What price do we pay for the Love of Christ, who gave his blood and life on the cross for us. The beginning of the Gospel message for this day tells us, that John the Baptist paid the ultimate price. for his faith . The gospel story begins in a lonely place and ends with a crowd of people. But, I jump ahead. At a time when Christianity was at the high place of persecution, when John stood up to King Herod and denounced him for waiting to marry his brother's wife. John had told King Herod, Whom (Jesus called that old fox), that God would not approve, and so he was arrested and thrown into jail. How would he fair today, if, the truth be told twenty-centuries later and John was here, he would be the first to tell it again. He would defend the word of God again to the death. Abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, in this day and age , we only talk about it behind the doors and walls of our cloistered religious surroundings, even though the price isn't as high as John paid. We prefer others to step forward, to speak for us, and stand amid the heat that they will generate, Some times have not changed,in twenty centuries, now we understand, that " God" has went back to the garden, contemplating, his message in Revelation, That the destruction of his creation at last, will not be like it was in 'Noah's day,over in 40 days? It will stay (7 years of pain, to remind us of our sin that He couldn't take anymore. ( He had enough!)
John lost his head for the truth of God. He did not care about public opinion. being filled with the Holy Spirit from birth as the Bible tells us, in the "birth narrative" in the gospel of Luke: " that John leapt in his mothers womb, when Elizabeth greeted Mary who told her of the great event, through the Angel GABRIEL, "THAT SHE HAD FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD AND WOULD CARRY GOD'S SON, and that He would be named JESUS!"
John was no small time player in God's plan for the redemption of all his creation. Without John to fulfill the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, the one who would herald in the Christ. Now John is sitting in prison, at the demand of Herodias, his brother Philip's ex-wife. But Herod would of killed him, but he was afraid of a riot, For most of the people believed John was a prophet. He was the hope of restoration which New Testament scholars use as the context for understanding the ministry and message of John the Baptist. As the records show, he regarded his mission as sifting the nation by his call to repentance so that they would be prepared for the coming purging and restoration. He was the hope of Israel's fulfillment.But not every child of Abraham would buy into it.
We can see how Jesus accepted and agreed with his message and recognized his significance for the fulfillment of the hope of Israel.
All the gospels begin their accounts of Jesus ministry with his baptism by John. If John was the one who had been sent to prepare Israel for its eschatological restoration, (end time) by God himself, Jesus was the one who had been sent to accomplish it.
But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodia's daughter (Salome) performed a dance that greatly pleased him. So he vowed to give her anything she wanted! Consequently, at her mother's urging, the girl ask for John the Baptist head on a platter. I mention this episode, to put in perspective, our little contribution towards the kingdom, which is not very much. Do we stand for the truth of God's word, and are we willing to pay the price? Herod put himself into the position where he could not back down, for he made this promise in front of his guests.
So John was be-headed in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to "Salome," who took it to her mother. So John's disciples came for the body and buried it, and came to tell Jesus what happened. You might say Oh! Well, that was 2,000 years ago, but remember, Jesus is the same today, as he was yesterday and he will be tomorrow. God's truth is the same today as it was yesterday, and he will be tomorrow. As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat, to a remote area to be alone. It was Jesus way, that he would go to a high place and pray to the Father, to clear the sadness in his heart. After John was murdered, Jesus desires a time of solitude, still his compassion for others will not allow him to dismiss those who still need him but, rather, moves him to perform one of his greatest miracles, feeding the 5,000. When Jesus came out of the wilderness, a vast crowd was waiting for him and he pitied the sick. That evening the disciples came to him and said,'It is already past time for supper, and their is nothing to eat in the desert, send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy some food. But, Jesus replied, " That isn't necessary- you feed them! WHAT! they exclaimed. We have exactly five small loaves of bread and two fish.
