Wisdom and Peace

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who show in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18 

Peace, how we hope and long for that. James tells us the way: live in peace with your neighbor. Speak good of your neighbor, do not have bad thoughts of him or her. Wisdom from heaven is full of mercy to your neighbor, you do not hate or use ruthless words when talking about your neighbor. Are we living like a wise man or women or do we have violent and wicked thoughts in our hearts? We can always come to Jesus Christ and ask forgiveness and start a new life with Him. He will give us the Holy Spirit and a new mind to live in peace with our neighbor. Who then is our neighbor? Not only those who are living in our community or are our relatives or friends, but all people who God had created even those who we do not love. Are you living in peace? Jesus Christ is our Peace. "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Peace with God

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Rom 5:1-2 

Looking for peace with God, are your god distant and hard, are you trying to conciliate your god with your gifts, deeds, and offerings? Where does your god live? The Holy Bible says us that we have peace with God our Farther through faith, what is faith? Our faith is in Jesus Christ our Lord, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.", Joh 3:16-17. Do you believe this? You do not have a distant and angry god, instead you can look at Jesus Christ and ask Him to save you from your miseries and troubles, and He will come and give you eternal life and all your sins are washed away, you will be a new creation: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor 5:17. Jesus Christ lives in his words in the Holy Bible, and among His Church.

Love and our Neighbor

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17

How we love? Are we loving only those who agree with us and love us? Where is my neighbor who has no shelter and home, no one taking care of? We who have received so much from our Lord Jesus Christ, are we seeing the need of our neighbor or are we just shutting our eyes without praying: what I can do for my neighbor? God's Word says that we should take care of those who are in need, are we following our God's words? According to John we can repent and receive forgiveness from our Heavenly Farther, because of Jesus Christ our Lord, who has fulfilled all Scriptures of God and who can give us the Holy Spirit (Joh 3:16-21; 1 John 3:16-24). This is Love, our Lord Jesus Christ, and we love, because He has first loved us:).

Light

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him humble. 1 Joh 2: 9-10

Are we loving our neighbor or are we hating him or her? Who is my neighbor? Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to an expert in the law asking first: " What is written in the Law?" (Luke 10:25-37). God's law shows us the desires and beliefs of our heart and soul, it shows us whether we are loving our neighbor or hating. God's word tells us: " Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty" (James 5:4), and "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24). Who are we serving, are we generous and fair to the people who are working for us and also looking for their best, are we also taking care of those neighbors living in the poor countries? Do we really love our neighbor? No one can really love like Jesus, if we are honest. But as God's word says: "But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Farther in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). How beautifully our heavenly Farther has created everything, we love our neighbor, because He has first loved us.

Peace in Jesus

I have told you things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16: 33

Peace? In Jesus Christ, my Lord and God. Jesus came to the world to bring hope and peace for those who are poor, miserable and hopeless and without any help. Jesus died for us, went to heaven to God, to his Farther and to our Farther, and now Jesus lives in His Words in the Holy Bible and sent us His Spirit so that we can understand what He is speaking to us (1 John 1: 1-4). Even though there is darkness around us, Jesus words are shining in the darkness, lighting our paths and teaching us (2 Peter 1: 19-21; Psalm 27: 11). We can receive peace in Jesus and He can lead us beside quiet waters, to green pastures and restore our souls (Psalm 23).

Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by payer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:4-7

Why my soul is anxious and full of troubles, where is my God who can help me, who can calm my restless? My soul is like a storming lake, where is my Jesus? Jesus comes quietly and calms the storm (Matt 8:23-27), he comes in his Word gently and asks: what do you want me to do for you? Jesus is in the Holy Bible (Joh 1:1-13), in His Church, and hears your voice and your prayers even though you cannot formulate your petitions properly (Rom 8:26-27). Jesus is your Lord and your friend, looking at His face you can see our God Father, loving and caring Farther who is just waiting for you to help you (Luke 15:11-31) and to save you (Psalm 18:16-19). Rejoice my soul!

