Thursday, March 18, 2010

Scripture On Sundays - A Father's Love

Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day.  It was St. Patrick who used the 3 leaf clover to explain the  mind boggling concept of the Trinity to the Irish.  We mere humans, try to understand and comprehend with our human brains, the essence of the divine, which is 3 persons (if you will) in 1 God.  That is, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explains to His disciples that He will be leaving, but tries to comfort them that He will always be with them in "Spirit" and has a place prepared for them in heaven.  The best explanation of the Trinity, I believe is what Jesus tells them in this passage from John....  

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going."



Jesus the Way to the Father



5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him."
8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.
11 Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
14 You may ask Me for anything in My Name, and I will do it.



Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit



15 "If you love Me, you will obey what I command.
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
21 Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show Yourself to us and not to the world?"
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
24 He who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me.
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28 "You heard Me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on Me,
31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.
John 14:1-30


Whenever you are in need of anything, it's always good to know that you can turn to God and ask for whatever you need in prayer.  Most of the time, we have to be realistic though.  We're not always going to get everything we pray for.  There's also the saying "Jesus helps those who help themselves."  In other words, we can't just sit around doing nothing, while waiting for our prayers to be answered.  We have to be proactive too.

The first two readings for Sunday, March 14th were Joshua 5:9a, 10-12, and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.  In Joshua we heard about how the Lord had given the Iraelites manna in the desert to sustain them.  But once they arrived in the land of Canaan, no longer was the manna there and they were able to eat the yield (harvest) of their own crops.

In 2 Corninthians, Paul joyously speaks of a God who "has reconciled us to Himself: and made all things new!"  Paul is happy that "the old things have passed away".  God is constantly remaking us, reversing our distortions, forgiving us, and restoring us.  Paul tells the Corinthians (and all of us) of God's refusal to count our transgressions against us.  He has given us "a way out", if you will.  Paul plays the part of God's ambassador, imploring that we not miss the opportunity to become the "righteous of God".  Christ, the sinless One, became human and took on our sins for us; that is, accepted the condition of alienation from God (our sin) which is common to us humans, in order to make this reconciliation with God possible for all of us.

I did not print out these two above mentioned readings, but you have the chapter and verses if you want to read the actual text.  I'm doing this so this is not so long.  We did have two options for the gospel.  Both have a similar message, which Jesus gave

The Parable of the Lost Sheep



1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear Him.
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:1-7

The Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son


11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there he squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.



25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Luke 15:11-32

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Scripture On Sundays - Reward and Punishment

Reward and punishment....we can all relate to that, especially when we've experienced it in the workplace or at home while dealing with family and raising children.  We must all learn there are consequences to our actions.  We have to know who's in charge, or shall I say, who has the power too!  I believe, first and foremost, it is wise for you to have a proper fear of the Lord and respect for His authority. 

In the first reading from the Old Testament, God tells Moses if he and the Israelites believe in Him and trust Him, He will help them.  In the second reading from Paul to the Corinthians, he reminds the people there will be consequences and they must remember what happened to their ancestors when they strayed too far away from God's teachings.  But He again, is always near to help them overcome temptation and adversity.  Then in the third reading, the gospel from Luke, he tells them we're all in need of repentence and retells a story (parable) Jesus told about the fig tree.  Consider the fact that we have to make good use of our time while here on earth.  God gives us time to "dummy up", to realize there's a need to change our bad behavior.  And a warning to those who think they are already living righteously....don't get too comfortable!  We must not only strive to abide by the laws of God, but we are also expected to "bear fruit".  What does that mean?  I believe it means God needs as many believers as possible to spread His Word, so many can benefit from it.    

Moses, the burning bush and the great "I AM"

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"  And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
6 Then He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey...
9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt."

11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD,  the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Exodus 3:1-8a,9-15
 
 
Warnings from Israel's History
 
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.
10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13


Repent or Perish

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
6 Then He told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
8 " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.
9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "
Luke 13:1-9

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Scripture On Sundays - This Life and beyond

Why do Christians support Israel and their right to exist?  In this passage from the Old Testament, God promises Abram and his descendants many offspring, food and a homeland of their own. 

God's Covenant with Abram 

5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then He said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to Him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."
8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"
9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."
10 Abram brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.
11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.
Genesis 15:5-12,17-18

We're very aware of all our earthly needs of food, clothing and shelter.  Family, friends and our homeland are all important to us too.  But we know evil exists in this world and trials and tribulations will be part of this earthly life also.  Paul writes to the Philippians.... 

2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.
1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Philippians 3:2,18-21 -- 4:1
 
The gospel from Luke....
 
23 Then He said to them all: "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."



The Transfiguration



28 About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
29 As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
30 Two men, Moses and Elijah,
31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35 A Voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him." 
36 When the Voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
Luke 9:23-36