Blog Archives - Vernon T. Jones MTS, Spiritual Consultant, Author

Scripture Reflection: God’s Peace from Prayer!

6/30/2014

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7

When we pray with thanksgiving and let God know what is going on in our lives, we can have this peace that passes all understanding. During a time of my life when I was really struggling God’s peace came to me when my prayers gave me direction and insight.

My late wife, Judy, had two operations to remove brain tumors. The first one went fairly smoothly, and she had little of any side efforts from it. However, the second surgery was another matter for it was a much longer one with more challenges. Afterwards she couldn’t talk, walk, or move her right side. Needlessness to say it was a very trying time for my family, Judy, and me. She spent twelve weeks in two hospitals and a nursing home recovering from the operation, having radiation, and relearning many skills.

During her time at the nursing home she seemed to be getting a little better, however, every evening I hated to leave her there. It was very difficult for me because I felt so sorry that I couldn’t do any more for her. I always prayed for her doing the day and for guidance about this situation and was very thankful for any process that she made. I was led to get a devotional book, and started reading it before leaving her at night. I read the scripture listed for the day, then the reflection part of the book, and the prayer at the end of the devotional.

That small act gave me some peace of mind and spirit so that I felt somewhat better leaving her at night. The peace I received didn’t change the situation that we were in, but it did allow me the ability to cope a little better with what was going on. After she came home, we continued to follow the same practice before going to bed. After Judy passed away I continued that routine alone. During your prayer time please let God know what is going on with you, and may you experience the peace of God that passes all understanding!

Prayer, God of all peace, please guard my heart and mind as my prayers with thanksgiving go up to you! Amen. Vernon T.
Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline!

6/26/2014

“For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1: 6-7

Over the years I have tried to memorize a Bible verse a week, and this verse is one that continues to be a favorite of mine. When I was younger, I struggled quite a bit with low self-esteem and memorizing Bible verses in general and this one in particular helped in that regard. Currently when I have moments of doubt, verses like this one continue to provide hope for me.

This letter from 2 Timothy is one of thanksgiving and also one of encouragement for its audience. There are a lot of wisdom and support for those who are on this spiritual pilgrimage. It lets us know that God did not give us a fearful spirit, but instead a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

Having a spirit of power allows us to have faith that when we are striving for God’s kingdom that the energy and strength will be there sufficient for what we are called to do. Additionally the spirit of love will always be with us, no matter if on the mountain top or in the lowest valley periods in our life. God is love and can’t help but love us. The spirit of self-discipline can be viewed from a number of different angles. However, it seems important to realize that without some form of self-discipline as it pertains to this spiritual walk, we aren’t able to take part in the spiritual practices which help us to become the person that God wants us to be.

On your journey may you be able to become increasing more aware that God wants you to have this spirit of power, love, and self-discipline! May verses like this one help when you encounter life’s doubts and fears.

Prayer, Holy Spirit, daily please allow me to be open to receiving your spirit in my life, and may I share that spirit with those whom I meet today! Amen. Vernon T.
Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: Spirit of Adoption!

6/23/2014

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abby! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8: 14-16

For those who are being led by the Spirit of God are also children of God. When we engage in the spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, and reflection and invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives, we come to realize that we are indeed children of God. This point should influence how we live and interact with those around us, for as children of God our focus is on God’s kingdom and God’s will in our lives versus the things of the world.

The point of being adopted by God holds special meaning for me and may also hold importance for those of divorced families. My parents were divorced, and both of my grandparents were divorced, this made for some challenging dynamics in and around my family. I am sure whom I am today was impacted by this situation. As a child I didn’t fully understand about being a child of God and what that meant. However, as an adult on this spiritual pilgrimage, I become increasing more aware that as a child of God, God loves me no matter what may happen in my life. That even when humans can cause me pain and fail me, because they are human, God is love and can’t help but love me and will never fail me.

It doesn’t matter what your situation is in life, if you are from a divorced family, or if you are recently divorced, or you have been hurt by a divorce, please know that because of this spirit of adoption, you are a child of God and the Lord God wants to give you an infinite grace-filled love!

Prayer, Spirit of Adoption, help me to realize that as a child of God, I can also help others know that they are children of God, when I am open to sharing this love with those I meet today! Amen. Vernon T.

Scripture Reflection: God’s Kingdom in Our Daily Lives!

6/19/2014

“And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his [God’s] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” Luke 12: 29-32

The beginning of this passage begins with the words, “he said to his disciples.” Thus it is implied that the message that followed was for those who were his closet followers and not specifically for the crowds who were mainly interested in following Jesus because of the miracles he performed, or the religious leaders who wanted to be there when Jesus did something wrong in their eyes.

As he tells his disciples, they were to strive first for the kingdom of God in their daily lives and trust that the Lord God would provide for whatever else was needed. This is a very challenging concept in our modern world that places a lot of emphasis on being overly concerned about one’s stock earnings, retirement nest egg, status in society, etc. Striving first for God’s kingdom before anything else is not for the faith of heart.

This is a lesson that I have had to learn over and over again in my life, and it continues to be a challenge for me. One of the first major times that I encountered this was when I was working full time in a steel mill and going to college part time. Twice during that time I was forced to sit out a quarter because my grade point average was too low compared to the number of hours I was taking. I kept thinking that I could do more than I was capable of and couldn’t pull up my grades fast enough, and thus was forced to sit out and think about what was going on.

