Posts Tagged ‘Sunday rest and reflection’
Dear Friends,
We are living in the exciting times of the last days mentioned often in Scripture. These are days of great trials and troubles. Earthquakes and wars are common news. There are signs of the coming of the Lord in the news and we can feel an urgency in our hearts to be ready and help others get prepared. The greatest event of history is the coming of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and it could happen any day!
In the last week’s readings, the prophet Joel had much to say in his short book. He initially saw the destruction of the land by a swarm of locusts that represented the army of Assyria. Later, he was given a vision of the restoration of Israel after its destruction and judgment. The autumn rains would come and abundant showers would restore the parched and barren land. God would repay His people for the years that the locusts had eaten! (Joel 2:23-25)
This rain was really a picture of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Last days! (Joel 2:28-32) (Acts 2:16-21) God was planning a Holy Spirit outpouring that would cause men and women, young and old, Jew and Gentile to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They would prophesy, dream dreams and see visions. God would do miracles, signs and wonders and everyone who called on the name of the Lord would be saved! There would be a great deliverance for Jerusalem and Mount Zion.
We are living in these very days! There is deliverance for all who will call on the Name of Jesus Christ! We who know Him are filled with the Holy Spirit and have power to share the Gospel; the Lord can use us to bring healing and miraculous acts of His grace to those who are being witnessed to. Let’s allow the Lord to use us daily and expect Him to confirm His word with supernatural signs! We serve an awesome God! The best is yet to come!
In His Love,
Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings on another day of resurrection rest! We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death and the grave on the first day of the week! In Him, we have assurance of our own resurrection and eternal life. He is the first fruit from death’s grip and all who have put their trust in Him will enjoy resurrection life. This Blessed Hope could come at any time since we are living in the last days and the time of the end is near! (Revelation 22:10, 20)
As I look back on Daniel, I remembered the incident that was recorded of the fall of Babylon. King Belshazzar was having a party and celebrating with the golden goblets of God’s house, which his father had taken from the temple some 70 years earlier. (Daniel 5:1-6) Suddenly a hand appeared and wrote some simple words on the wall of the banquet hall. No one could interpret the words, but the Queen remembered Daniel who had been used in the past to interpret.
Daniel came before the king and humbly gave the king the difficult message written on the wall. He recounted how Belshazzar’s father Nebuchadnezzar had humbled himself, but that this king had not done so. “But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways.” (Daniel 5:23b) For this reason, God had weighed Belshazzar and found him wanting. He would be removed from power and his kingdom divided between the Medes and Persians!
God held this king to accountability because of the knowledge of God revealed to him through God’s dealings with his father. When we don’t act on the knowledge of God we have, we are in danger of judgment and removal from the earth! I believe that this scene speaks to us in America today. Many, like this pagan king, are partying and misusing their own vessels (bodies) when judgment is right at the door. The handwriting is on the wall! God will judge and only two classes of people will emerge! One group will go into eternal life and glory. The other group will go into everlasting shame and contempt! (Daniel 12:1-4) (Revelation 20:11-14)
We have enjoyed much blessing because of the Gospel in our land. Knowledge of God abounds and we are accountable. The end will come suddenly and quickly! Are you ready?
In His Love,
Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Jesus is Lord and He desires that all would know Him and receive His Father’s love and gift of eternal life. He has promised eternal life to all who believe in Him. (John 3:16) Because of this wonderful love, we who believe respond by gathering on this first day of the week to celebrate our life in Him. We gather to study and hear the word of God that brings us life and renewal. Please don’t neglect gathering together today in a fellowship of believers!
Reflecting on the past week’s readings, I recalled Ezekiel’s instructions to be a watchman over God’s people. God told him to warn the wicked man and try to dissuade him from his wicked ways. (Ezekiel 33:7-9) If Ezekiel failed to warn the wicked person, God would hold him responsible for that man’s blood. But if Ezekiel warned that man and the man failed to turn, then the man will die for his sin and Ezekiel would be free from responsibility.
Sin brings death. We have the remedy and are called by God to share the Gospel with sinners. If they listen and turn away from sin to Christ, they will be saved. If they fail to listen, persist in sin, and die in it, they will die not once, but twice! They will be separated from God at the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-14. If we fail to share with those who are sinners when we know the Gospel and enjoy it’s benefits, we are responsible!
As you gather today with God’s people, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to be a strong witness to this generation. Take responsibility to repent of your sins as exposed by the preaching of the Word. Take responsibility to share the Gospel with sinners in the coming week! We have such good news; we can joyously share it!
