Be Who God Made You To Be

Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:2-4 NRSV

Although, it keeps commerce going, I have never quite understood the need for anyone to have major amounts of piercings or to change the color of one's hair every few weeks or the wearing of someone else's name on you clothing. It makes me think that the person is not comfortable with who they are. I can't quite get why someone would need to wear make-up that would disguise the person that God made them to be. I'm not saying that I think women shouldn't wear any. But, I would think the purpose for make-up would be to enhance one's features and not to mask them.

God has made everyone and every one is precious in God's sight. Let the world see the person God created you to be. There is nothing more beautiful than a child of God who exudes the loving and gentle spirit that comes from knowing that you are a child of God.  

May God help each of us to cherish the lasting beauty of the gentle and quiet spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Peter 1:13-25 Set Your Hope In the One Who Is Hope

1 Peter 1:13-25

No matter how many times we are reminded not to worship the false gods of this world, there is a
multitude that set their hopes on things of this world; on silver and gold. They will turn away from God seeking an illusory happiness of this world. They will be happy when they have this or that thing; happy when they have power over this or that person; happy when they get to do whatever it is that they desire no matter whether it is right or wrong, no matter who it might hurt. But, true joy comes from knowing the Lord; walking with him. Real joy comes with living in a reverent relationship with the Lord and respecting our Father's will.

I pray that you will not conform to the evil desires of those who live in ignorance. Rather, "with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." (vs 13) If your heart is aching and your life feels like a total disaster; then turn your heart toward the Christ for you were redeemed by his precious blood. You were born again, not of perishable things of this world; but, of the imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Pr. J

Jeremiah 35 - Faithful As A Rekabite?

Jeremiah is still trying to get the people to change their ways. He is still trying to get them to listen to the LORD and follow in the way that He would have them go.

The Rekabites are used as an example of obedience and faithfulness. This family had been instructed, by their forefather, Jehonadab son of Rekab, never to drink wine, never to build homes for themselves; never to farm; rather, they were to live as nomads in tents and they would continue to live in the land for generations to come serving the LORD. These Rekabites actually listened. Even when Jeremiah tempted them with wine, they refused to drink. They did everything that they had been instructed to do by their forefather and the LORD promised that "Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.” (Jer 35:19)

On the other hand, the rest of the people remained hard-hearted and chose to do what they wanted to do and rejected the way of the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from the hands of Egypt. They rejected Him and would return to captivity.

I'm thinking that Jeremiah's attempts at changing the hearts and minds of these people with threats are going to end up pretty fruitless. Only the LORD can soften their hearts and it will be that they will not be softened until they spend some more time in the wilderness, in exile, in captivity.

I hope that we can all learn from the history of our forefathers... We shouldn't have to be threatened to get us to have faithful hearts. After all, look what the LORD has done for us... delivered us from the bondage of sin, by the precious blood of His own Son.

So why is it that some will be faithful to the way in which they should go and others will not? May God help us to be more like the Rekabites: faithful in the way that we should go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 28 - Jesus As The Cornerstone

"So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,and water will overflow your hiding place." (Isa 28:16-17 NIV)

 

There is so much in today's reading, it is hard to decide where to go. The people are being rebuked. The leadership has made some bad alliances, even deadly alliances, for the people. Alliances that only drunkards could celebrate. This lesson reveals both law and gospel. It reveals the law for those who would make such deadly choices making alliances that will surely lead to death out of their arrogance and drunkenness. Hail will sweep away their refuge and the hiding place will be flooded with water. It also reveals the gospel. It reveals life for those who would rely on the cornerstone rather than trusting in their enemy who promises much and delivers nothing, but death.

 

Verses 16-17 are probably familiar to many of you. It points to Jesus the Christ. He is the "...stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Rom 9:33)

 

The good news is that those who believe in Him will not fall. In fact, through faith, "...you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Eph 2:19-22) 

 

And...

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—  you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

 and,

"A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for." (1 Pet 2:4-8)

(Maybe you've figured out by now that I am trying to send a reminder that scripture supports scripture... Read it! Hear it!)  Jesus is the living cornerstone by which we either fall due to our own arrogance or are raised to be living stones within the house of God. We, along with all who believe, are the temple, within whom (or which) our LORD abides.

God's Peace - Pr. J