Roseville Church of the Nazarene

Greetings in Christ,

  We may not consider ourselves great scholars of the Bible from our own perspective, but I think we have a better understanding of the Bible than the scholars of Jesus’ time on earth.  Faith has been the asset for our ability to understand more of the written word and believe Jesus is the Son of God, and we have let faith be guide as it leads us in the path of righteousness.  We also have the New Testament to fill in the gaps which was not written for the scholars of old.

  If we could go back in time while Jesus walked the earth, would we be able to recognize the scholar’s misunderstanding of the written word as they knew it.  Now we have to take in mind we would not have a copy of the written word (like we have today) available for us to read.  If we could take our knowledge of the word back in time with us we would be able to see the misunderstanding of the Old Testament writings.  Now make it fair the only thing we could depend on is our knowledge of the Old Testament for us to witness this misunderstanding.

  If we could set along with the scholars in the temple and listen to the word being spoken on the Sabbath day as it was traditional back then, and we had our understanding of the Old Testament just as they should, would we conceive in our minds a different conclusion?  Then one Sabbath observe a man enter the temple and begin speaking with such great authority and understanding of the word it makes the people sit quietly with awe.  This authority and how the man spoke goes beyond anything heard before by the common people.  Then after worship time see the same man eating lunch with a tax collector and all his friends.  Would we get caught up in wrongful thinking and declare him guilty of sin and not look past the obvious to recognize Jesus as the Son of God?  Would we be able to let faith rule in our hearts to accept Jesus?

  Faith would have to be the determining factor in our ability to recognize Jesus as Jesus.  The scholars of old got so wrapped up in the written word it became all they knew.  Their lives reflected the word to the tee and with it all the extended rules and regulations.  They forgot how to connect with their heart and follow faith as the guiding factor.  They got caught up in the semantics of the word and forgot to live them out, and it may be the reason we would miss Jesus as the Messiah.

  Paul writes to the Thessalonians these words, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”  Faith allows people to recognize the written word as truth and is the key factor in accepting what it has to say, and it determines how we act upon the written word. 

  The scholars of Jesus’ time got so caught up in following the written word and the laws they forgot to let faith be the determining factor in accepting it as truth and the revelation it brings with its prophecy.  They did not allow faith to be the guiding factor in their understanding of the word as they read it and applied it to their lives.  When faith is allowed in the equation it opens the mind and heart so the written word would be the truth, and they failed to let faith be their guide.  

  “So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.”  Psalms 63:4

  “O Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”  Psalms 98:1

  “Bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; bless the Lord, O my soul!”  Psalms 103: 22

  “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible.”  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson 

  Psalm 63, 98, 105; Amos 9:11-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 13-17; John 5:30-47

Greetings in Christ,

  “Praise the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty expanse.   Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre.  Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.  Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord!”

  Psalms 150 simply states it best Praise the Lord!  Of all the things we can do that requires little effort on our part is to praise the Lord, but the key is to be sincere in our praise. 

  All down through mankind’s history the one thing which gets mankind in more trouble with God is not giving Him the praise and glory He deserves.  Mankind has the tendency to pat themselves on the back thinking they have accomplished great feats of amazement requiring them to be glorified for their actions.  They tend to pat each other on the back thinking they need to recognize fellow mankind for their actions deemed to be great.  They have forgotten the simple fact if it was not for grace they would not have been able to accomplish anything. 

  God is a very gracious God, but He is very jealous.  Mankind has forgotten its roots in God and has forgotten grace is extended to mankind through the graciousness of God.  Mankind has forgotten how to praise God for His goodness.  Just the simple act of saying a prayer before a meal can have a significant meaning and it is praise to God recognizing Him for the sustenance of life.  Too many people think they have supplied their own food by working for the money which bought it. 

  Amos records the people in his time relaxing and enjoying the fruits of their labor thinking it was all done by their own hand forgetting the works of God which led them to this land of milk and honey.   They got caught up in their own self-reliance, and they started patting themselves on the back thinking they had accomplished great things.  They took God out of the equation, and God became jealous.  God did not like the fact they set aside all of the great things He did for them so they could enjoy the great life.

  God requires more from mankind than what He has been getting.  God requires praise to be given where it deserves to be given—to Him.

