the Kingdom, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ecclesiastes 3 - Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. (Eccl 3:1-8 NIV)

 

"Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season." Many of you probably recognize Ecclesiastes 3 from actually reading it before. Some of you may have heard parts of it a funeral or maybe on Ash Wednesday when we hear words similar to "from dust you are, to dust you shall return." Some of you may remember these words from the song Pete Seeger wrote in 1959, which was recorded by various artists. Seger basically put the words from Ecclesiastes 3 to music and added 2 things:  the words "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." In 1969 the Byrds' recording of it became a hit, making Ecclesiastes 3 one of the oldest lyrics (written by Solomon) to become a hit on the pop charts.

There is a time for peace, I swear it's not to late. There is a time and season for everything. It is not to turn our hearts away from the injustice of the world and turn toward the path which God intends for us to follow so that we might truly live life. It is not to late to turn our lives around and live in His presence and in His peace.

Let there be peace on earth. Let us treat one another justly, causing no one more anxiety. If there is to be anxiety, it will come in its allotted time and season for God's purpose. We do not have to manufacture it for ourselves or others. Let us take each day as it comes before us and learn to live life as God intended us to live, enjoying the fruits of the garden, enjoying the fruits of the day, even as we labor to eat and drink, to provide for the necessities of our lives. May God grant that we should be happy and find satisfaction in our toil. May God grant us peace with Him and with one another even as we strive to live life in this world accepting every thing that comes to us in whatever time or season.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 76 - Lucifer Is Not Worthy Of Our Fear

Television brings us some strange figures that supposedly are to be feared.  But, Psalm 76 reminds that there is only one to be feared and that is God.  Who can stand before Him when He is angry? (vs 7) 

It is not a laughing matter, but I cannot help but smile when people tell me of visions they have had of the devil - you know that red guy with the horns.  Who told them this?  Who put this picture of the fallen angel in their heads?  I'll tell you.  They saw it on television, they did not read it from scripture.  (Note: Revelation provides symbolic - not literal pictures of evil) I've been told how these encounters with Lucifer have changed their lives.  Yep!  Sure did.  They now live in perpetual fear of death rather than the love of life that God gave them.  Rather than looking forward to life reconciled to God in His Kingdom, they are afraid of death, the devil and all the forces of hell.  Television has put the fear of Lucifer in the hearts of humankind. But, Jesus told his followers: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt 10:28 NIV) Who can do this? It is definitely not Lucifer!

God is above all things, all beings.  He is the creator of all.  He is our creator.  He gives life. There is only one God and that God has given us His all so that we might live.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Esther 4 - Nothing New Under the Sun - Money Buys Just About Anything?

Has anything changed under the sun?  "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago." Eccl 1:9-10

Mordecai's life is in danger.  Esther's life is in danger.  The death of all Jews is imminent.  Their deaths have been secured with payment to the king's treasury by Haman. Esther, although the wife of King Xerxes, finds it out, not from her husband, but from Mordecai. And... yet, she is reluctant to go to the king to intercede for her people.  The king is not aware, yet, that she is a Jew and what is more anyone who enters (including the queen) the presence of the king without being called is in danger of being put to death.  I think maybe she thinks that somehow she will be immune from the destruction that has been decreed upon all Jews.  She's got a pretty good chance of dying either way.  When she finally agrees, she asks that all her people, all of the Jews, spend the next three day fasting.

The payment is my concern this morning.  Has anything changed under the sun? Money has been known for changing the way we live for the good or bad.  How much money is spent in manipulating (lobbying) for specific interests that in the end changes our lifestyles and sometimes to the degree that it has killed a lifestyle?  Since, we just finished with a week of confirmation classes, the commandments "thou shall not kill" and "thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor" come to mind.  How much money is spent on false advertising to undermine opponents.  And in the end, how much of this bearing false witness actually affects the lives of both the candidates and constituates?  How many spirits are weakened by this lack of integrity?  According the Luther's Small Catechism what is the meaning of the 5th commandment about murdering mean? 
     "We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help    and befriend him in every bodily need [in every need and danger of life and body]." 

So does what goes on in politicing prior to elections actually help or harm our neighbor?  Will we do what we need to do to help all people or will we first think, as Queen Esther did, about what the best thing to protect our own lives is?

Just wondering....

God's Peace - Pr. J