" Bring them here." He said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to the sky and asked the Father's blessing on the meal. Then he broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples to place before the people, and they ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up afterwards there were "Twelve" baskets left over"
."think about it?" After John's death, Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, proclaiming, " the good news of God,", and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near; Jesus speaking the same words John spoke on the banks of the river Jordan; "REPENT" the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
In view of what happen to John, Jesus certainly might have considered the option of withdrawing permanently from his ministry. Instead he turned toward the need of the great throng before him with compassion. By evening the disciples saw that all of them were in a lonely place. Here was another opportunity to scatter and flee. but, Jesus chose to keep everyone together and feed them until they were satisfied.
It seems that lonely places provide their own nourishment. These are places where the mystery of God speaks to the needs in our minds and hearts. Think of the people of Israel, fed in lonely isolation of the wilderness. Think of Elijah, running from certain death, fed and nourished by Ravens in a lonely place.
Sometimes it is the lonely places where we find the courage and compassion, to serve Christ; the same lonely place, Jesus took up the cross and offered himself. We may not have all the gifts needed, to defend God's truth. But, we have one gift, "the gift of prayer."
Monday, October 24, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
How Far We've Come! Luke 3;1-6.
Many ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth. and then formed man and women in his image; Long after the great flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant; twenty-one centuries from the time of the promise that was given to Abraham and Sarah; thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and Miriam danced in freedom;
eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the judges; one thousands years, (tears) from the anointing of David as king, in fulfillment of the times and years and months and days discerned by the prophets; in the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome; the forty- second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; while the whole world enjoyed a span of peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the Eternal father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and nine months of growth in the womb of his mother "Mary" now in our own times, as we are looking forward,(2016 ) to the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, God made flesh, proclaimed by John.
TEXT; In the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, The Word of God was spoken to John son of Zechariah in the desert, scholars calculate that John began his mission sometime between 27 and 29 A.D. The account from Luke gives examples which clarify the meaning of "repentance." for the forgiveness of sins. He went about the entire region of Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance proclaiming which led to the forgiveness of sins, as written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet.
"A Herald's voice in the desert, crying' make ready the way of the Lord, clear him a straight path. Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill shall be leveled. The winding's shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth.
and all mankind shall see the salvation of
God." Is.40:3-5.
About a month and a half, "Advent" season will be upon us. Prepare to meet your God! Get ready to prepare the way of the Lord. But that's a whole new ball of wax for twenty-century Americans. Who needs repentance? One of the great Advent preachers of a recent day tells of a cartoon in the "New Yorker" magazine which showed a man who had just passed a sign that read, " Prepare to meet thy God!" And so he stopped before a mirror of a cigarette machine to brush his hair and straighten out his tie. And the preacher, who possessed the gift of getting at the vanity of much that we call Christian, said of the cartoon, " it was an acid comment on the shallow, cosmic make-do, which we like to struct around in heavens face, hoping to collect a little credit. Well, that will never do, you know. This was the damnable delusion John the Baptist. had to put up with, and never did, as he confronted broods of pious vipers. in is day. After all they were "Sons of Abraham." If there were any preparation necessary, any tuning-up or shaping-up, it could be done with several small adjustments on the screws of life. But the attitude is still around, the notion that a little brushing up will serve the purpose, spraying with the new dry look, sweeping the dandruff off the shoulders, maybe switching to a new brand of deodorant. who needs repentance? Can't we meet God just as we are? We may be a little fuzzy on the meaning of repentance, but if we have heard correctly we suspect that it involves much more than several small adjustments, and that's what we are afraid of. It comes with empty hands and empty heart and reaches for the grace of God's forgiveness, which is, in fact is the only way a man can be prepared. We know the "accent" of Advent season is repentance. The voice is crying in the wilderness again, "Repent!" The kingdom is at hand! God is breaking through!
Prepare to meet your God, Prepare to meet the Lord."
" Listen then! It seems to be our Cardinal vice today- nobody ever listens. or if we listen, no one hears. "No one ever listens." There are voices all over the world today crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord! We are working with two paragraphs of scripture simultaneously today.