  Praise and thanksgiving accomplishes several things.  First it is given to the One who deserves it the most–God.  If it was not for His grace we would not have life as easy as we do, nor would we have the blessings we have received.  Second it takes the focus off of us and back on God.  We are what God has made us, and outside of this we are nothing.  God has given us all the talents and abilities we possess to do the things we do for ourselves as well as for others.  Third it sets the example for others to follow.  Others need to see us praise God for all He has done.  It is a time of celebration for others to see and rejoice in as well.

  Praise is a simple thing we can do, but it has an impact which will greatly affect our lives.  God is deserving of all our praise, so let’s give Him all the praise He deserves.

  “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.”  Psalms 148:5

  “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.”  Psalms 148:13

  “Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”  Psalms 150:2

  But as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever.  Praise the Lord!  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 148, 149, 150; Amos 6:1-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; Luke 1:57-68

Greetings in Christ,

  When we think of the end times and all the chaos which will prevail as it unfolds, it can be scary.  The selected readings give us some details from the past, the present, and the future.  It also gives a look at things that were done, need to done, and prepare ourselves to be done. 

  We wonder if God will bring judgment to the earth like He has in the past.  Amos gives us a glimpse of what God was going to do the Judah, Israel, and the surrounding nations for their willingness to disobey Him.  God clearly gave details as to how He was going to bring destruction to the nations.  It sounded like God Himself was going to do all the work of the destruction, but in reality it was done by other nations overtaking the judged nations.  You can say God allowed this destruction to take place because He removed His hand of protection to the nations.  He no longer sent His angels to protect them from the evil lurking in the shadows.

  Paul writes about the instruction for the caring of widows in 1 Thessalonians.  He is very detailed in his instructions the widow has to be a good worker not lending herself to being idle or having a tendency to gossip.  The widow must display signs of being a Christian working all the time caring for her children or other widows.  They must have displayed past efforts to care for others and having given hospitality to others in need.  They must continue in their efforts to be diligent in their efforts to receive care from the church, or they will be cut off. 

  Paul goes on to say it is in the effort of staying busy the widow will not have time to wander into evil ways while receiving support from the church.  It would be counterproductive to support a widow doing evil by the members of the church.  It is something which should be checked on a regular basis so the church would remain unblemished.  The church has a responsibility to support righteousness not unrighteousness.

  Luke records Jesus speaking about the future in regards to the events taking place.  He speaks of earthquakes and famines, family turning against family, persecution, and hatred running rampant against the Christian.  People will be jumping on the bandwagon to side with the most popular thing taking place just to avoid being prosecuted for being a Christian.  The world will not be the same when all these things start taking place.  It will be as if the evil is coming out from all the hiding places it once occupied.

  We sometimes forget just how effective God’s prevenient grace covers us.  It is in this coverage of grace it subdues the evil which lurks in the shadows.  It is the removal of the prevenient grace evil begins its chaotic approach to destroy all mankind.  It is in the removal of the prevenient grace judgment occurs because the people get what they have been asking—for God not to be present in their lives.  Just as Paul writes for the church not to support the unwilling widow to obey, God cannot support the evil practices of mankind.

  We will not be able to change all of the circumstances in our lives, so we must remain righteous doing His work so God will keep His grace upon us.  Jesus gave us instructions on just what to do when those circumstances of persecution arise, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.  It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.  So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”  May God’s grace continue to be upon us as we walk this earth. 

  “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure.”  Psalms 111:7

  “Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.”  Psalms 112:4

  “I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”  Psalms 146:2

  “Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.”  Psalms 147:5

  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 111, 112, 146, 147; Amos 1:1-5, 13-2:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Luke 21:5-19

Greetings in Christ,

  We forget just how far reaching God will go to connect with His creation.  We sometimes cast our vote on those who we think are acceptable to hear the word of God, but the reality of it God has not put any restrictions on who hears His word.

  Isaiah writes about God’s approach to reach the Egyptians and the Assyrians.  They will collaborate in building a road which will extend between both countries with each other traveling back and forth on a regular basis.  They will even begin to worship together, and they will be worshiping God almighty. 

  At this time of the writing, people were astonished at the very thought of Egypt and Assyria even getting along let alone worshiping God.  The Egyptians and Assyrians were known for their idol worship and their cruelty to humans.  The Assyrians were considered more cruel due to their perfection in torture.  People could not wrap their minds around the thought of these two nations putting down their indifferences or their idol worship to gather as a congregation to worship God.  It was like asking oil and water to mix.  It just was not part of the mind set, but it was part of God’s mindset.

