This weeks blog is a reprint of the May 30, 2020 blog. I felt compelled to write something as the death of George Floyd and trial has consumed our nation for almost a year now. May all those this has affected find peace and closure and do so with the peace, mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

No Justice, No Peace, once again we hear  the Battle Cry of those who would use an injustice to others to further their evil actions. This is the cry of the looters and arsonists and those sometimes referred to as Social Justice Warriors. This week the Pew enters into an area we try to avoid but the state of the union and the lack of Godly behavior beckons us to this weeks blog topic. Now we are going to get into a web of conflicting opinions but in this day and time that is the new norm. What is Justice? How is justice distributed and applied in a fair way?  It is reasonable to expect that Justice and the laws that define it should be fair, equal and balanced for everyone. Let’s look at some varying degrees of justice.Sometime there are decisions made that elicit a response of the cliche, “ It’s all about the principles involved here.” There is always the expectation of consideration of the morals involved in a fair and just dealing between two competing claims. Are they linked to fairness, entitlement and equality? Many view justice as an exercise of three main principles. Are they allocated in such a manner that they fairly allow an equality that meet the needs of those involved? If you are still with me you may have noticed that there is a great deal of repetition and more questions than answers and clarity of thought. Justice is important to almost everyone but it is a fact that it means different things to different groups. The best way I can explain this is that those who strive for social justice are looking to make sure all people have equal economic, political, and social opportunities regardless of race, gender, or religion. The other side of justice is the legal application of the law to a situation. Justice is never black and white and justice applied without moral principles, compassion, and in support of those weaker than others is usually agenda driven and does not build the confidence of people. Justice is not an easy thing to define and even harder to apply fairly. 

I will conclude this weeks blog by asserting that the only real and true justice is God’s Justice and for most all of us it is even harder to understand. From a Christian concept justice is to each what is due. The Christian view of justice encompasses all moral, political, and philosophical concepts which can be supported by a belief in and a profession of faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We find Biblical references to the word justice to be simply “make it right”. The God we serve is a just and loving God and we are called to be just and loving in our judgements of others. 

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14). 

“`Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. “`Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “`Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:15)

There is no justice in this world without God. This is difficult to understand but I do believe that George Floyd did not receive justice in this world. I do believe that what is being done in his name does him even more injustice. 

May you rest in peace George Floyd, in God you will have your justice.

Life is Good

jk

In 1953 Jane Froman requested a song to cheer people up in the wake of the Korean War. The original song was written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman. Jane Froman introduced the song on her TV show that year. It became the first hit song ever introduced on TV. Many of you who are old enough will remember that Frankie Lane also did well with this song and you might be surprised to know that Elvis Presley also sang this song.

“I Believe”

I believe for every drop of rain that falls

A flower grows

I believe that somewhere in the darkest night

A candle glows

I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come

To show the way

I believe, I believe

I believe above a storm the smallest prayer

Can still be heard

I believe that someone in the great somewhere

Hears every word

Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,

Or touch a leaf or see the sky

Then I know why, I believe

Everytime I hear a new born baby cry,

Or touch a leaf or see the sky

Then I know why, I believe

I don’t think it would be a stretch to reach back to an old saying among the older generation of my day… “Lord knows” and I think that fits the next sentence. Lord knows we need to believe better days are coming. When we truly believe we have an unshakeable faith that our God is alive. To have a faith that believes we must embrace the fact that God is interested in us and what we do with each day He has given us. Without this faith and belief  it will be impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11: 6

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Believe and Faith are very similar words but scripture does place a burden on believing first.

John 8:24

 unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.

2 Corinthians 4:13

 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,

1 John 3:23

 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

Romans 10:11

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

John 14:1

 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

When we believe we fuel the fires of our faith…

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Believing having faith requires other actions… 

Romans 10:9

because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Believe, have Faith and Proclaim the Good News to all “who have ears.”

Seems like I have wandered into a forest of songs, so here is another one. It is from South Pacific…Music written by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Happy talk, keep talking happy talk,

Talk about things you’d like to do,

You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream,

How you gonna have a dream come true?

Believing fuels our Faith, which allows us to hope and have a Dream. Take time for some Happy Talk and remember this…

Philippians 4: 8

8 Finally, beloved,[e] whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

It has been a long and uncertain year and Covid 19 continues to make demands on how we go about our every day life. In Jesus Christ there is certainty for a better day and all we have to do is Believe.