That by itself may be a little more for a "Sunday afternoon." One paragraph goes back"3,000 years, written by a Jewish prophet called Isaiah. The other reaches back 2,000 years written by a Gentile doctor of medicine who is known among us as St. Luke. That does it. Dare we scrape the mold from these two ancient paragraphs and slap them on the faces of people in our century?
What would an ancient prophet know about our problem, or how can a first century physician help?
Is their anything his word can say to us. Perhaps there is, It may depend how your ear is tuned.
Judah was in captivity for " Seven decades," Jerusalem, their Holy City, lay in ruins and the temple of the Lord in desolation. This had been God's judgment on his faithless people who had sinned and not repented, who had tried to use God rather then serve him, who manipulated him to serve their small concerns and who forgot the mission and the purpose he had given them,
or shall we say, He had them on his hands? They thought they had God in their pocket, only to discover that He had them in His hands.
But near the end of captivity the prophet heard a voice, " Comfort, comfort, my people. speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord double for this prophecy all sins." The voice cries, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the lord. Get ready for your God, for He will come and God will act! The God who came to save them from captivity in Egypt, now would come to save then from captivity in Babylon. The ancient covenant that he had made with them, was not forgotten ( Sinai). The mission he had given them was not forsaken. His faithfulness toward them never failed. His love never cooled. His purpose for his people ripened. Today, get ready, God will act. And is their any other way, But, " God's way?" prepared by the Good news of forgiveness, He hasn't cast us off forever?
Historic Details" Almost eight centuries went by before St. Luke picked up this prophecy and pinned the name "John the Baptist on the voice that cried, " Prepare the way but will you notice how he does it? Sometimes we are tempted to ignore details. Luke does not! Luke is telling us that in all history; that Jesus Christ is for the world., that His salvation is for us! We are to repent! Believe! Obey!
To repent is nothing else than to turn in whatever it might be that keeps so many of us here and now from having anything to do with God. To Repent is nothing more than to remove those road blocks, between us and God. Do not put on the act of being sorry, with pleas for grace to make it sound sincere. John the Baptist said it this way, " Prepare the way of the Lord!" he was here to preach a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, "
He summons us to bend proud knees, to bow stiff necks, to open empty hands, and to receive the Gift. Amen!
eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the judges; one thousands years, (tears) from the anointing of David as king, in fulfillment of the times and years and months and days discerned by the prophets; in the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome; the forty- second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; while the whole world enjoyed a span of peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the Eternal father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and nine months of growth in the womb of his mother "Mary" now in our own times, as we are looking forward,(2016 ) to the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, God made flesh, proclaimed by John.
TEXT; In the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, Philip his brother tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, The Word of God was spoken to John son of Zechariah in the desert, scholars calculate that John began his mission sometime between 27 and 29 A.D. The account from Luke gives examples which clarify the meaning of "repentance." for the forgiveness of sins. He went about the entire region of Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance proclaiming which led to the forgiveness of sins, as written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet.
"A Herald's voice in the desert, crying' make ready the way of the Lord, clear him a straight path. Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill shall be leveled. The winding's shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth.
and all mankind shall see the salvation of
God." Is.40:3-5.