  God went beyond the thought of what they had done and went to what they could be in Him.  It was a matter of bringing them back home to Him so they could worship Him their Creator.  God was lonely for their companionship and He was working out the details for their return home for the reunion.

  Paul writes on Romans about the Gentiles being allowed to worship God.  This was something which was strictly forbidden in the Jewish laws to let the unclean mingle with the clean.  They did not observe the laws of cleanliness, raised pigs the dirtiest of animals, and many just wanted to forget them.  They were treated like trash and even abused.  They worked some of the worst jobs which was to be done, jobs considered to be the dirtiest. 

  For years they had been excluded from the Jewish customs, but Paul is reminding the people God had foretold of the Gentiles having a leader who will lead them to the truth of God, and He will share with them the Kingdom that was available for all who chose to receive the pardon of sin. 

  Jesus reached out to the Gentiles due to being rejected by the very people who were to receive Him or at least recognize Him.  He was more welcome and recognized by those who had not been part of the Jewish custom than those who had, and the Gentiles gladly bowed down before Him and recognized Him as Lord and Savior.  God was calling His children home and He wanted the Gentiles to part of the reunion. 

  Luke writes about the slaves who received the minas by their master.  The master was a hard man, and the people did not like him.  The slaves had choices to make, and two of them chose to invest the minas and double their portion.  The third chose to hide it and not to anything with it.  The two were rewarded for their investing, but the third was punished for his poor choice.  The master was a hard man, but recognized the effort made by the two slaves for their work to double their portion, and they were rewarded accordingly. 

  God is calling His creation to be with Him.  He is lonely for their companionship.  He is using all methods of communication so He can reach those who are listening, but He knows it is the personal touch which makes the effort worthwhile.  God has invested a lot of His own personal interests, time, and resources   to make the reunion take place.  He does not want those who He has recruited to let Him down in their effort as well.  The rewards will be great for those who choose to work hard to see their portion invested in others.  God wants to see all His creation at the reunion when it takes place.

  “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”  Psalms 118:14

  “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”  Psalms 145:3

  “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”  Psalms 145:18

  Lord may You find us worthy in the effort to call all Your children home for the reunion.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson        

  Psalm 118, 145; Isaiah 19:19-25; Romans 15:5-13; Luke 19:11-27

Greetings in Christ,

  We have all heard the clichés which have been given to the Christian: Bible thumper, Bible pusher, Jesus freak, holy roller, sermonizer, zealot, fundamentalist, crusader, sectarian, salvationist, Puritan, faith healer, missionary, iconoclast, evangelist, and fanatic.  Many of these terms are used to deter people from believing in what the Christian has to say.  They are an offensive attack on the Christian by those who feel threatened by what the Christian has to say.  It often times works to distract others from listening to the words of the Christian, but what if the person who is being called all these names was very secure in their belief?  What kind of impact could this have on those who did not believe?

  The Apostle Paul was this kind of Christian.  He faced many of his own people turning against him calling him many derogatory names.  He also faced many hardships in his journeys as he spread the word of God.  He spent most of his time in jail writing to others to help them keep the faith while being chained to a guard or a wall. 

  In Acts, Paul is arriving in Rome to face Caesar so he could argue the false claims made against him by the Jewish leaders.   Paul confronts the Jewish leaders in Rome to see if they had heard of these claims made from the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.  They had not confirmed the accusations nor had any witnesses to testify against Paul.  They had heard some of the rumblings and the uproar it was making in the Jewish community.   The Jewish leaders were not about to let Paul be set free so he could stir up more trouble for them in Rome.

  Paul faced many opponents in the battle to be free from wrongful imprisonment as he faced the Jewish leaders and the Roman Empire.  The Roman leaders were not about to let the Jewish leaders be upset because it would not look good for them politically defaulting on their promise to keep peace.  The Jewish leaders were not going to give up because Paul made them look bad.

  In all the turmoil Paul faced, he remained positive, but aggressive in his actions.  Paul never backed down on telling the truth on his behalf and telling the truth about Jesus.  Paul took a stance on man’s law and God’s law.  He did not win in the pursuit of man’s law, but won big time in God’s law.

  As Paul defended the list of wrongful accusations, many people present while he was defending his cause.  He spoke of Jesus and what he was teaching in the temples.  During this time as he spoke in his defense this led to some of the people to approach him later and talk to him.  On the side lines, Paul led many people to Christ because of his bold stance he took for Jesus Christ.  Many saw the determination and the lack of fear in Paul’s actions giving them confidence to follow his footsteps.  They wanted to know the secret of Paul’s faith and how he continued to remain steadfast.