In His Love,
Pastor John
Dear Friends of Jesus,
Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ! In Him is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. He is the final word from God for man. His life and teachings are revelation of the heart of God and bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel. He is the reason we gather this first day of a new week to study and worship with others of like-precious faith. He is the express image of God’s Glory, upholding all things by His powerful Word! (Hebrews 1:3)
As I reflect on the past week’s readings from Ezekiel, I am again remembering this Sunday morning the vision of God’s glory that Ezekiel was given after a “hair-raising” journey of over 600 miles! He saw the temple being defiled by the leaders of Jerusalem and those over the temple. He saw God’s glory being escorted out of the Temple and the holy city of Jerusalem. The Glory paused at the temple entrance. (Ezekiel 10:3-4) It stopped briefly over the East Gate of the Lord’s house. (Ezekiel 10:18-20) The final place where this appearance of glory was seen was on the mountain east of the city, the Mount of Olives. (Ezekiel 10:22-23)
As I meditate on this departure of God’s glory, I think of Jesus Christ coming again to the city and temple to reveal God’s glory to His own people. Jesus taught in the temple and worshiped there. Jesus drove the money changers from the temple, cleansing it with a whip. Jesus prayed in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives as He prepared to offer His body as the final sacrifice for our sins. He died outside the city, hanging on a cross for us! The ultimate sacrifice representing the glorious mercy of God for all mankind!
Jesus rose again in glory and appeared to His own. He ascended in Glory from the Mount of Olives and promised to come back in the same manner He left, on clouds of power and great glory! (Matthew 24:30-31) (Acts 1:11-12) In Solomon’s porch of the temple, on the Day of Pentecost, fiery tongues rested on the 120 disciples gathered there and they were filled with a deposit of God’s glory to empower them to reach the world with the message of Jesus Christ! What a glorious God and Savior we have! May you enjoy His glory as you worship today!
In His Love,
Pastor John
Dear Friends of Jesus,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! No other name offers salvation and eternal life! No other person has shown such great love to all of mankind and is now alive praying that we might enjoy this love forever! It’s time to worship Him and gather to celebrate our life in Him! It’s time to worship and bow down in honor and thanksgiving to the King of Kings!
I want to reflect today on a very obscure passage of scripture, Jeremiah 35. In this passage, God instructed Jeremiah to tempt a family to drink wine. They refused because of a command of their forefather, Jonadab. They chose to fully obey their forefather and enjoyed blessing for doing so. This was a simple command, but one not easy to obey in the culture of the Middle East of that day. The Recabites went against the culture and customs of the land to obey, and continued to do so even when tempted to do otherwise!
This is the lesson God was and is still teaching us through these simple people, “Therefore, this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.” (Jeremiah 35:17) We must listen to God and heed His word, just like the Recabites of old listened to their father and obeyed. They were rewarded for this simple obedience by God. He longs to reward us as well, as He is no respecter of persons!
Are you a good example like the Recabites, that God could use to call others to obedience? Why not make the changes you need today as you attend worship and hear the word of the Lord? God will reward you too!
In His Love,
Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the Truth and the last Word from God! Jesus is a prophet as well as a priest and our King! He is worthy of all worship and praise and worthy to be listened to because He is a true prophet–He has spoken the eternal word of God and is that Word made flesh! (John 1:14) We come together each week to honor Jesus Christ and listen to His word speak into our lives. Listen to Him and be saved and encouraged today!
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3a)
God has placed various gifts in the body of Christ and gives manifestations of the Spirit to different members of the church. He does this as He wills for the common good of His church. (1st Corinthians 12:1-7) We don’t choose to use these manifestations or make them happen. We can only cooperate with His Spirit and speak at His direction the words He gives us. Some have a stronger manifestation of this gift and are appointed as “prophets”.
Prophets are gift people to the body to help prepare them for the works of service that God has for each person. They work with pastors, teacher, apostles and evangelists to bring unity and maturity in the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7-13) The prophets’ messages must be tested by those who hear and they are to speak only two or three at a time. God is a God of order and peace. (1st Corinthians 14:29-33) Their messages must line up with God’s word and agree with the Spirit of God in those who hear.
False prophets will mark the last days! (Matthew 24:24) They will seek to deceive the very elect of God with counterfeit signs and miracles. Jesus warns us to listen closely and use discernment. Ask the Lord for a manifestation of His Spirit to help you when needed: discerning of spirits! (1st Corinthians 12:10)
May the Lord bless and keep you by the Spirit of Truth!
In His Love, Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings and good tidings of courage and hope from Jesus Christ! His perfect love drives out all fear and gives us peace and rest. Sunday’s are great days to stop doing the ordinary and to gather with God’s people to contemplate the Almighty and worship Him.
What are some of the reasons people give for staying away from church? In an article for On Mission, author Diane Butts sites ten reasons why people skip church. The number one reason was that people in the church are hypocrites and being afraid to become one themselves. The second sited reason was that it was the only morning that they could sleep in! I guess they were afraid of falling asleep in church since that was their day to sleep! Another reason was having no good clothes to wear and being afraid people would look at them if they weren’t dressed properly. For others it was a fear of not knowing anyone and not knowing what to expect.