About a month and a half, "Advent" season will be upon us. Prepare to meet your God! Get ready to prepare the way of the Lord. But that's a whole new ball of wax for twenty-century Americans. Who needs repentance? One of the great Advent preachers of a recent day tells of a cartoon in the "New Yorker" magazine which showed a man who had just passed a sign that read, " Prepare to meet thy God!" And so he stopped before a mirror of a cigarette machine to brush his hair and straighten out his tie. And the preacher, who possessed the gift of getting at the vanity of much that we call Christian, said of the cartoon, " it was an acid comment on the shallow, cosmic make-do, which we like to struct around in heavens face, hoping to collect a little credit. Well, that will never do, you know. This was the damnable delusion John the Baptist. had to put up with, and never did, as he confronted broods of pious vipers. in is day. After all they were "Sons of Abraham." If there were any preparation necessary, any tuning-up or shaping-up, it could be done with several small adjustments on the screws of life. But the attitude is still around, the notion that a little brushing up will serve the purpose, spraying with the new dry look, sweeping the dandruff off the shoulders, maybe switching to a new brand of deodorant. who needs repentance? Can't we meet God just as we are? We may be a little fuzzy on the meaning of repentance, but if we have heard correctly we suspect that it involves much more than several small adjustments, and that's what we are afraid of. It comes with empty hands and empty heart and reaches for the grace of God's forgiveness, which is, in fact is the only way a man can be prepared. We know the "accent" of Advent season is repentance. The voice is crying in the wilderness again, "Repent!" The kingdom is at hand! God is breaking through!
Prepare to meet your God, Prepare to meet the Lord."
" Listen then! It seems to be our Cardinal vice today- nobody ever listens. or if we listen, no one hears. "No one ever listens." There are voices all over the world today crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord! We are working with two paragraphs of scripture simultaneously today.
That by itself may be a little more for a "Sunday afternoon." One paragraph goes back"3,000 years, written by a Jewish prophet called Isaiah. The other reaches back 2,000 years written by a Gentile doctor of medicine who is known among us as St. Luke. That does it. Dare we scrape the mold from these two ancient paragraphs and slap them on the faces of people in our century?
What would an ancient prophet know about our problem, or how can a first century physician help?
Is their anything his word can say to us. Perhaps there is, It may depend how your ear is tuned.
Judah was in captivity for " Seven decades," Jerusalem, their Holy City, lay in ruins and the temple of the Lord in desolation. This had been God's judgment on his faithless people who had sinned and not repented, who had tried to use God rather then serve him, who manipulated him to serve their small concerns and who forgot the mission and the purpose he had given them,
or shall we say, He had them on his hands? They thought they had God in their pocket, only to discover that He had them in His hands.
But near the end of captivity the prophet heard a voice, " Comfort, comfort, my people. speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord double for this prophecy all sins." The voice cries, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the lord. Get ready for your God, for He will come and God will act! The God who came to save them from captivity in Egypt, now would come to save then from captivity in Babylon. The ancient covenant that he had made with them, was not forgotten ( Sinai). The mission he had given them was not forsaken. His faithfulness toward them never failed. His love never cooled. His purpose for his people ripened. Today, get ready, God will act. And is their any other way, But, " God's way?" prepared by the Good news of forgiveness, He hasn't cast us off forever?
Historic Details" Almost eight centuries went by before St. Luke picked up this prophecy and pinned the name "John the Baptist on the voice that cried, " Prepare the way but will you notice how he does it? Sometimes we are tempted to ignore details. Luke does not! Luke is telling us that in all history; that Jesus Christ is for the world., that His salvation is for us! We are to repent! Believe! Obey!
To repent is nothing else than to turn in whatever it might be that keeps so many of us here and now from having anything to do with God. To Repent is nothing more than to remove those road blocks, between us and God. Do not put on the act of being sorry, with pleas for grace to make it sound sincere. John the Baptist said it this way, " Prepare the way of the Lord!" he was here to preach a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, "
He summons us to bend proud knees, to bow stiff necks, to open empty hands, and to receive the Gift. Amen!
Friday, October 7, 2016
JOB 38:1-11.
Text: " Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: " Why are you using your ignorance to deny my providence?
Now get ready to fight, for I am going to demand some answers from you, and you must reply.
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you know so much, Do you know how its dimensions were determined, and who did the surveying? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone, as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who decreed the boundaries of the seas when they gushed from the depths? Who clothed them with clouds and thick darkness, and barred them by limiting their shores, and said, 'Thus far and no farther shall you come, and here shall your proud waves stop!'?