  Paul became one of the great leaders in the church because of his belief in Jesus Christ.  He is a very good example of what can be done for Jesus when remaining true to Jesus.  Paul knew man’s law would not give him satisfaction, but he also knew it was God’s law which would win in the end.  Paul’s life was not easy, in fact it was very burdened down with hardships, but he never wavered from his faith in Jesus, and it was this faith which made him victorious. 

  “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”  Psalms 19:1

  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.”  Psalms 46:1-2a

  “Say to God, “How awesome are Thy works!  Because of the greatness of Thy power Thine enemies will give feigned obedience to Thee.”  Psalms 66:3

  “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us  Selah.”  Psalms 67:1

  Lord help us to have the faith to remain bold for You, and to keep our eyes on You for our strength.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson     

  Psalm 19, 46, 66, 67; Acts 28:14b-23

Greetings in Christ,

  The selected scripture readings give us a look at some of the things we face as Christians.  We should be aware of these determents and be prepared to deal with them.  We do not always have a bed of roses so to speak as a Christian, and we can fall into traps along the way.

  In the writing of Ezra, Ezra is crying and praying for the exiles.  They have fallen into the trap of marrying foreign women.  They have allowed themselves to get complacent in the surroundings in which they live.  They have let their guard down and felt the foreign women were a good match for them.  They had forgotten the reason they originally offended God, and the reason they were in exile—they fell into the trap of worshiping foreign gods by following foreign people practices.

  By marrying the foreign women they were following wrong practices in their household.  It was also setting the wrong example for the children letting them think they can do the same.  The only recourse they had do was to do a one eighty turnabout and leave their foreign wives.  They were to obey God above all and set the right example. 

  In Acts, Paul is wrongfully being accused of desecrating the temple.  He is pleading his case to Felix the governor after the Jews have accused him of the wrong doing.  Paul is stating the accused have no witnesses to back up the claims being presented before Felix by the Jews.   Paul’s claim is he was there to worship God and to speak of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Paul is pleading for Felix to reason the truth in the absence of the witnesses, but Felix was feeling the pressure of the Jews and did not let the truth be heard.  Paul had to remain in jail.

  Paul was remaining faithful in his beliefs and trusting in God even though he was being wrongfully accused.  In the course of the events, Felix summoned Paul on many occasions to talk to him.  No details are given as to the subject of the conversations, but it is believed they were discussions about God and the resurrection.  Pau remained true to God, and it allowed him to talk to many people even though he was undergoing hardship.

  Jesus speaks to the crowds in Luke about how they should invite the poor, the sick, the lame, and all people regardless of their status in the community to their dinner table.  It was in this light Jesus said it was better for this to be done because it would be a blessing on those inviting due to the less fortunate could not repay the kindness in the same manner.  Then Jesus went on to speak another parable about a man who invited people to his dinner.  The people invited gave excuses not to attend the dinner, and their excuses made the man angry.  The man told his slave to invite the sick, the poor, the lame, and anyone who would attend quickly so they could attend his dinner.  The man wanted to fill his house with guests, and he did not care who they were he just wanted to celebrate.

  We never know from one day to the next what is in store for us.  The best we can do is to hold onto God’s promise He has us in the palm of His hand.  It is in our effort to be the best in our spiritual life so we avoid those pitfalls which may come our way.  We must let God take those pitfalls and turn them to His advantage. 

  When those pitfalls come our way we are right where God wants us and when those things of life happen to us, we have the opportunity to share with the world our outlook of life.  We can display our faith in God by not being swayed by the moment or the occasion, but rather hold onto the truth we know.  We have to be careful we do not let the outside influences hinder our thinking or our heart’s knowledge of the real truth, but in doing the right thing; we will be tested and tried by those outside influences.  It is then we must hang on to our faith and trust in God to bring us through.  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  

  “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”  Psalms 34:3

  “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Psalms 34:8

  “Thy testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness befits Thy house, O Lord, forevermore.”  Psalm 93:5

  “Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.”  Psalms 96:8

  Lord help us to remain faithful and not be swayed by the world and be a good example for those who do not know you.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 34, 93, 96; Ezra 10:1-17; Acts 24:10-21; Luke 14:12-24

Greetings in Christ,

  Trust and worship, do they go together?  Can one be reflective of the other, or can they operate individually in a person’s spiritual life?  Do they have to be intermingled in a person’s spiritual life?

