Welcome to the P.J. (Pastor J) Sound Theology Blog

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Shut Up and Listen!


Sometime God stops us in our tracks and silences us!

Let's look to today's text from Mark 9:30-37

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Let us pray,
Dear God, thank you for reminding us of the servant hood that you call us to. In a world where everyone wants to be the BEST, the Greatest, and out Front, you silence us and re-focus us on you. Thanks Be to you God, for keeping our mind on HEAVENLY things not on human things.

There are times when we need to just Shut UP and Listen!
Brothers and Sisters, be Successful, be Great today by being the BEST disciple of Christ that you can be!
Be Well, Love pastor J.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Dear God how do I know which way to turn?

How do we really lean to and trust God? How do we discern what is of God, what is for us and what we should stay away from? If you are like me you have asked some or all of these questions before. As today's blog focuses on discerning what God has for us I suggest we tun to scripture, lets look to Proverbs 2:1-15.

Prov 2:1-15

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

I pray that this scripture and today's blog was helpful to you as we all continue to search for God's will for our lives. Be Well.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

People can lie on you but they can not conceal your identity!


For me it's been a long day and a longer week! Have you ever had a week where you know that you only survived by the Grace of God? The past couple of weeks I have been lied on, dragged through the mud, disrespected and accused of many negative things, in the midst of being ill because of Sickle Cell and it seemed that the world was falling. But despite all of those negative things in my body and being said about me God continued to bless me and increase my ministry. Blessing after blessing has come into my life, the situations of negativity were resolved with out my integrity being compromised, my body healed on it own and all has been restored.

I know that I am not the only one to have a week and or days like this. When I turn to the scripture I am reminded of Acts 6: 8-11 Let's look:

8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. 10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11Then they secretly instigated some men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ 12They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13They set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.’ 15And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Friends as we continue to live in this crazy, mixed up world; remember that people will always lie on you but the God In You (as Mary Mary would say) will not be concealed and will shine through, even your enemies will see the God in you, remember Stephen appeared to have the face of an ANGEL. Go to face your storms with courage and faith knowing that God will always shine through.

Be Well!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Thank God for TRUE Friends, they ALWAYS have your back! Hold on Peter was a true friend to Jesus right?




Peter and Jesus traveled together for years, YEARS! They were cool, Jesus told Peter that he would have the keys to the Kingdom, that's how cool they were. Peter told Jesus that he was the Christ, the one, that's how well they knew one another. Peter even cut of an ear in defense of his buddy. But none of that stopped peter from turning his back on Jesus and denying him time, and time again.

But Jesus knew who Peter was, how Peter was, and what Peter would do. Despite all of that Jesus still forgave Peter and Jesus forgives us, our job is to FORGIVE others friends as well as enemies as we live out the love of Christ Jesus in the world. Remember the words of Jesus in John 21: 15-20 Lets Look:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ 17He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. 18Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ 19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?

Brothers and sisters today go forward loving and forgiving, its the Christian way! Be Well