The patience of Job, like the charity of the "Good Samaritan" has become so proverbial that it is often taken for granted that the book is a poetic, psychological drama in which the author uses as protagonist a legendary hero of ancient times. Proof that Job once existed is based; (Ez. 14; 14,20), "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the "Lord God".
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the "Lord God", they shall deliver neither son, nor daughter; they shall deliver their own souls by their righteousness. Ez. 20; Also: Behold, we count them happy which endure, Ye have heard of the patience of "Job", and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. (James 5:11, KJV).
Job is placed on Par with Noah, the Hero of the Flood story, , and Daniel, a legendary Ugaritic King, who who lived sometime before 1400 B.C. It is clear however, from the construction, that the author has no intention of recounting the story of Job's life, rather then an historical character, Job is used by the author as a type of the suffering just man, he also uses as his mouthpiece and provides the three friends and Eliphaz opposition in order to give edge and vivacity to his discussion of the problem of suffering. The theme around which the whole book of Job revolves is the mystery inherent in the unmerited suffering of a just man. In the early days of Israel's history men were satisfied with the simple assurance of God's justice and goodness. the explanation, taken for granted by the "Deuteronomist" (known as the second law of the five in the last book of the "Pentatuch" known as the Torah) and most ancient writers, that God punished the wicked by means of physical ailments and an early death and rewarding the good by means of a long happy life on earth. This did not perturbed Israel thinkers until the time of "Jeremiah" in the late seventh century.
Jeremiah could not help noticing that the wicked sometimes prospered and the innocent suffered, Very humbly he presented his difficulty; " You would be in the right,0 Lord, if I should dispute with you, even so, I must discuss this case with you. Why does the Godless prosper. and live in contentment (Jer.12:1 ff). Now the Lord enters into a debate with Job and addresses two discourses (38-39) and (40-41), where the Lord speaks of his wisdom and power, which are beyond the capacity of Job! (a good piece of advice), we should never dare to demand a reason for divine action!).
We must remember always, therefore, that for "Job" the solutions of suffering given by "Christ on the Cross and by the parables of Dives and Lazarus was unknown. If Job had known what we know about theology of rewards and punishments, most protestations would have been pointless. On the, contrary, he was faced with the awesome task of defending God's justice in a world where it was manifest for all eyes to see that not all wicked were punished, and some of who certainly just nevertheless suffered intensely. In Job's case the speeches of his friends defending God's goodness
and justice, they tell Job that he is being punished by God for his sins and ask him to repent. But Job refutes his friends and ends with these words: "This is my final plea; let the almighty answer me. (big mistake Job!) Out of the storm comes the answer; Who is this that obscures divine plans with ignorance? Gird up loins like a man. I will question you and you tell me the answers. Little job in his tiny corner of the great universe has presumed to call the Lord of all to the witness stand. The situation is ridiculous. Job is an ant attacking a mountain. God will not be questioned; but he will question. Standing above the petty details of the presumed to call the Lord of all to the witness stand. Job has questioned God's wisdom running of the universe. Now God will test Job's wisdom even though Job didn't exist at the creation of the universe!
Job lived 140 years after that. Then at last he died, an old, old man, seeing his grand children and great-children too. After living a long, good life.
Now get ready to fight, for I am going to demand some answers from you, and you must reply.
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you know so much, Do you know how its dimensions were determined, and who did the surveying? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone, as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who decreed the boundaries of the seas when they gushed from the depths? Who clothed them with clouds and thick darkness, and barred them by limiting their shores, and said, 'Thus far and no farther shall you come, and here shall your proud waves stop!'?
The patience of Job, like the charity of the "Good Samaritan" has become so proverbial that it is often taken for granted that the book is a poetic, psychological drama in which the author uses as protagonist a legendary hero of ancient times. Proof that Job once existed is based; (Ez. 14; 14,20), "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the "Lord God".