  We know we must trust God in our lives as we walk with Him, but is it reflected in the way we worship Him?  This selected reading gives us some examples of trusting, but in there somewhere I believe worship takes place as well.

  Nehemiah is calling for the usury to be lifted from the people who had to borrow money to pay their bills, maintain their property, of pay their taxes.  They have even given their children to slavery just to keep from losing their collateral.  Nehemiah realizes this must stop and calls for those who lend money to release the collateral and give it back to the people who are borrowing money.  Nehemiah himself has been loaning money and steps up to release the collateral he is holding for payment.   He even goes farther to write he has not even used taxpayer money to support him or his staff in the time of his reign over the people so the burden would not be put on the people.

  Nehemiah has put his trust in God to provide all his needs for himself and the staff he supports.  He states he is fearful of God, and he does not want to be held accountable for any wrong doing.  Nehemiah is humbling himself before God and letting God be God.  He realizes the first thing about worship is to be humble.  It is through the humbleness worship begins.  It is in the humbleness, Nehemiah looks to God as the creator and giver of life giving God the glory for what He provides.

  Luke records Paul’s activity one night as he talks to the people in Troas.  Paul is notorious for run on sentences in his letters, and it is reflected in his speaking in this occasion.  Paul loves to talk about Jesus, but his love sometimes can very long.  It was going into the late hours of the night when Eutychus’ eyes became very heavy.  Eutychus falls asleep and tumbles out of the window where he was sitting, and he falls three stories to the ground.  Fear struck the crowd knowing the fall was fatal for Eutychus, but Paul positioned himself over Eutychus and prays for him.  Paul rises only to speak to say life was still in him.  The crowd realizing Eutychus was alright went back inside to continue listening to Paul until the morning. 

  Paul’s trust in God led to many people turning to God for their help.   In that night’s activity, it could have turned for the worse, but Paul took an opportunity for the people to give praise to God for taking care of one of their own.  It reinforced what Paul was speaking about Jesus and His reason for coming to earth.  The night was even more special as they broke bread and celebrated Jesus’ return to the earth.

  In Luke’s account, he records Jesus calling for the people not to be anxious about their life.  He calls for the people to not be concerned for the food or drink they require, or the clothes they need to cover their bodies.  Their concern should be looking to God for their spiritual needs.   Life was more than just food, drink, or clothes, but rather spiritual depth and sustenance.  If the trust was in God, He would provide for their physical needs.  It is again calling for them to humble themselves before God and let God be God setting the stage for worship to take place.

  The way we trust God is reflected in the way we worship God.  The way we worship is reflected in the way we trust God.  The two must work hand in hand.  If we really do not trust in God, we cannot truly worship God.  Worship begins in out humbleness to let God be God.  It is the realization we are dependent on God, and it is in the dependence of God we praise Him for providing for our needs.  There is no better way to show our trust than to worship Him for what He has done for us! 

  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!”  Psalms 8:1

  “Who is the King of glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.”  Psalms 24:8

  “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array.”  Psalms 29:2

  “How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion!”  Psalms 84:5

  Lord may our trust and worship be reflective of each other.  May we always give You the praise You so deserve.  Amen 

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson   

  Psalm 8, 24, 29, 84; Nehemiah 5:1-19; Acts 20:7-12; Luke 12:22-31

Greetings in Christ,

  Trust and worship, do they go together?  Can one be reflective of the other, or can they operate individually in a person’s spiritual life?  Do they have to be intermingled in a person’s spiritual life?

  We know we must trust God in our lives as we walk with Him, but is it reflected in the way we worship Him?  This selected reading gives us some examples of trusting, but in there somewhere I believe worship takes place as well.

  Nehemiah is calling for the usury to be lifted from the people who had to borrow money to pay their bills, maintain their property, of pay their taxes.  They have even given their children to slavery just to keep from losing their collateral.  Nehemiah realizes this must stop and calls for those who lend money to release the collateral and give it back to the people who are borrowing money.  Nehemiah himself has been loaning money and steps up to release the collateral he is holding for payment.   He even goes farther to write he has not even used taxpayer money to support him or his staff in the time of his reign over the people so the burden would not be put on the people.

