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Scripture Reflection: Happy Thanksgiving!

11/27/2014

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." John 6: 27

Happy Thanksgiving! I pray that you and your family have a great holiday, and can enjoy the many wonderful things that come with it. At some point reflect on the many things that you have to be thankful for and realize that there are many all around us that are less fortunate then we are. Also reflect on these words from the Gospel of John, where the only thing that will last into the next life is God’s love and what is done for God’s kingdom. God Bless You! Vernon T.

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Scripture Reflection: Praising God!

11/20/2014

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"Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Matthew 6: 9

Jesus was talking to his closet disciples when he taught them about prayer in this passage that has come to be called the Sermon on the Mount. He also relates the proper attitude and place for praying. This prayer has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer, and is considered a perfect prayer because it covers areas that need to be prayed for. Please think of including the Lord’s Prayer in your spiritual practices, and even if you can’t do anything else pray this prayer on a daily basis.

In this verse Jesus wants us to praise God. There are countless books that have been written over the centuries about the need to praise God; the book of Psalms is full of verses doing just that. Praising God doesn’t have to be just for the major things in life, but the small things as well.

My late wife, Judy, had two operations to remove a brain tumor. The first surgery basically went fine, however, after the second she couldn’t walk, talk, or move her right side. It took a long time before she relearned these basic skills. During that time I obtained a new appreciation for how wonderful this human body is that God created. I began to give thanks for being able to wake up in the morning and put my feet on the ground and walk. Being able to feed myself, being able to walk up and down the stairs, and to get in and out of a car, etc., were things that I began to praise God for.

At some time during Judy’s last few years she couldn’t do these and other tasks, or when she was able, she needed help in doing them. All of this made me realize how amazing the human brain is, and how it can function the way it does and cause our body parts to operate as they can, almost without us thinking about it. I have been very fortunate to be as heathy as I am, however, going through the experience with Judy gave me reason to praise God for the large and small gifts of life that come my way on a daily basis.

Today, praise God for some gift of life that comes your way, and this can be done at any time or place, or for any reason!

Prayer, God of creation, help me to praise your name in all times of my life! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Growth in Prayer!

11/13/2014

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"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways." I Corinthians 13:11

This passage is taken from the chapter in I Corinthians that is often quoted about the importance of love and of its every lasting quality. There are many wonderful messages in this chapter and one of them is embedded in verse 11. That when we are young in age or maturity we generally act and think in one way and after we grow in age or maturity we act and think in another. The same can be said about our prayer life and the steps that we take along on our spiritual pilgrimage.

Many spiritual writers have said that having a life of prayer will change us, and cause to see things in a different way as we continue with our spiritual practices. For me, I know, that is the case. My prayer life has often changed over the years as I have added and dropped certain aspects of my prayer practice.

One of the biggest changes is how I feel free to pray for my family, something that I concerned about, and for others during the day; this is beside the specific prayer times that I am involved with. I often pray during times such as when I am going for a walk, when jogging, riding in a car, or waiting for an appointment. Somewhere along the line I was guided to carry a small piece of paper in my pocket with the names of my family members and close friends and a few issues that are a concern to me. While waiting in line or for an appointment, I pull out the paper and pray for those that are on it.

How we did things while young in our faith, will not be the same as how we do things when we move along on our walk. As this passage states, when we were a child we thought like a child, but when we became an adult, the childish ways were put aside. Please be encouraged to find creative ways to have prayer be an ever-changing aspect of your spiritual pilgrimage. Know that as you mature in your journey that how you pray and live will change, evolve, and grow!

Prayer, Lord of all creation, help me to be open to your Spirit changing and moving me to new places on this pilgrimage! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Words of Repentance!

11/6/2014

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“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, ‘Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips.’” Hosea 14: 1-2

The prophet Hosea is encouraging the nation of Israel to return to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness for the things that they have done. The implied message is that God doesn’t want their sacrifice but for them to express their need of repentance in words and actions. In my life I have found that unless I could share my feelings with someone, and then show them how I felt, nothing else seemed to matter in trying to renew or build up a relationship with them.

During the first few years of my marriage to my late wife, Judy, one of the really hard things that I had to learn was that of sharing my feelings and thoughts, verses keeping them inside of me. Judy had a very out going personality and found it very easy to express what she was thinking and how she felt about most anything. I, on the other hand, was more reserved and had not learned how to share my emotions with others. This was an area where we struggled with quite a bit in those early years.

Thankfully she was patient with me, loved me, and was willing to walk with me through that period, as I slowly became comfortable in sharing with her and over time with others. It took a lot of prayers, love, and persistent effort but things did improve. Today, I am still somewhat reserved, however, I am better than I used to be, but it is something that I will have to constantly work with.

No matter what your personality is, according to Hosea, God wants to hear the words from our lips about how we see ourselves, about our shortcomings, and where we need to ask for forgiveness. Part of our spiritual pilgrimage is to daily ask for God’s repentance. Today return to God and strive to share all areas of your life, your prayer requests, and your shortcomings!

Prayer, Lord of grace, may your Holy Spirit give me the courage and confidence to share all of my feelings with you that are on my lips and in my heart and soul! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2014 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Scripture Reflection: Happy Thanksgiving!

Scripture Reflection: Praising God!

Scripture Reflection: Growth in Prayer!

Scripture Reflection: Words of Repentance!

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