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the "Lord God", they shall deliver neither son, nor daughter; they shall deliver their own souls by their righteousness. Ez. 20; Also: Behold, we count them happy which endure, Ye have heard of the patience of "Job", and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. (James 5:11, KJV).
Job is placed on Par with Noah, the Hero of the Flood story, , and Daniel, a legendary Ugaritic King, who who lived sometime before 1400 B.C. It is clear however, from the construction, that the author has no intention of recounting the story of Job's life, rather then an historical character, Job is used by the author as a type of the suffering just man, he also uses as his mouthpiece and provides the three friends and Eliphaz opposition in order to give edge and vivacity to his discussion of the problem of suffering. The theme around which the whole book of Job revolves is the mystery inherent in the unmerited suffering of a just man. In the early days of Israel's history men were satisfied with the simple assurance of God's justice and goodness. the explanation, taken for granted by the "Deuteronomist" (known as the second law of the five in the last book of the "Pentatuch" known as the Torah) and most ancient writers, that God punished the wicked by means of physical ailments and an early death and rewarding the good by means of a long happy life on earth. This did not perturbed Israel thinkers until the time of "Jeremiah" in the late seventh century.
Jeremiah could not help noticing that the wicked sometimes prospered and the innocent suffered, Very humbly he presented his difficulty; " You would be in the right,0 Lord, if I should dispute with you, even so, I must discuss this case with you. Why does the Godless prosper. and live in contentment (Jer.12:1 ff). Now the Lord enters into a debate with Job and addresses two discourses (38-39) and (40-41), where the Lord speaks of his wisdom and power, which are beyond the capacity of Job! (a good piece of advice), we should never dare to demand a reason for divine action!).
We must remember always, therefore, that for "Job" the solutions of suffering given by "Christ on the Cross and by the parables of Dives and Lazarus was unknown. If Job had known what we know about theology of rewards and punishments, most protestations would have been pointless. On the, contrary, he was faced with the awesome task of defending God's justice in a world where it was manifest for all eyes to see that not all wicked were punished, and some of who certainly just nevertheless suffered intensely. In Job's case the speeches of his friends defending God's goodness
and justice, they tell Job that he is being punished by God for his sins and ask him to repent. But Job refutes his friends and ends with these words: "This is my final plea; let the almighty answer me. (big mistake Job!) Out of the storm comes the answer; Who is this that obscures divine plans with ignorance? Gird up loins like a man. I will question you and you tell me the answers. Little job in his tiny corner of the great universe has presumed to call the Lord of all to the witness stand. The situation is ridiculous. Job is an ant attacking a mountain. God will not be questioned; but he will question. Standing above the petty details of the presumed to call the Lord of all to the witness stand. Job has questioned God's wisdom running of the universe. Now God will test Job's wisdom even though Job didn't exist at the creation of the universe!
Job lived 140 years after that. Then at last he died, an old, old man, seeing his grand children and great-children too. After living a long, good life.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
'We have found the Messiah!" John 1:43-51.
Text: The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. he found Philip and told him," come with me." (Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's home town. Philips now went off to look for Nathanael and told him, " we have found the Messiah!- the very person Moses and the prophets told about! His name is Jesus, the Son of Joseph from Nazareth!' Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. " can anything good come from there?" Just come and see for yourself," Philip declared. and Jesus replied. as they approached, Jesus said, here comes an honest man- a true son of Israel." ' How do you know who I am like?" Nathanael demanded. And Jesus replied, " I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you. Nathanael replied, " Sir, you are the Son of God-the King of Israel!"
Jesus asked him, " Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree?
