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Scripture Reflection: God’s Spirit of Faith and Love

7/30/2020

“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: 7

God doesn’t want us to live a life of dread and fear, but one that allows us to become the persons that God created us to be. The writer wants Timothy to not be afraid, for God’s Spirit of faith and love will be with him. He doesn’t have to let the issues of life keep him down indefinitely, with God’s Spirit, his fears can be overcome.

As fallible human beings we can’t help but sometimes have concerns and nervous moments. That comes from living on this side of the kingdom, and especially in these times of the COVID 19 Pandemic, and the Racial Injustice Pandemic. There are a lot of unknowns during these stressful times, and many of us have instants to be fearful about.

But God’s Spirit can help us overcome our worries. We can find ways to make it another day; through prayer, reflection, Bible study, and with the encouragement of those around us that are supportive and loving to us. Then we can begin to move into a position, where we can hear the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Blessings on your journey! Vernon T.

Copyright © 2020 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Quiet Places to Pray

7/23/2020

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“But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.” Luke 5: 15-16

Having daily structured prayer and reflection habits are extremely important on this spiritual pilgrimage. Some of us may try and fool ourselves into believing that having a specific prayer time and place isn’t important as part of our spiritual practices. However, for centuries spirit-filled desert mothers and fathers have set aside specific times and places to pray and reflect. Jesus often went away to pray. He was always sought after by the crowds who wanted him to do another miracle. He knew that he needed to get away to stay connected with his Lord, and to be renewed in his spirit and physical body.

In our currently stress-filled times one may wonder how we can have the emotional energy, and be able to take time out of our worried days for prayer; but like anything else in our lives, we will find the energy and time to do the things that are really important for us. During these Pandemic crises, we may have more of a need to pray and meditate to help us take another step, and to make it another day. I wish you well in setting aside a special time and place to spiritually stay connected with our loving and grace-filled Lord! Please continue to be safe, well, and as sane as you can be. Peace! Vernon T.

Copyright © 2020 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Where Does Our Help Come From

7/16/2020

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“I lift up my eyes to the hills–from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121: 1-2

This verse is frequently quoted to show how a person has put their faith in the Lord God who made the heaven and earth. Some may think that this is an old form of wisdom, which doesn’t have much value in our highly intelligent and sophisticated society. However, trusting in something that is gone tomorrow according to some scholars isn’t very wise.

Putting one’s faith and hope in the Lord God who made the heaven and earth, and who was, who is, and who will be in the future maybe the way to go. In your spiritual pilgrimage, and in these times of a COVID 19 Pandemic and Racial Injustice Pandemic, may your eyes remain on where the true and lasting help comes from. Peace! Vernon T.

Copyright © 2020 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Praying Always

7/9/2020

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“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” Luke 18: 1

God wants us to keep on praying as we walk on this spiritual pilgrimage because it draws us closer to God. Especially in these Pandemic times, we should continue a life of prayer. Sometimes God does answer our prayer in one form or the other. However, I can’t begin to count the number of times that I have fervently prayed for some outcome, and it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. You can probably say the same thing.

That doesn’t mean, however, that God doesn’t love us or isn’t concerned about our daily needs. God is love and can’t help but love us, but God isn’t required to answer every request we make. However, as Jesus’ parable from Luke 18 expresses, we should continue to pray and not to lose heart. During your life’s journey and in these very trying times, may your prayer efforts continue even when any response appears to be far off! Peace! Vernon T.

Copyright © 2020 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Dealing with our National Pandemics---Like Running a Marathon---Not a Sprint

7/2/2020

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“…and let us run with perseverance the race that is before us.” Hebrews 12: 1

Having perseverance, patience, and acting purposefully are qualities we don’t often talk about in our modern fast-paced, instantaneous society. As has been noted on many occasions in my writings, I have not always been a very patient person. I have gotten better over the years, but still have my problems. I hate to be late for any appointments, and always want to leave really early to get places. I especially drive Shirley crazy when we travel by air, because I want to be at the airport much earlier than even the recommended arrival time.

My lack of patience can sometimes be a good thing, but that also has caused me and those around me some concern and discomfort as well. There isn’t enough space in this article for me to outline the times being inpatient on my part has actually caused me more time over the long run. It’s like taking one step forward and two-three steps backwards because of being in too much of a rush. I mention this so you know that when I state that in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Racial Injustice Pandemic we are running a marathon versus a sprint; there is a need for lots of patience and perseverance---and so I am talking to myself as much as to you.

Like most of you I am ready for the safer-at-home guidelines to be over so that we can be free again. However, as it has been said many times, we are on “Virus Time” and not “Human Time.” The Coronavirus doesn’t care if we are all tired of the changes we have had to make. The Virus is only looking for the next person to infect, and no matter how careful we are, we or a loved one could be the next victim.

Racial injustices have been going on for generations and have survived countless attempts to get rid of it. Of course, many positive steps have been taken over the years, but the recent events have shown how deeply ingrained into the very fabric of our culture it really is. Thus, a lot of the rapid changes being made may not be enough to get to the very core of racism; that will take a long-term effort.

Regarding both of these of Pandemics, lets began to think about dealing with them as running a marathon---versus running a sprint. It takes certain skills and talents to run either a marathon or a sprint: such as endurance, conditioning, practice, and yes, patience and perseverance. However, most sprint races are run in seconds, whereas, a full marathon is run in hours!

In our world that has instant everything--where events around the world are known about in a matter of minutes, and in a few moments time, the internet can provide us with countless amounts of information---it’s very difficult for us get our heads around having to wait for anything. According to what has been proven about both of these issues today, there are no quick fixes or no magic bullets in eliminating either one of these. What is needed is perseverance, and something most of us don’t have in this world today---and that is patience.

In my ministry writings, I often refer to what many wise spiritual mothers and fathers have been saying for centuries, that being on a spiritual pilgrimage takes time and can’t be rushed. In the same manner, what the experts on these two issues have said, and what this short blog is saying to us is the same message: that is to run the race relating to these two Pandemics with perseverance and patience, and acknowledge that neither can corrected in an instant.

Let us all commit to the fact that we are running a marathon and not a sprint today. May your prayer practices allow you to be patient with what is going on around us, and do the best that we can do to change what we can alter; but at the same time to trust the future into the grace-filled hands of our loving Lord! Peace. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2020 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: God’s Spirit of Faith and Love

Scripture Reflection: Quiet Places to Pray

Scripture Reflection: Where Does Our Help Come From

Scripture Reflection: Praying Always

Scripture Reflection: Dealing with our National Pandemics---Like Running a Marathon---Not a Sprint

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Scripture Reflection: God’s Spirit of Faith and Love

​Scripture Reflection: Quiet Places to Pray

​Scripture Reflection: Where Does Our Help Come From

​Scripture Reflection: Praying Always

Scripture Reflection: Dealing with our National Pandemics---Like Running a Marathon---Not a Sprint

Author

Archives

Categories

Scripture Reflection: Quiet Places to Pray

Scripture Reflection: Where Does Our Help Come From

Scripture Reflection: Praying Always