Live in the Light

"Arise, shine; for your light has come,    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you."

Isaiah 60:1

There are some days when the day is over I feel as though nothing was accomplished; like an entire day has been wasted. I may be up and about; but, I feel like I may as well have been sleeping the day away. This doing nothing is a bad habit to get in to. Before we know it our days on earth will have come to an end and we will have spent them as though we were asleep.

Get up! Live life! Let the light of Christ shine on, in, and through you. Live the fleeting moments that God has given us here on earth. He gave them for a purpose and living in the darkness was not it.

Have a blessed day!

God's Peace - Pr. J

May The Lord Bless You

There are a lot of people hurting in this world. What can we do to help?

How do we reach out to others? How do we reach them? How do we get others to understand that the Lord desires that all people would receive his blessings and live in his peace? We cannot without the Lord's help. But, with him all things are possible.

Let us begin by asking God's blessings on others. Let us begin with prayer for and with others. Let us pray...

"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." Num 6:24-26

God's Peace - Pr. J

Rise and Shine!

Ephesians 5:14

I woke up a bit late this morning. A younger (but, not that young) person in my house got me up about 6:00 a.m.. This is a good thing! A few months ago, it was me waking her up sometime not too long before noon on many days. This morning, she was wide awake and anxious to see if she had work today or not. She is learning.

She is learning that with privilege comes responsibility. She is learning that there is a cost to things that we desire. The cost is that sometimes (no, often) we have to get up and work for those things that we want and need. Even the necessities of life are not a given. Someone has to work for them.

How long will you lie there, O lazybones?
    When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want, like an armed warrior.
                                   Prov 6:9-11

Wake us, dear Lord, that we might serve you most fruitfully, glorifying your holy name.

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

Romans 13:11-14 Son Shine

Romans 13:11-14 NIV
The sun will not be shining here for a couple more hours; but, whether I am ready or not it is time to wake up. I have been sleeping for the better part of the last couple of days. In spite of the antibiotics I don't feel any better this morning than two days ago. Today will be a busy day and I am thinking that after worship, caroling, and a Christmas Party that I might appreciate the light of day a bit more. Maybe, if I got moving in the light of the Son, I will feel better.

The Son shining on and in and through us has a way of reviving us. May God grant that we should all walk in the light of His Son. Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Romans 13:8-10 Abide in Love

Romans 13:8-10 NIV
Love does no harm. So, then why are so many relationships in trouble?

I would submit that for the most part human beings simply have a difficult time loving others as they love themselves. The ego takes over and we put ourselves before others; before God. What we want is what we will have no matter who it hurts.

But, if we turn and abide in Christ and He in us then Christ' love; his light, will shine through us and relationships will be restored. Christ's love is love that does not harm others. It reconciles rather than divides.

May the love of Christ abide in and through us, now and forever. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Luke 11:33-36 Hiding the Light

Luke 11:33-36 NIV

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."  (vs 33)

Some people do. Some people have very valid reasons for hiding the light of man-made lamps.


When I was a teenager, I loved to read. But, my parents were just a little strict or maybe it was that they liked their evenings to themselves. Whatever the reason, I was to be in bed with lights out by 8 p.m.. My remedy was to move the lamp to the closet and sit on a box and read 'till sometimes past 10 o'clock!

During World War II, England had "black outs." Lights were turned out or at least dimmed in order  to make it more difficult for the enemy to navigate to targets by air or sea.

Man-made lights may be dimmed and even turned off. They eventually burn out. But, the light of Christ that abides within us will never be extinguished. ..."let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:16 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Nahum 2 - Warning To Turn Back

God is against Nineveh. The people are warned to turn back. But, they will not.

I warn people all of the time to turn back to the LORD and worship only Him. Sadly, the warnings fall on ears that will not hear. I am often looked at like I am a silly old goose. I have been told that there is no God. Experience has taught me that there is, for sure. Experience has taught me what happens when one turns their back on the LORD and refuses to turn back to Him, again.

I know that I am not the only one whom the LORD has tried to teach these things to. I am not the only one who has been warned.  Let us all heed the warning that He will restore His children. Yes, the restoration of His people is a warning - it is a warning to those who would attack them. The LORD our God will deliver all who turn to Him from the enemy.

Which shall you be? A child of God or an enemy? Will you turn your back to Him or your face to Him that His light might shine upon you?

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

Psalm 127 - Children Raising Parents

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him." (Psalm 127:3 NIV)

For a few of generations now, I have witnessed children being  neglected.  Sure, most, but not all, have adequate food, shelter, clothing, etc.. Most of the children are physically provided for. But, not all of them. This morning, the neglect that I'm thinking of isn't due to lack of caring for physical needs. The neglect that I'm thinking of is when love is withheld. This neglect happens when these precious gifts from God are ignored by their parents. Some are even left to raise their parents because their parents put themselves before all others. They put themselves before God. They put themselves before their children. Sometimes, they have a lot of fun with their children. They horse around and play with them because that makes the parents feel good for the moment and then they are off to do their own thing.

There are some who say that their are many children raising children. Sadly, in many cases it has gone beyond that. The children are raising their parents and they are not equipped. I am not saying that the whole world or all parents are being raised by their children. But, way too many are. It really is up to the parent to raise up a child in the way that they should go. It is not up to the child to take care of the parents needs and desires.

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

Wake up, as they say, and smell the roses. Your children are a gift from God. Care for them, guide them, teach them, love them as God loves you. Love your children even as they love you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Psalm 80 - Restore Us - Grant Us Peace

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (Psalm 80:1, 19 NIV)

It is New Year's Day.  This is a good prayer for the new year.  Make your face shine on us.  Restore us. Save us from our own iniquity.  The walls, indeed, have been broken down and sin seems to run rampant.  We don't even know what sin is any more.  The walls between good and evil have been torn down.  What is evil is seen as OK or even good and what is good (worship of the one true God) is seen as adiaphora, even a nuisance.

I worshipped with a United Methodist congregation this past Sunday.  The preacher spoke about living in God's peace this coming new year.  He spoke about the peace of God being the answer to the ills of this world.  I'm also re-reading St. Teresa's "Interior Castle." She speaks of inner peace, as well. 

A whole lot of the world's ills do seem to come from people not having this inner peace. We are an anxious people. People anxious to have everything our way. People who do not know peace because they have allowed the walls between good and evil to be so demolished that they know longer know what is good or evil.  And... when evil (envy, greed, anger, lust, etc...) seeps into your life then their is an internal battle.  There can be no peace within, when we've allowed evil to exist within ourselves.  There can be no peace when sin is no longer sin and we all strive to have the most, the best, to have it all, our way.

And... when you have a whole community of people (whether it is your neighborhood or Congress) who do not know peace as individuals, you have a whole community of people who live in strife with their neighbor.

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (80:1, 19)

May you know the peace of God throughout this new year.  Pr. J.

Psalm 67 - God, our God, Blesses Us

Psalm 67 reminds us of the blessings that God has so graciously given to us. We have much to be grateful for. 

Christmas Eve is less than a week away. Advent is about anticipation.  One of the things, I wait in anticipation for, throughout Advent, is the huge number of visitors and guests, as well as members, who we don't see that often, gather together to Worship on Christmas Eve.  I cannot wait for all of them to hear the Good News.  I wait longingly to hear the assembly sing for joy as they hear the Good News of what God has done for them, to proclaim the LORD's salvation to them.  I cannot wait, to hear all those voices sing with joy the praises of God, our God.

May the LORD bless us and keep us.  May He make His face to shine upon on us.  Let us give thanks and praise for all that God, our God, has done for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.