It is interesting that these reasons all have an element of fear in them. God only honors faith and in fact tells us not to fear over three hundred and sixty times in the Bible. “Fear not” is mentioned numbers of times in the last 27 chapters of Isaiah. God knows that sin has caused us to have fears and succumb to them at times. He calls us to courage and faith. If you are making silly excuses for not gathering with God’s people, begin a new week by resolving to walk in courage and attend church! You’ll be blessed!
“But now, this is what the Lord says–He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name and you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1-2)
In His Love, Pastor John
Dear Friends,
What a beautiful day of resurrection celebration! The first day of the week is when Christians gather because it was the day Christ rose from the dead and neathly folded the burial shroud. He laid it aside and the tomb was empty! Angels rolled away the stone so that His disciples and followers could see for themselves what had transpired. This brought awe and wonder and led to worship as Mary recognized Jesus after mistaking him for the gardener. Worship is our response today and awe and wonder should still be our response to the risen Christ!
Reflecting on this week’s reading, Isaiah 25:7-8 stands out for me. “On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” On Mt. Zion, Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy by offering Himself as the sinless sacrifice for our sins. He was laid in an empty tomb and wrapped in a burial sheet. Early on the first day of the week, Sunday, the Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. A strong earthquake shook the earth, guards fell over, and an angel of the Lord came and rolled away the stone. (Matthew 28:1-7) Peter came sometime later and saw the strips of linen cloth lying by themselves. (Luke 24:12) The grave was empty and Jesus was no longer there!
Death had been conquered and this shroud of death that covers all men because of Adam’s sin had been removed. Faith in Jesus Christ removes the shame and disgrace of our sins and opens eternal life for us! This is reason to celebrate and worship! “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1st Corinthians 15:54) By faith we wait in hope for that glorious day!
In His Love, Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings on this day of rest and reflection! God is good to us and we have much to praise and thank Him for! We have a rich inheritance in Jesus Christ! He is our portion and the way to our promised eternal inheritance! As you gather today with God’s people for worship and receiving His Word, bow your head and heart and thank Him for loving you and saving you! Offer your heart to Him afresh today and humbly receive His grace!
Reflecting on the reading from this week, I would focus our attention on Isaiah 4 and the “Branch of the Lord”. Isaiah had been seeing a vision of Jerusalem and Judah under God’s judgment for their sin of rebellion. After that harsh judgment, Isaiah saw this “Branch of the Lord” that would be beautiful and glorious. He would come from the remnant that the Lord left by His grace. This remnant would be called holy and remain in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 4:2-3)
The Lord would wash away their crimson stains by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. His glorious presence would enshroud Mt. Zion and those assembled there with a cloud of smoke by day and a flaming canopy of fire by night. This glorious presence would be a hiding place and a shelter from storm and rain.
As we look at this passage today, we see God’s grace in sparing a remnant of His people in order to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well as King David. This “Branch” grew out of the remnant and was of the lineage of David. His ministry was to offer cleansing and forgiveness of sins first to His own people and then to the world. He took our own sins in His body on the cross and shed His sinless blood to cleanse us by a spirit of judgment and fire of the wrath of God. He rose again from the dead and ascended to the Father to send the precious Holy Spirit to be a glorious presence residing in His people. Through the Spirit, they would be kept safe and empowered to be witnesses through any storm.
We are enjoying the initial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic word. One day, we who know the Lord will enjoy His glorious presence face to face! Come Lord Jesus!
In His Love, Pastor John
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the wonderful name of the Lord! The earliest church members were accused of being drunk on wine on the day of Pentecost! Instead, they had the best “high” of all, they were filled with the Holy Spirit! I pray that you will find joy and fellowship in God’s house today with the people of God! Worship and God’s word have wonderful after-effects of hope, encouragement and peace in our souls.
As I reflect on the readings of the last week in Proverbs, I am struck by the great need for God’s wisdom in our lives today. We can so easily become drunk, not just with alcohol, but with the ways of this world and our flesh. Material things and indulgence also dull our souls and cause us to live without purpose. Living for self and things is empty and leaves no lasting satisfaction because stuff doesn’t last and we always want more and better. It becomes outdated, breaks down, or loses it’s ability to give us pleasure.
The fear and honor of God is the beginning of wisdom and source of all true purpose and satisfaction. When I live for God and seek to love and honor Him, I find myself thinking His thoughts and desiring His ways. He is loving and compassionate to all. As I love God, I find myself loving others and wanting the best for them. When I love God and love others, I am most like God and most satisfied with my life and purpose! This is the essence of wise living and a life that God can bless.
May the Lord give you wisdom today to live wisely in this life! “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”" (1st Corinthians 1:30-31)
In His Love, Pastor John