  Nehemiah has put his trust in God to provide all his needs for himself and the staff he supports.  He states he is fearful of God, and he does not want to be held accountable for any wrong doing.  Nehemiah is humbling himself before God and letting God be God.  He realizes the first thing about worship is to be humble.  It is through the humbleness worship begins.  It is in the humbleness, Nehemiah looks to God as the creator and giver of life giving God the glory for what He provides.

  Luke records Paul’s activity one night as he talks to the people in Troas.  Paul is notorious for run on sentences in his letters, and it is reflected in his speaking in this occasion.  Paul loves to talk about Jesus, but his love sometimes can very long.  It was going into the late hours of the night when Eutychus’ eyes became very heavy.  Eutychus falls asleep and tumbles out of the window where he was sitting, and he falls three stories to the ground.  Fear struck the crowd knowing the fall was fatal for Eutychus, but Paul positioned himself over Eutychus and prays for him.  Paul rises only to speak to say life was still in him.  The crowd realizing Eutychus was alright went back inside to continue listening to Paul until the morning. 

  Paul’s trust in God led to many people turning to God for their help.   In that night’s activity, it could have turned for the worse, but Paul took an opportunity for the people to give praise to God for taking care of one of their own.  It reinforced what Paul was speaking about Jesus and His reason for coming to earth.  The night was even more special as they broke bread and celebrated Jesus’ return to the earth.

  In Luke’s account, he records Jesus calling for the people not to be anxious about their life.  He calls for the people to not be concerned for the food or drink they require, or the clothes they need to cover their bodies.  Their concern should be looking to God for their spiritual needs.   Life was more than just food, drink, or clothes, but rather spiritual depth and sustenance.  If the trust was in God, He would provide for their physical needs.  It is again calling for them to humble themselves before God and let God be God setting the stage for worship to take place.

  The way we trust God is reflected in the way we worship God.  The way we worship is reflected in the way we trust God.  The two must work hand in hand.  If we really do not trust in God, we cannot truly worship God.  Worship begins in out humbleness to let God be God.  It is the realization we are dependent on God, and it is in the dependence of God we praise Him for providing for our needs.  There is no better way to show our trust than to worship Him for what He has done for us! 

  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!”  Psalms 8:1

  “Who is the King of glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.”  Psalms 24:8

  “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array.”  Psalms 29:2

  “How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion!”  Psalms 84:5

  Lord may our trust and worship be reflective of each other.  May we always give You the praise You so deserve.  Amen 

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson   

  Psalm 8, 24, 29, 84; Nehemiah 5:1-19; Acts 20:7-12; Luke 12:22-31

Greetings in Christ,

  Forgiveness on a human level is not the same as it is on God’s level.  We as humans can forgive someone.  We can cease to feel resentment towards another human being, or forget a debt, but our forgiveness towards another person does not compare to the level of forgiveness God gives to His creation.  God’s level of forgiveness goes much deeper and has gone on for much longer than any human can possibly undertake.  It is in the persistence of God’s forgiveness which makes it very special.  In the selected readings, we see different examples of forgiveness taking place. 

  In the reading of Jeremiah, God calls for Jeremiah to write down the words He speaks so they could be spoken later in order for the people to think about their actions and repent.  God wanted Jeremiah to record all the bad things God will do if the people did not turn from their evil ways.  As instructed, Jeremiah recorded the words of God.  The recorded words were read to the people and they turned from their evil wrong doing. 

  Paul’s words are written down in Acts as he called for the people to repent from their idol worship.  Paul’s displayed his faith in God as he called for a lame man to rise up and be healed.  The people reacted by thinking Paul was a god, and they wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul.  Paul had a hard time convincing them he was not a god and not to offer sacrifices to him.  He wanted the people to give God the credit and to ask for His forgiveness.

  Jesus enters a Pharisee’s house to dine.  A woman enters to clean Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipe them away with her hair.  She anoints His feet with perfume and continually kisses His feet.  Jesus’ integrity is being questioned by the Pharisee wondering if He was truly a prophet because He was allowing this woman (being of her stature a prostitute) to touch Him.  Jesus calls out to Simon and tells him a parable of forgiving debts, and then He goes on to forgive the woman of her sins for her display of faith.

  In all these acts of forgiveness, there is a level which cannot be matched by any human level.  The level of forgiveness which took place was on God’s level.  This level incorporates God’s holiness integrating itself into the actions which took place in the forgiveness of sins.   It is through the holiness of God true forgiveness can take place.  It is through the patience of God down through the history of mankind adding a genuine uniqueness to His action.  It is filled with a deep love which can only come from a true source of purity. 