Hope and Sufferings

we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  Rom 5: 2-5

Hope, What is hope and who can give us hope or who is our hope? How our sufferings and hope go together? When my soul is loaded and troubled how I can get peace and hope of something better? Jesus is our Hope, He says that " come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matt 11:28-31. We can rest in Jesus words and quietly hope and wait how our Lord Jesus Christ will help us "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" Psalm 27:14. Our Lord knows our affliction, He knows our living and all troubles, our God is good and will help, "the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" 2 Cor 1: 3-4. We all need hope and comfort, and we can serve our neighbor with the comfort we have received.

Streams of Water

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and the streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Isa 44:3-4.

God can provide water for our thirsty soul like rainy seasons for dry grounds. This summer we have had both beautiful sunny days and fresh water for plants, so we can be grateful for our God. But summers are not in all places worldwide blessing but might mean lack of food and water. Fresh water is crucial for every people, animals and plants, we who have enough can provide water and food for those who are not so lucky. Our Jesus Christ has saved our soul and filled it with his blessings and He has promised to this blessing also for our children. Can we in turn serve our neighbor and try to work for his or her best by providing water and food both for his or her soul and body?

Streams of God

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. Ps 65:9.

Are you thirsty and need someone to fill your emptiness and calm down your restless heart?  You can turn to Jesus and He has promised that whoever believes in Him will have living waters flowing from his or her heart (John 7:37-38). Jesus will give you a life with a purpose, the target and you do not need to drift along anymore but you can be loved and taken care and with the love Jesus gave to you, you in turn can serve your neighbor. What is your target to your life? There are a huge amount of people having no clean water and safe food and God is just waiting for us to work for those who are even in worse situation than we? Do you hear God's voice?

Branch in Jesus Vine

I am the true vine and my Farther is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

Are we living in Jesus Christ like a branch is living in a vine? We who have been baptized in the name of the Farther, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are we friends of Jesus, do we know Him like we know our best friend, is Jesus our best friend? Are we bearing fruit, the fruit that will last? How this is possible to bear fruit and live like Jesus lived among us? We can come to Jesus, who lives in his Words, because He is the Word, who has been from the beginning, and He will forgive us all our sins and He will give us the Holy Spirit who is in Jesus' Words in the Holy Bible. Without Jesus we can do nothing but the Holy Sprit will bring fruits as love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus puts the Holy Spirit in our heart and remove from us our heart of stone and we will follow Jesus. Everyday day we need to be near Jesus and need His forgiveness, we who have our old sinful nature in us but also our new nature Holy Spirit, and these two natures are against each other so that even though we want to do good and live like Jesus we cannot, we do need Jesus to help us and live in us. This is a mystery how our God can live in us but how a wonderful mystery!

Springs of Living Water

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be there shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Rev 7:17

Our Good Shepherd, our Lamb, who died for us so that we can live. Christ offered himself in the Crucifixion together with robbers and died most shamefully and disgracefully, so that whoever believes in Him, will be saved and shall not be condemned (John 3:16). Instead Jesus will lead us to springs of living water and we will never again be hungry and thirsty but can live with Him eternally in the Heaven even though here on the earth we can have miseries and troubles for a while. But Jesus leads us through those dark days and gives us power to serve our neighbors for his or her best in our own place. Keeping this in our minds we can survive, we are serving our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd leading us besides quiet waters and restoring our soul.

A Spring of Water in Us

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

A Spring in us? Even though I am tired, powerless and helpless, and just like to wrap myself into my blanket and sleep, I will have a spring welling up towards Jesus. Jesus is our help and He is living in us and will power us, Jesus says that His power is made perfect in weakness, in that way we can work for our neighbor not us but Jesus in us. Even though we see only darkness ahead us there will be a perfect salvation for us and Jesus is carrying us through the valley of the shadow of death and leading us beside quiet waters. Jesus is our eternal life.

Precious Promises

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:4

The glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord, the divine nature, all the holiness, mercy, goodness, love and care He has and how He raises up we who have fallen and forgives us our sins and heals our wounds, how could we live like Him? We who are not like Him and need forgiveness. Jesus says that through all His great and precious promises we may participate in the divine nature, His Word is powerful to change our life and our heart, because He is the Holy Word who has became flesh and lived among us for a while, died and rose again and ascended to heaven to our Farther and now lives among us in Holy Spirit in Holy Bible and in our Church. Through His words we live in this world and through Him we can serve our neighbors and have a rich life and participate in these beautiful and precious promises which are like a treasury for all the days of our life.

