Heaven

Did He Really Say That?!

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Luke 12:4-5 ESV

Today’s verse introduces a summer feature which I will call “Did Jesus Really Say That?!”. “But why Pastor Pete?” some of you will probably ask. “Why bring up those kinds of verses? Why not focus on the sweet and positive things that Jesus said?” Well, I guess the first answer is, “Jesus is way smarter than you or I.” If He tells us something, then in spite of how it sounds, He still has something good in mind. Take today’s verse, for instance. Jesus starts out by telling me not to be afraid of those who want to kill me. Now, in general, this does not calm my heart. Instead, I begin glancing over my shoulder, wondering who is planning what to do me in. But if we would scratch a little deeper beneath the surface, we would see that Jesus is teaching us to swim in a spiritual sense. Of course, it feels like He just tossed me into the deep end of the pool and said, “Go for it!”. But in reality, He is bringing a warning to our attention that far outweighs anything that an enemy could do to us. The life that Jesus wants us to focus on is beyond the horizon of this world. If He were to fail to tell us about God’s judgement, as to how we have lived our lives, He wouldn’t be doing us any favors.

Lately there has been a lot written about how the Chinese Communist Party is learning all our private information, in preparation for some future day. On my part I am not so sure that all the data which Google, Facebook and the American Government has on us is a whole lot better! But instead of worrying about what people would do to us, Jesus is telling us to chill. Don’t worry. Stop fussing about what other people can do. If you think the Tik-Tok folks know a lot, imagine God, who counts every hair on our head and knows every word, before we speak it. 

"Bless those who curse you, think what they would say if they knew the truth." Mother Teresa

And yet, our God who knows everything about us, cared enough to send Jesus into our world to save us. Yes, there are difficult things He would have to say to us, just as when a mother screams at her child to get out of the road when she sees a car bearing down on us from behind. Jesus wants us to be aware, awake and focusing our fear where it will do us good. Only then are we ready for what He has to say next! 

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 
Luke 12:6-7 ES

Is Your Name on the Roll?

/ pastorpete51 / 10 Comments

 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20 ESV

With a name like Caligiuri, you can imagine what it was like for me in school when the teachers took attendance the first day of each year. Usually, after a while they would get it right but sometimes, I just gave up and simply smiled and nodded at their mangled attempts. The great thing about Jesus is that He not only knows our name, but He also knows how to pronounce it as well as every other detail of our lives! In this time as we are passing through storms of violence, division and confusion, it is a great comfort to know that if we have given our life to Jesus and repented of our sins then God has our names written in Heaven. There, no one will ever erase it, forget it or replace it. We have an eternal place with Jesus and there is no greater joy than being His! Today’s song – When the Roll is Called Up Yonder reminds us of this time of celebration, in a toe-tapping and upbeat way that has made it one of our favorites at the nursing home. I wish I could show you more of the faces of my friends there, but with usually this is not permitted. But one day we will have the chance to all meet on the other side and the good news is that we will all be younger and better looking there!!

Mansion Over the Hilltop from Sunshine Memory Care

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1-2 KJV

While Jesus spoke these words things might have seemed a little chaotic for the disciples. They had just finished a Passover meal at which Jesus spoke of giving them his body and His blood, told them one of them would betray Him and then washed all their dirty feet! We cannot be sure of the exact scene, but as they listened, they were probably making their way through the dark streets of Jerusalem on their way towards the Garden of Gethsemane. As they walked, they would have been passing all kinds of homes – small homes overflowing with large families – rough looking hovels where the working poor slept and candlelit mansions of the wealthy merchants and the Pharisees. Jesus turned to the worried disciples saying, “Don’t let your heart be troubled. In my Father’s house are many mansions…and I am going to prepare a place for you!”

Questions whizzed through the disciples’ minds in a mixture of hope and puzzlement. “What kind of home? – How would they get there? – When would it all happen?” That same chaotic mixture of faith and puzzlement walks through the scene every week at the nursing homes where I visit. You will see in the video a nurse passing by the camera to check someone, hear the sounds of the intercom calling for people and people moving about and yet they sing. They sing, they smile, and they believe. Their faith lifts me every week as I get the chance to share a half hour of worship with friends who I will meet one day on the other side. There we will have all our hair, nothing will hurt and no one will sit in wheelchairs. Instead, we will find out just what the mansion that Jesus has prepared will be like and we will get to live in it forever with our blessed Lord Jesus Christ!