Rev 8:1-5 Prayers Rise Like Incense

Revelation 8:1-5 NIV
Let our prayers rise like incense before thee. For those who do not recognize these words from Vespers, you are really missing out! Attend a Vesper's service.

As I read the lesson this morning I was struck with the thought that immediately following the prayers of God's people going up before God along with the smoke of the incense, the censer was filled with fire from the altar and hurled on earth to cause quite a rumbling. I wonder was the storm and earthquake in John's vision the response to the prayers of God's people that had just come before Him?

We know that God hears our prayers and answers. He is with and for His children whether in heaven or on earth. We give thanks to God for in His mercy, He has heard our prayers and answered.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ephesians 5:1-20 Wake Up Sleeper.

Ephesians 5:1-20 NIV



Sunrise over Huron Bay;
Mouth of Silver River

I have a grandchild that likes to sleep very late. She often gets to hear variations of Ephesians 5:14 from me.

"Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you."

Yes, she gets that I mean this in two ways. First off, don't sleep away the time you have to live the life God has given you; and secondly, fill your life with the love and light of Christ. Follow the example of Christ and love as he loves us; giving of yourself so that others might also learn to live in the love and light of Christ.

My grandchild is not the only one I would share Eph 5:14 with. It is Sunday morning. In a few hours we will see who was able to get out of bed this morning, in the light of day, to worship God and to allow the light of Christ might shine on them. It might also be evident who was dwelling in the darkness into the wee hours last night so they are not able to rise this morning and receive the love and light of Christ. 

Rise, oh, sleeper from the dead and let the light of Christ shine upon you!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 24:36-49 Jesus Is Not A Ghost; He Lives!

Luke 24:36-49 NIV
A young friend of mine affirms that she does not believe in Jesus Christ. She does not believe that he rose from the dead for her. Yet, she believes in ghosts. You know those things that go bump in the night to plague the living. On the one hand she will say there is no resurrection and in the next breath she will be talking about some haunting; worried about some ghost. I'm afraid I don't quite get why anyone would be afraid of the dead. After all, we have a living God; a God so almighty that he can make dead bones rise and walk; so almighty that he can resurrect the dead.

The disciples were frightened when they suddenly found Jesus standing among them. They thought he was some kind of ghost. After all, hadn't he died on the cross and hadn't he been laid in that tomb? But, ghosts are not reputed to eat. So he displays his physical resurrection by eating fish that they have prepared.

Jesus is not a ghost. He is not dead. Jesus lives!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Luke 22:39-46 Wake and Pray

Luke 22:39-46 NIV
I remember a prayer vigil years ago that began following Worship on Maundy Thursday and ended Good Friday at Worship. At least one person was signed up to be in the sanctuary every hour praying. No one signed up for the hours from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. so I took those hours. I probably didn't last an hour. I woke up a little after 6 a.m., on my knees, leaning against the baptismal font. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were Ken and Anita L., on their knees, praying, at the altar rail. They had not disturbed me. When they saw me sleeping, they just walked around me to pray. Now, Jesus, on the other hand had something to say to his disciples about sleeping while they should have been praying. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (vs 46)

What a lesson for me! I could not stay awake for those three hours. Sleep was too great a temptation. Pray that we may not fall into temptation and may God help us sleepers to rise and wake up from the dead. (See Eph 5:14).

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 9:1-13 Rising From The Dead

They had just seen Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus on the mountain. Moses and Elijah had both died long before; yet, the three disciples had seen them with their own eyes talking with Jesus.

"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant." (Mark 9:9-10 NIV)

We still discuss this among ourselves today. What does it mean to rise from the dead? Is it a spiritual awakening? Is it a physical resurrection? For Jesus, it meant that even though he died a physical death and was buried; he rose from the dead. He lives, again! Yet, in the garden when Mary was looking for Jesus, she did not recognize her until he called her by name. Had his physical appearance changed so much? How did those three disciples even recognize Moses and Elijah on the mountain? They had never met them. There were no photographs of them for the disciples to have seen. Yet, they recognized them.

It is most certainly a physical resurrection with a transfiguration as we see in the case of Jesus. But, there is a spiritual resurrection that occurs, as well. Through faith, the old Adam dies and the new man in Christ arises. We shall live, not in the darkness of the tomb; but, in the light of the living Christ. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Daniel 12 - When Is Not The Priority; The Kingdom Is

"The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” (Dan 12:7 NIV)

Who can know the time of the end? Multitudes have worked on the prophetic numbers here and elsewhere in scripture. It's been nothing more than mere guess work. The date can not be known. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:32) So why do so many people spend so many hours trying to figure it out? For me, it's kind of like politics in the church. We have greater things to be about. Namely, we are to proclaim the good news of eternal life in the Kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Dan 12:1-3)

“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Dan 12:13)

Not everyone will hear the message; but, that does not excuse us from telling the good news so that all who hear might believe and receive their inheritance in the Kingdom of God. In short: the mission field is way too big to spend time arguing with our brothers and sisters over secular politics or to be sitting around counting the days. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." (Matt 9:37)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 60 - Arise and Shine!

Here, in Isaiah 60, we find a chapter full of hope. It is the promise that God gives to His people. It is part of a larger covenant that God makes with the church.

He will bless the church with the light of His glory. He promises growth. He promises peace. He promises...  The most extraordinary thing about God making promises it is that He will fulfill those promises. None of these blessing of the church on earth or in heaven is accomplished by what you or I do. It is all a work of God.

He has promised and the fulfillment of those promises is found in our LORD, Jesus the Christ. Arise and shine for our light has come (Isa 60:1) Jesus is the light that, as promised, has come into the world. What God has promised, He has fulfilled.

The church on earth has a tendency to delude itself into thinking that somehow through lobbying and politicking, through doing the right things, it will fulfill the promises of God. Peace will come, growth will come, edification will come by the works of our hands. It is just not so. These things are gifts from God. We will not know peace, our neighbors will not know peace, unless we know Jesus the Christ, who is our peace. (Eph 2:14) Peace come from him. It is a gift, as he stated on more than one occasion "My peace I give you." (John 14:27)  Then, of course, most of the world is looking for another kind of peace than the one that Jesus offers.

As I began reading the lesson for today, I immediately taught of two things. First, a memory of my father that had been buried way back in my memories. When I was a child, my father would generally wake us up by hollering up the stairs: "Rise and Shine." I wonder if he knew that morning wake up call may have originated from Isaiah 60. The first also put that popular children's song into my head and so I close with its refrain this morning:

Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Children of the Lord
           (Author and copyright unknown - happy to credit it if someone would email or fb it to me)

God's Peace - Pr. J
 

Song of Songs 5 - Get Out Of Bed; Answer the Door

A couple of days ago, I wrote about knocking. In light of our reading today, I will repeat that. When Jesus knocks, get up and answer the door!

As the woman in this love story sleeps, she is awakened by the knock on the gate and the call of her beloved. But, her slumber was deeper than she thought and she answered the door a bit too late. She has missed her beloved.

Here is your beloved, standing in your garden, knocking at your door. What are you doing? Sleeping? Don't miss the opportunity to be wrapped in the arms of the one who loves you above all others.

"YOLO," was how my granddaughter responded when I asked her about sleeping in 'till 9 a.m. the other day. She had a few things she had promised to take care of that she ended up not having time to take care of because she slept in. "YOLO" or "You only live once" was her reply. My response was "Then get up and live life."

If you're going to sleep all day, I guarantee that you will miss out on the best things that life and love have to offer.

"...“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph 5:14 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J