Vernon T. Jones MTS, Spiritual Consultant, Author
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Scripture Reflection: Happy Thanksgiving!

11/28/2019

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“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. When we think of others that don’t have what we have been blessed to have, that may allow us to even be more grateful for where we are. It may be also, allow us to be more appreciative of the small gifts of life, that are all around us that we often miss; when we are too hung up on all of the material stuff that society and mass media throws our way.
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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.

May God’s peace and love be with you and your family! Vernon T., Shirley, and our blended/extended family.

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​Scripture Reflection: Praising God

11/21/2019

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“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.” Psalm 66: 1-2

I like most any kind of music, and enjoy those songs that have a good beat with some depth of meaningful soul. My favorite type of music is gospel, which became a vital part of my life during my early years in my hometown church, Jerusalem Baptist, in Youngstown, Ohio. This church, is on the eastside of town, and when I attended there, was surrounded by steel mills. The church membership was made up of people who were either first or second-generation families, who had moved up from the deep south in hopes of a better life. My mother and her family were such a family; she was born down south and came up north when my grandfather got a job in one of those steel mills.
 
The members of Jerusalem bought with them the customs and traditions of the south, including how they worshiped, and the music they sang. Therefore, this gospel music carried with it, the sorrows of a past life, along with the hopes and dreams of a better life on a daily basis, and the hopes for the eternal life as well. Because I attended Jerusalem from the time I was born until I left twenty-seven years later, gospel music is in my soul. It will always be a part of whom I am, no matter where I worship today, or where I am in my life.  

No matter what type of music you like to sing or listen to, hopefully it is joyful for you, and brings joy to those around you. My gospel music does that for me and does help me praise God. I would encourage you to praise God in any matter. But bear in mind that spiritual-soulful music can help all of us to do the same; it can assist us in praising God and can also feed our souls, and may enrich those around us. Knowing that when we praise God, we are joining all of the creation in giving glory to God’s name. Today, may today you find time to make a joyful noise to God and give the Lord praise. Peace, Vernon T.
 
Copyright © 2019 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
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​Scripture Reflection: Choose the Better Part

11/14/2019

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“But the Lord (Jesus) answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing, Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10: 41-42

Most of us are familiar with the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was concerned about getting all of her tasks done, while Mary only wanted to sit at Jesus’ feet. Looking back at this scripture with our 21st century lens, it is easy to pick on Martha, and what she was doing while in the presence of Jesus. 

However, while we may not have Jesus right in front of us, we may have many other things that cause us to be distracted from becoming the person God wants us to be. Whenever we put our total focus on something other than the good Lord, and on God’s kingdom; that becomes our god. When we take part in the spiritual pilgrimage of becoming a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, we are called to choose the better part, and to strive daily for God’s kingdom. Keep in the mind the words of Martin Luther, “Whatever your heart clings to and confines in, that is really your God.” Peace, Vernon T.  
 
Copyright © 2019 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved


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Scripture Reflection: The Lord’s Steadfast Love

11/7/2019

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“Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” Psalm 138: 8b

Experiencing and feeling God’s love when everything is going along smoothly in our lives is easy; but how about when we have pain, sorrow, or difficult times in our lives? What happens who our child is dying, when we are in the midst of a divorce, when we have recently lost our job, when we feel unsafe or have fear in our daily lives; or when any other number of things that can negatively impact our lives happen. Nowhere in the Bible that I know of does it note, that our lives will be without challenges and totally perfect. 

But it is stated in many places that God will be with us, and that the Lord’s love does last for eternity. When we meditate day and night on God’s ways, and practice the steps of this spiritual pilgrimage, we will begin to see that God’s steadfast love does indeed endure forever. We will still experience the highs and lows of this life because we are all fallible human beings living in an imperfect world. However, my prayer is that you can still feel this love from the Lord God, no matter where you might be on this life’s journey. Peace. Vernon T.
 
Copyright © 2019 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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    Author

    Vernon T. Jones earned his Master of Theological Studies Degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary after a lengthy insurance industry career. Jones has assisted people with incorporating into their faith journey the discipleship practices that are outlined in his upcoming book and his presentations. 

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