Fruit

You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Farther will give you what ever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. Joh 15:16-17

How I can bear fruit? Jesus said that He chose us, we cannot choose Him, but our Heavenly Farther will lead us near Jesus and Jesus works in His Word for our salvation. Jesus saw us already in our mother's womb and gave us our mission to live in this world for Him and for our neighbor. Are we looking for Jesus and the life He can give us? Or are we busy in our own works without listening His voice in His Word? Jesus needs all of us in our own place for His work and He can bring our fruits for our neighbor's best. What a wonderful life we have in Him. He can turn all our troubles for our best and for our neighbor's best and we can love each other as He has loved us giving His life for us.

World Among Us

"The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Joh 1:14

Jesus became flesh and lives among us. He comes to us in the person of our neighbor, do we see Him? We can see the fullness of His grace, grace for grace, blessing after another. In Jesus we can see the heart of our God who is showing the tender mercy and forgiveness towards us, God who is full of compassion and goodness and taking care of us who have fallen and be depressed. God has created us whom He is warmly calling to live with Him and whom He is keeping close to Him, feeding and fostering us with His word and among His church. All this He is doing by His good heart, not because the righteous things we have done but by His own love, He who gave us life through Jesus Christ. This is called Charis in Greece, a beautiful world and a great mystery but such a large love towards us. Grace has come near to us from heaven.

Photo SLEF Rael Leedjärv-Östman: Jackline and her tee plant

All Worked Through

"The kingdom of heaven is like a yeast that a women took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matt 13:13

The kingdom of heaven, do we have it in our world, are Jesus Christ living in our world? How small we were, how powerless, the kingdom of heaven has the power in itself, it can grow even though we cannot. The kingdom of heaven is in the words of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is the Word, and works in our world and does the will of God as God has planned. Do you want to be a part of this beautiful world? You can see Jesus in His world in the Holy Bible, in His Church, and in our neighbors. Who is your neighbor, who can you help, who is just waiting for You?

Talents

His master replies, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness ." Matt 25:21

What are my talents which my Lord Jesus Christ has given to me? Am I taking care of God-given talents or am I doing my own businesses? My Lord I want to take care of those things You have given to me with my God-given talents and bring fruits for You my Lord. Our Lord has for everyone tasks to do for our neighbor's best, and how many things there are to do! Lets pray our God to send servants for these undone jobs. We can pray for all His servants: talents, power, and all Holy Spirits gifts given for the common good (Gal 5:22).

Wise Builder

"He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." Luke 6:48

Jesus praised the wise builder about laying his foundation properly and thoroughly for his house. What is our foundation? In what can we trust? Jesus says that his word will never pass away even though heaven and earth will pass away. Jesus will keep His word, because He is the Word, who was with God in the beginning and is God, came in the flesh and lived among people for a while, went to heaven to God, to his Farther and to our Farther, and sent us Holy Spirit, and now Jesus can be with us ever in Holy Spirit, in His Word Bible, in Holy Communion and in Holy Baptism. Jesus is our friend. Have we laid our life on the rock, on our Lord Jesus Christ?

Men building a Shelter for Tanzanian Women.

Mustard Seed

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. Matt 13:31-32

So beautiful! The smallest seed and so much power in it. This comforts and gives strength to serve our neighbor and our God Jesus Christ. Showing a small piece of God's Word has a power to grow, because Jesus is the Word who was with God in the beginning and the Word is God:). Our God gives the growth and we are sowers and His fellow-workers, even though we had not a large power but we have the power from our God. How weak we were our strength is in Jesus Christ and He is in His word.

Heart to Heart

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:17-18

What I have in my heart, is it full of love and compassion and will-power to share my wealth with my neighbor? We are all equal before our Lord Jesus and we can share our love, wellness, riches, faiths, words, passions, overflowing joy, rich generosity, and give us to our Lord who has given us his Grace so that we are able to live together in peace and give as much we can and beyond that from our happy and grateful heart. We can in turn get those beautiful fruits of the Spirit and fresh faith and love to our Jesus Christ among those new Christians and churches. What a lovely mission to live for! Then there will be equality, as is written: "He that gathered much did not have too much and he that gathered little did not have too little."