Life is Good

jk 

Acts 1:1–5 

My Dear Theophilus, I have already given you an account of all the things that Jesus began to do and to teach, right up to the day when he was taken up to heaven, after he had, through the Holy Spirit, given his instructions to the apostles whom he had chosen. In the days that followed his sufferings, he also showed himself living to them by many proofs, for he was seen by them on various occasions throughout a period of forty days; and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. While he was staying with them, he told them not to go away from Jerusalem but to wait for the Father’s promise, ‘which’, he said, ‘I told you about; for I told you that John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit before many days have passed’. 

Without Pentecost the Christian Church could not have become the foundation of the hopes and promises of God spoken to us by His son Jesus Christ. Pentecost is important to Christians because it is at the very heart of of the God given gift that sustains and strengthens the faith and leads us to our salvation. Pentecost comes from a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot. The festival of Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem. In the Christian tradition, this event represents the birth of the early church. 

Pentecost represented the beginning of a new age where the Holy Spirit made salvation available to the Gentiles. Those Jews that had accepted the resurrection as that of the Son of God, Jesus Christ but still held that conforming to Jewish Law was still necessary. Pentecost changed that. It was the beginning of a new age where the Holy Spirit made salvation available to the Gentiles. The symbols of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost are Flames, wind, the breath of God and a Dove. There are seven other things that are associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. The Holy Spirit’s function is vital in both resisting the temptation to sin and also the conviction of sin, once it has been committed.

 It is Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising into Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. According to the New Testament narrative, the Ascension occurred forty days after the resurrection. It was thenTen days from the Ascension to Pentecost. During those forty days prior to His ascension Jesus appeared to the Apostles and shared the”Good News” that He died on the Cross and as promised risen, all to save us from sin. 

Acts which many consider to be the second chapter of his book Luke one of the four gospels, which told the story of Jesus’ early life now writes in Acts the second volume of a story without and end. In book of Acts and the day of Pentecost we are assured that the immortality and power of Jesus goes on in his church… It is through those events on that day of Pentecost when the Church was empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the tasks Jesus commanded us to do, that Christianity has endured and has been infused with the brave heart of faith. The Comforter that they waited on has given the disciples and those in that room the courage and strength needed…‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20). Keep the Faith… Pentecost … The beginning that has no end.

Life is Good

jk

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I like William Barclay’s thoughts and while they do help me to understand more, I still love the Sweet Mystery of the Resurrection. As Holy Week begins our minds go back to Jerusalem and the triumphed entry of our Lord into the City. Now begins to unfold a series of events that will eventually led to his crucifixion, and resurrection; the sweet mystery of all believers. If we take away the resurrection, the thought and belief that there is a life to come, somehow this life loses its value. If we believe that this is the only world, then things of this world will be all that matter. 

 1^st Corinthians 15: 35-49, is my favorite scripture about our resurrection. Jesus the son of the living God rose from the dead…” ascended into Heaven to sit on the right hand of God the Father Almighty” Jesus told his disciples if you believe in me and you will have eternal life. When Paul wrote these verses there were those who said “Granted that there is a resurrection of the body, with what kind of a body do people rise again?” Paul’s answer has three basic principles:

(1)He takes the analogy of a seed. The seed is put in the ground and dies, but in due course it rises again; and does so with a very different kind of body from that with which it was sown.Our body changed by death, back to dust, changed by resurrection, risen to life but it is still we who exist.

 (2)In the world, even as we know it, there are different kinds of bodies; each differes in their creation body. God gives to each those things it will need in this life.  If that is so, it is only reasonable to expect that he will give us a body fitted for the resurrection life.

(3) This next principle is in my mind the foundation of all that is to come to those who accept Jesus and seek forgiveness of their sins. It is the promise on which our hope is anchored. In Genesis 2: 7, Adam, the first man is made by God from the dust of the earth. God had a plan and Jesus was in every way the incarnation of the very Spirit of God. We learn from the scriptures that we are one with Adam. We also will share his sin, return to dust when we die because we have his body in this life. Those who follow the new life, the good way, are one with Christ shall share his life and his being. Yes, we will have a physical body to begin with. But on that glorious day we shall have a spiritual body.

Paul shares four contrasts about our future state. 

(1)The present body is corruptible, it will perish and decay; the future body will be incorruptible, it will not perish. 

(2)The present body is in dishonour; the future body will be in glory. 

(3)The present body is in weakness; the future body will be in power. 

(4)The present body is a natural body; the future body will be a spiritual body.

In the life to come, we will be such that the Spirit can truly fill us, as can never happen here, and theSpirit can truly use us, as is never possible now. Then we will be able to present the perfect worship, the perfect service, the perfect love that now can only be a vision and a dream.

Life is Good

jk