You will even see heaven open and the angels of God coming and going back and forth to me, the Messiah, ( literally, " the Son of Man."). These readings lead us into awareness that the living God wants to have a vital relationship with us. Taken together, these texts, create a tapestry that reveals our God to be a seeking God who desires to lead, guide, influence, and encourage us. But, for us to hear what God has to say, we need first to listen for God's voice- to become aware, once again, that God is constantly communicating with us every second, every moment, of our lives. God is a lover who wants nothing more than the very best for his beloved. Like Nathanael we may find ourselves dumbfounded that God is this interested in our welfare,but for the believer who stops for a moment and says, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
In 1519, Martin Luther had his "tower experience," where the previously imagined God of vengeance reveals himself to Luther as a just and merciful God who justifies us by Faith. Luther reads Roman 's 1:17 and is struck by the phrase, The one who is righteous will live by faith,"
Luther writes, " all at once I felt I had been born again. and entered paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw scripture in a different light. The big one is coming up, "Christmas." which is an extraordinary time for the followers of Jesus Christ, a time rich in church celebrations, traditional's carols, and the familiar manger scene with a couple in a stable huddled around a new born baby in a straw-filled manger and surrounded by shepherds, magi, and angels singing " glory in excelsis." The season also denotes extensive decorating, trees, glittering with lights and ornaments, family gatherings, and children anticipating the coming of Santa Claus. Although the season has become social and commercial, Christians struggle to remember this feast is first and foremost the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is astounding enough that Jesus appeared to his disciples and his friends after his death. But it is even more astounding that he never ceased appearing, we can reasonably conclude that Jesus still appears today-healing and transforming people just as he ministered to his brokenhearted and defeated disciples. Once the despairing band ordinary men and women experienced the risen Jesus, they went forth exhibiting an incredible faith and love that eventually conquered the mighty Roman Empire, which had tried to destroy them. Similarly, when people experience Christ today, they find encouragement, help in the midst of darkness, and sometimes healing of the mind and body. Further, Christ instills in the conviction that ultimately, all will be well. Jesus began appearing to people immediately after his death. After he was crucified by the Romans on the day before Passover A.D. 29, his terrified disciples hid in fear that they might be sought out and forced to meet their "Master" fate. On Sunday, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, whose grief was turned to pure joy by the evidence that her beloved Lord was alive. Soon after, Jesus fell into step on the road to Emmanus with two grieving followers and revealed himself to them as He broke the bread they prepared together. When He then vanished, these two awe struck followers of Jesus ran back to Jerusalem to share the incredible good news with the hiding disciples. Then they all saw Jesus standing standing in their midst in his glorified transcendent body. Then He disappeared again. Jesus numerous appearances prepared his friends,family members and disciples to expect him to make good on his promise to be with them always. For nearly two-thousand years people have continued to experience the presence of the risen Christ. Some momentous events in world history have occurred because of encounters with his being. Saul of Tarsus encountered Christ as an orb of blinding light, on the road to Damascus. As he was going to persecute Jesus followers in that city, Christ spoke to him, and Saul was transformed. Then Christ appeared to Ananias, Against his will, Ananias met with Saul and helped transformed him into Paul., the apostle to the Greek world.
In the epilogue of John's gospel, there is recorded a very revealing exchange between Jesus and Peter, Three times Jesus ask' s Peter: " Do you love me?" Three times, Peter, Peter replies that he does. On the basis of that confession of love, Jesus tells him: In truth I tell you, when you were young you gird your own belt and you walk where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and some one else will put a rope around you and take you where you would rather not go."
What has just been described is, in essence, Peters baptism ( how he will die.) and the real dynamics of any real baptism into the church.
Baptism consecrates us and consecration is a conscriptive rope that takes us where we would rather not go, namely, into that suffering that produces maturity. God offers us a glorious destiny! He destined us in love to be his sons (Eph.1:5) god intends great things for us, but He won't force them upon us. He wants everyone to be made whole and free- to be saved He offers us the truth that makes us free. But our destiny is not predetermined. We can refuse it or simply miss out on it.
Jesus asked him, " Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree?
