P J F Ministries Inc

02/22/2025

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

(Romans 2:5-8, NIV)

11/11/2024

We give thanks for your service. We honor you Veterans.

09/30/2024

I am troubled to have to say that right thinking comes in short supply these days. What troubles me most is that caring Christians sound just as misguided. I therefore ask all who love God to consider the following.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4: 8-9, NIV)

This means that right thinking follows a pattern that we can apply to our lives. We need to intentionally focus our thoughts on,
a. Truth (real things, events, facts),
b. Noble (quality or state of being true),
c. Right (morally good, justified, or acceptable),
d. Pure (not mixed or adulterated),
e. Lovely (exquisitely beautiful),
f. Admirable (deserving respect and approval), and
g. Excellent and Praiseworthy (outstanding and commendable).

To do otherwise is to follow a sure path of evil and ruin. Even as a child I never liked bullies. And on more than one occasion throughout high school I used my clever command of logic and language to confront teachers I considered to be bulling fellow students. That practice became most uncomfortable when a teacher I had opposed many times became my faculty advisor after I was elected President of the Student Government. In defense of the man he believed he could motivate under-preforming students by shaming them. But good intentions do not make up for bad actions (consider Matt 7: 21-23, the time when Jesus rebuked well intended Christians).

09/14/2024

"Throughout history God allowed people to make choices even when those choices were against their interest. But having the right to choose is no exclusion from the penalty of sin. And everyone not covered by the Blood of Jesus must pay for their sins with eternal death.

"This is where some want to raise Eternal Security, a controversial doctrine that has led some astray. Eternal Security is the doctrine also called once saved always saved. According to the teachings of John Calvin of the 16th Century anyone truly saved can never become lost. Eternal Security posits that anyone who falls back into sin was never actually saved. This is circular logic designed to be self-supporting.

"Finally, Jesus told His disciples, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18, NIV). So, if the very gates of Hades are powerless to prevail over God’s Church then culture does not stand a chance." (from What is Culture to Churches: Great Servant or Cruel Master, available from Amazon.com in paperback, eBook, and KDP Select)

More to come!!!

05/27/2024

04/15/2024

Always stay under the blood!

04/15/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 15, 2024
“Stay Under the Blood”

When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?” The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.” Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and he died. (1 Kings 2:41-46, NIV)

A conditional pardon is the same as conditional forgiveness, both can be nullified. As one who had been pardoned, Shimei was not entitled to the rights and privileges of a man who had not been an offender. Though it may have seemed justifiable for a master to retrieve runway servants, Shimei was no ordinary person. He was a man on parole and as such paid the price for violating parole. Likewise, we too have been pardoned, but we may yet pay for our sins if we violate the condition of God’s forgiveness. Stay under the blood even when to do so you forgo some human rights. You only remain forgiven when you keep the conditions of the pardon!

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04/12/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 12, 2024
“No Excuses”

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest. Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.” Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time. But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath. (1 Kings 2:34-40, NIV)

Soloman was a lad when he ascended to the throne. Following a king like David who had been both strong and very popular, it was easy to understand how intrigue might abound as those fearful to challenge David saw the change as their opportunity to take over. From the text it seems that Shimei may have been part of such intrigue. This could explain why Solomon made his appointment conditional. And though we too have a great appointment by Christ, our position is also conditional. Our position, entitlements, our very hope in Glory is conditional on remaining in Christ. Like Shimei we too forfeit all when we get out of place. And no excuse will save him or us.

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04/10/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 10, 2024
“Only in Blood”

When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!” So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.” Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.” (1 Kings 2:28-33, NIV)

Men of integrity do not make it a practice to plot and scheme under cover of lies. And neither should Christians. But this is not so with plots and schemes to overthrow governments. Such business is best done under the cover of darkness. And though conspirators do not immediately pay for their offenses, justice delayed is not always justice denied. The time had come for Joab to pay for his crimes. Besides conspiring with Adonijah, he had been responsible for the deaths of innocent men in his schemes, including the husband of Bathsheba. And though the House of the Lord is a refuge for sinners, it is nowhere to hide from judgement. It became In a twist that we might not fully understand Soloman expunged the last of the blood of David’s misdeed by executing Joab. Some debts can only be settled in blood.

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04/08/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 8, 2024
“Remember Your Place”

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!” Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died. To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.” So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli. (1 Kings 2:22-27, NIV)

Forgiveness can be tricky. It becomes tricky when conditional. Though Solomon had forgiven his brother it was under the condition that he abandon his quest for the throne. What you seek says much to anyone paying attention, and Solomon was paying attention to Adonijah. His request to take one of David’s concubines was justification enough to reinstate the earlier penalty for treachery; kin or no kin. Adonijah’s ill-advised request set the occasion to settle other important accounts. Once unleashed, judgement sweeps downhill like Spring flood waters. Remember that the next time you consider testing how far you can push grace. One last thing, Solomon was wise enough to know not to shoot the messenger; good news or bad. We must learn to be grateful to receive news even when it is not what we want to hear. Maturity as adults and Christians requires we become able to make informed decisions, even when those choices are not pleasant.

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04/05/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 5, 2024
“Forbidden Fruit”

Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied. “As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said. So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” “Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.” When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand. “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.” So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.” (1 Kings 2:13-21, NIV)

There have always been different rules for family than anyone else. And mothers always get special privileges, just look at Mary the mother of Jesus (turning water into wine, special access, delegating John to see after her while hanging on the cross). So it made sense that Adonijah would seek out Bathsheba to make his special request. But Soloman, like his mother, recognized that what Adonijah asked was outrageous. Abishag was a member of David’s harem, one of his pseudo wives. After a king died his harem passed to the new king even though they would remain celibate for the rest of their life. And taking a wife of a departed king was a way to make legitimate the claim to the throng. Bathsheba’s cunning was on full display, she understood that Adonijah was making another attempted a coup. But because he claimed to have come in peace Bathsheba understood it was not her place to antagonize him. Even though Bathsheba kept her promise I imagine she did not conceal skepticism of his intention. And by his words it was clear that Adonijah was dilutional about his chances of taking to throne. His co-conspirators were few and quickly deserted when David played his hand. Making an unreasonable request to someone just because they might be a sympathetic ear does not entitle you to that which you do not deserve. This is a powerful message increasingly loss among Christians as we continue to seek for forbidden fruit.

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04/03/2024

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 3, 2024
“Well Done Good and Faithful Servant”

“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.” Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established. (1 Kings 2:8-12, NIV)

Shimei, son of Gera, was a member of the house of Saul. In a poor decision he backed Absolom in his attempted coup. Afterward the insurrection was put down Shimei begged David’s forgiveness and was seemingly forgiven (2 Samuel 16:5–14, 19:16–23; 1 Kings 2:8–9, 36–46). But now that David is about to die Shimei is too much of a liability for the young Solomon to keep him around. As one last act David counseled the young king to end the life and threat of this traitorous member of Saul’s house. Having done all that was for him to do David finally rested from his labors, confident he pleased the Lord. David could now step into the realm of real royalty. “Well done my good and faithful servant …”

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