  To be forgiven by God means to be pardoned from a debt of sin or pardoned from an offense.  It means to separate from the inclination to do the offense—to be set apart.  The forgiveness has holiness woven into the action of forgiving to make it truly genuine.  It is being set apart true forgiveness can take place, and it is only God’s forgiveness which can give this genuine action.

  God’s forgiveness is truly an act of love.

  “He has made His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.”  Psalms 111:4

  “Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?”  Psalms 113:5-6 

  “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises to our God on the lyre.”  Psalms 147:7

  Lord never let us take Your forgiveness for granted and accept it as a precious gift of love.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson     

  Psalm  111, 113, 147; Jeremiah 36:1-10; Acts 14:8-18; Luke 7:36-50

Greetings in Christ,

  You cannot help but notice there is someone on a given television channel exploring a house which is supposed to have paranormal activity.  The people have many types of equipment which are capable of detecting any paranormal activity taking place in a given house.  A discussion occurred with several of my coworkers about paranormal activity being a possibility.  One did not believe it could actually take place and it was not real.  Another said he would not go that far, but would consider it to be a possibility.  I suggested it was all possible and we live in a dichotomy. 

  We have the tendency to live in the materialistic world and forget there is a spiritual side to life and it is very real.   There is a warfare taking place around us we do not see, and we should be glad we do not see it, for it would scare us beyond belief.

  Peter in the recording of Acts 12:1-17 found out in person it was more real than even he had imagined.  Now put yourself in Peter’s position.  You have been telling others about Jesus, and you have been facing opposition from the Romans, and the Jewish people you once believed in and listened to for instruction.  They are hounding you day and night, and in some fun way a Roman ruler decides to have fun with you and throws you into jail.

  This Roman ruler has a dark side to him and he enjoys making sport of people for pleasure.  He is even more excited because he has an audience who is applauding his actions.  It is even more exciting for the ruler because this is a special time for the Christians celebrating the Passover.  It would not only be effective for getting rid of one person, but putting a damper on the Passover activities. 

  As you set in jail with two guards chained to you on both sides, you look out of the jail cell to see two more guards at the door.  You look further and see two more guards at the entrance.  You hear foot steps outside the window and you know it is more guards patrolling the perimeter of the jail.  You know you cannot escape, nor can anyone enter into this jail cell to free you.  You feel trapped and see your life coming to an end, but you are OK with all this going on.  You have a peace in your heart and you know all will be well.  You fall asleep knowing you are not going anywhere being content within your own heart.

  You feel a tap on your side, and you awaken.  It is very bright in the room.  It is more brilliant than even the sun would illuminate the room.  As the sleep rolls from your eyes you see a brilliant white man standing before you telling you to stand and to walk with him.   Your mind goes back to the two guards shackled to your arms on both side of you, and just then the shackles just fall away like they had never been attached to your arms.  They remain still and in a trance and you walk forward looking at the other two guards standing at the cell door.  They are standing very still not even moving a muscle as you walk past them.   You move down the corridor and approach the outer door. The other guards are just as the others not responding to the noise of footsteps approaching them and even when the door is opened in front of them. 

  You are on the outside thinking this could not be happening and you are just dreaming, and it hits you.  You just had an angel lead you out of jail and you are free.  You stand at your friends door knocking wanting to get inside to avoid detection from unwanted sources.  As the door opens your heart leaps with joy as you look on the faces of your friends.  You are joyfully telling the story of how God intervened and sent His angel to free you from the clutches of evil.  Oh to know what was really going through Peter’s mind.

  The physical side of actions has a spiritual side as well—a dichotomy.  For every good physical action there is a good spiritual action.  For every negative physical action there is a negative spiritual action.  God sends His angels to defend us all the time.  We do not always see them, but they are very real and present.   In Peter’s case, he was allowed to see his angel in person so he would tell others of what God had done for him.  We must always believe God has our back, and He will never leave us alone.   

  “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  Psalms 118:1

  “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.”  Psalms 118:19

  “The Lord is righteous in all His ways,  and kind in all His deeds.”  Psalms 145:17

  Thank you Lord for all You do to keep us from harm and evil.  May we give You the praise despite the things going on in our lives good or bad.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 118, 145; 2 Kings 20:1-21; Acts 12:1-17; Luke 7:11-17