You will even see heaven open and the angels of God coming and going back and forth to me, the Messiah, ( literally, " the Son of Man."). These readings lead us into awareness that the living God wants to have a vital relationship with us. Taken together, these texts, create a tapestry that reveals our God to be a seeking God who desires to lead, guide, influence, and encourage us. But, for us to hear what God has to say, we need first to listen for God's voice- to become aware, once again, that God is constantly communicating with us every second, every moment, of our lives. God is a lover who wants nothing more than the very best for his beloved. Like Nathanael we may find ourselves dumbfounded that God is this interested in our welfare,but for the believer who stops for a moment and says, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
In 1519, Martin Luther had his "tower experience," where the previously imagined God of vengeance reveals himself to Luther as a just and merciful God who justifies us by Faith. Luther reads Roman 's 1:17 and is struck by the phrase, The one who is righteous will live by faith,"
Luther writes, " all at once I felt I had been born again. and entered paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw scripture in a different light. The big one is coming up, "Christmas." which is an extraordinary time for the followers of Jesus Christ, a time rich in church celebrations, traditional's carols, and the familiar manger scene with a couple in a stable huddled around a new born baby in a straw-filled manger and surrounded by shepherds, magi, and angels singing " glory in excelsis." The season also denotes extensive decorating, trees, glittering with lights and ornaments, family gatherings, and children anticipating the coming of Santa Claus. Although the season has become social and commercial, Christians struggle to remember this feast is first and foremost the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is astounding enough that Jesus appeared to his disciples and his friends after his death. But it is even more astounding that he never ceased appearing, we can reasonably conclude that Jesus still appears today-healing and transforming people just as he ministered to his brokenhearted and defeated disciples. Once the despairing band ordinary men and women experienced the risen Jesus, they went forth exhibiting an incredible faith and love that eventually conquered the mighty Roman Empire, which had tried to destroy them. Similarly, when people experience Christ today, they find encouragement, help in the midst of darkness, and sometimes healing of the mind and body. Further, Christ instills in the conviction that ultimately, all will be well. Jesus began appearing to people immediately after his death. After he was crucified by the Romans on the day before Passover A.D. 29, his terrified disciples hid in fear that they might be sought out and forced to meet their "Master" fate. On Sunday, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, whose grief was turned to pure joy by the evidence that her beloved Lord was alive. Soon after, Jesus fell into step on the road to Emmanus with two grieving followers and revealed himself to them as He broke the bread they prepared together. When He then vanished, these two awe struck followers of Jesus ran back to Jerusalem to share the incredible good news with the hiding disciples. Then they all saw Jesus standing standing in their midst in his glorified transcendent body. Then He disappeared again. Jesus numerous appearances prepared his friends,family members and disciples to expect him to make good on his promise to be with them always. For nearly two-thousand years people have continued to experience the presence of the risen Christ. Some momentous events in world history have occurred because of encounters with his being. Saul of Tarsus encountered Christ as an orb of blinding light, on the road to Damascus. As he was going to persecute Jesus followers in that city, Christ spoke to him, and Saul was transformed. Then Christ appeared to Ananias, Against his will, Ananias met with Saul and helped transformed him into Paul., the apostle to the Greek world.
In the epilogue of John's gospel, there is recorded a very revealing exchange between Jesus and Peter, Three times Jesus ask' s Peter: " Do you love me?" Three times, Peter, Peter replies that he does. On the basis of that confession of love, Jesus tells him: In truth I tell you, when you were young you gird your own belt and you walk where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and some one else will put a rope around you and take you where you would rather not go."
What has just been described is, in essence, Peters baptism ( how he will die.) and the real dynamics of any real baptism into the church.
Baptism consecrates us and consecration is a conscriptive rope that takes us where we would rather not go, namely, into that suffering that produces maturity. God offers us a glorious destiny! He destined us in love to be his sons (Eph.1:5) god intends great things for us, but He won't force them upon us. He wants everyone to be made whole and free- to be saved He offers us the truth that makes us free. But our destiny is not predetermined. We can refuse it or simply miss out on it.
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