I was able to get off probation for a number of reasons, but the major one was that I consciously tried to strive for God’s kingdom while taking my classes. I had to try to put God’s will and kingdom first in my life, versus anything else. This focus didn’t happen over night, but slowly my heart and mind tried to strive for God’s kingdom in my life on a daily basis and it impacted how I prepared for my class work, and how I saw my college experience. During your spiritual pilgrimage, may you recognize the importance of striving first for God’s kingdom on a daily basis, versus anything else that you may encounter on your earthly journey!

Prayer, Lord of life, please help me to focus on your kingdom and will in my life before anything else, and allow me to share this understanding with those whom I meet today! Amen. Vernon T.

Scripture Reflection: Persevere in Prayer!

6/16/2014

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12: 12

Romans 12: 9-21 describes the characteristics of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Among other things it refers to living a life of genuine love, serving the Lord with zeal, extending hospitality to strangers, blessing your enemies, living in harmony and peace with others, and forsaking vengeance, etc.

Take time to read and reflect on these qualities. Trying to focus on living out all of these aspects can be quite overwhelming. However, many spiritual writers down through the ages have noted prayer as the cornerstone of having a life that reflects these traits.

Prayer can mean many various things to different people, and there isn’t a truly right answer that fits everyone’s need. Prayer is a two-way conversation; it opens up our hearts and souls to give and receive. It can lead, guide, and comfort us. The most important part is that it strengthens our relationship with our Lord God, and helps us to become the persons God wants us to be-- everything else is secondary.

Starting a prayer life takes effort and perseverance in our life. The main thing is to do something and try to make it a habit. Begin with something daily, no matter how small, maybe the Lord’s Prayer at a minimum. We can pray at anytime, in the shower, at meal time, in a car, get in the habit of thanking God for everyday miracles, listen and talk to God daily. At some point find the space and time to have a specific prayer period to start the spiritual practices. These spiritual practices can include prayer, Bible study, and reflection.

On your spiritual pilgrimage may you find what is needed to persevere in prayer, and in so doing be able to embody the characteristics in this passage!

Prayer, heavenly Lord, may my prayer life draw me closer to becoming the person you want to be and in the process help my life bring others closer to you! Amen. Vernon T.

Ministry Update

6/12/2014

Last week during the Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran (ELCA) Synod Assembly, I did a breakout session and took part in a book signing. The breakout was titled Discipleship, and we had a really good turnout with lots of lively interaction. This picture is at the book signing with Jane Stolzenburg from Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

Scripture Reflection: God Is Near!

6/9/2014

“So that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is nor far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being;’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’” Acts 17: 27-28

For many years I have tried to learn and memorize Bible verses. I started doing this to help with my low self-esteem after reading positive thinking books that encouraged practices such as this. I found this practice to be helpful for me, and it has been continued. The middle part of this passage is one that has helped me a lot.

“In him we live and move and have our being,” I think this says so much for us who are struggling with life’s challenges. The fact that in God we can live a renewed life daily, in God we can take steps knowing that God will walk with us, and in God our very being and existence can make it through whatever comes our way.

Think of using scripture as a way to reinforce your spiritual practices, try memorizing scripture as a way of coping with life’s ups and downs. It will not keep you from having problems in life, but it may help you get through them. This verse would be a good one to start with, and you could even personalize it like this. “In God, I live, move, and have my being!”

Prayer, Lord God please help me to feel your presence near me, and may your presence give me the courage and wisdom to boldly live today knowing that you are with me! Amen. Vernon T.

Scripture Reflection: Walking with God!

6/5/2014

“. . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. . . . Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 6: 9b, 22

The story of Noah and the great flood is one that we probably all learned while we were young, and is one that peoples from all walks of life know well. We remember about God talking to Noah, about God’s displeasure with the human race, the directions about making the ark, the flood coming, and what happened afterwards. Sometimes we miss the fact that Noah was righteousness, walked with God, and did what God commanded him to do.

God chose Noah and his family to be the ones who would start the earth’s recreation after the flood because of how he lived his life, and because of the kind of person he was. Beside these verses the scriptures don’t give us a lot of details about Noah, other then that “Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord,” (verse 8).

We, however, can learn from what is noted about Noah and we can apply it to our spiritual pilgrimage. Being a righteous person, walking with God, and doing what God commands us to do, can come out of our spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, and reflection. When we take part in these practices we open ourselves up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit has been sent to lead, to comfort, to help us along our travels, and to show us how to walk with God as Noah did. May you be open to the Spirit’s direction in your life, so that through the highs and lows of this earthy journey, you can still feel God’s presence in your life, no matter what you may be dealing with at the moment!

Prayer, Holy Spirit, please help me to open to walking with God and following the direction given, so that I may be an example to others that I meet today, of God’s desire to walk with us! Amen. Vernon T.

Ministry Update: I/K Synod Assembly

6/2/2014

During the Indiana-Kentucky Lutheran (ELCA) Synod Assembly, I will be doing a breakout session and taking part in a book signing. The breakout is titled Discipleship. The workshop will offer guidance and encouragement to disciples in all stages of their spiritual pilgrimage. I will be signing copies of my book, Discipleship--A Lifelong Spiritual Pilgrimage and this will be done in connection with the “Steeple People” book store, which is housed in Trinity Lutheran Seminary. If you attend this Assembly, I hope to see you. Vernon T.