Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany
Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10(17-19)
Epistle: 1 Cor 12:31b-13:13
Gospel: Luke 4:31-44
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom was exemplified the love the One and Only.
As I learned, or perhaps relearned, while sitting in with the confirmation group last Sunday after church, this is a time of year when we are focused on the ministry of Christ, or the growth of his ministry on earth, growth represented by the color green, but,also, Epiphany is the revelation of who Jesus was- the Son of God, being sent from Him who is.
Now, in the Gospel lesson for today, we hear of Jesus driving a demon out of a man. The point I wish to emphasize relates to the revelation of Jesus. That it was with power and authority that he drove the demon out. The people standing around, the witnesses to the event, couldn't help but be amazed. Here was this man, possessed by all accounts, and with words- not a touch, not a prayer- with a command, the demon came out of the man. I am sure that part of what caused word to spread was that this had occurred on the Sabbath, a time when work was not to be done. But, this is addressed later in the scripture, when we are told that Sabbath was created for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
But the ministry of Christ on earth, the shining of the light of life to men in darkness, was just beginning. It was in its infancy. But from the moment it began, from the moment he was born, it was love- the love of God. This was the only command that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, gave us: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (Mat 13:34).
Love. In Love. With Love. By Love.
Love each other. Love your enemies. Love those in need. When I read this passage from Paul, I am reminded, as we all should be, of what qualities and behaviours comprise love- are exhibited when you love; and what becomes of us when we are without it, when we do things without the love of Christ in us. For even with the greatest gifts the Holy Spirit has to offer, without love we are nothing, and our actions gain nothing. But, in love... by using our gifts in love, we can reach others, we can spread the word of the Lord, and let His love be known. If we do everything with love, then you will seed the earth and be fruitful. I am reminded of the greatest commandment from Matthew 22, when Jesus was tested by the Pharisees, being asked which is the greatest commandment in the Law. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." It is by loving your neighbor as yourself that we fulfill the first. For it is like the first, it is similar, the same as. Through our belief in Christ, knowing his love, and God's love for us, by loving each other, by loving our neighbors as ourselves, we fulfill the Law. This is why Romans 13:10 says, "Therefore love is fulfillment of the Law."
I have come to understand that love is certainly all the things that Paul describes: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." And so when we read this beautiful passage, remember to exemplify these things, but remember also that God exemplifies these things, and they were exemplified to us through Christ. Love never fails. Christ never fails. God never fails. You're salvation never fails.
Love each other. Clothe each other. Feed each other. Shelter each other. With Love. In Love. By Love.
May you be blessed by Him Who Is; May you revel and glory in the forgiveness and eternal life afforded us by His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Perhaps, just maybe, later this week or early next I will continue by expounding some more on love. Not just forgiving others, earnestly, but by testifying of Christ and sharing him with them.
28 January 2010
21 January 2010
Say It Once
I will only say this once.
The world is bound by fear. Overcome all fear- overcome the world- and you will find everything, exactly where you stand, even in your hand. But first you must ask, "why?" of everything you know, to the very foundation, so that you may understand the baseless reasons supporting the fear. Or, perhaps more simply, you can act on faith, but, still, understanding is needed.
This is all I wish to say.
The world is bound by fear. Overcome all fear- overcome the world- and you will find everything, exactly where you stand, even in your hand. But first you must ask, "why?" of everything you know, to the very foundation, so that you may understand the baseless reasons supporting the fear. Or, perhaps more simply, you can act on faith, but, still, understanding is needed.
This is all I wish to say.
05 January 2010
Epiphany
Grace, Peace and Mercy to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Epiphany. The 6th of January. Every year. To recognize, believe, that Christ came into the world, he must first have come into this world. Thanks be to God for His grace and mercy. I had recently come to the conclusion, and managed to put into words, that sense is the proper use of logic. for if logic is used improperly, no sense is made, and there is no reason. So i will try to logic properly for this wonderful Christian festival.
I thouroughly enjoyed reading all three of the scripture lessons for this week and, as usual, have struggled delineating a line of logic. Perhaps I should start using outlines. But there is so much to say; so many things to be imparted. But I will start with the word "epiphany," and a short story.
Epiphany
Epiphany: from the greek epiphaneia, to show forth, manifest; a moment of sudden intuitive understanding; flash of insight b a scene, experience, etc. that occasions such a moment (these being only 2 definitions)
also: Manifest Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious.
1. To show or demonstrate plainly; reveal: 2. To be evidence of; prove.
Continuing On
We celebrate this day as a day of revelation, when the Gentiles, in the form of the Magi, had Christ the savior revealed to them. Now, as such an historic day, being the entrance of prophesied Savior and King of the Jews into the world, I am pretty sure that it was a day that the Magi remembered throughout their lives. But I am pretty sure that not many of us remember when Christ was revealed to us, through the Holy Spirit, by our Father in Heaven, for the first time. It seems that we may only recognize that every time we profess Christ as the son of the Living God, that it can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than remembering the first time Christ was revealed to us as the Son of Living God.
There is a man, a Gentile, who has heard the voice of Lord, praise be to God, and who has seen the Sun of Righteousness rise with healing in its wings. It is safe to say that this man has been blessed with a rather extraordinary epiphany of the Lord. But to him it was apparent to his sight, and understanding, that there was One true God, and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that in Christ he had the forgiveness of his sins, and was made to be righteous and holy before the Lord; a son entitled to his inheritance.
It was the hidden mystery of the Father that the Gentiles should come to be heirs to the Kingdom of God, which had formerly been preserved for the Jews. We are together heirs, we are now members of one body, the Lord Jesus Christ, who brings us together. We gentiles are adopted through Christ. When a person was adopted in Roman times, they were considered new peoples. Their past was forgotten, all their debts, their former lives disappear as if they had never breathed before the day they were adopted. And so it is with us in Christ: rightful heirs. holy. blameless. it is our right in Christ to be Sons of the Father. We can rest assured that our inheritance will not fail. It is the mystery that, in Christ, all things should be brought together (as talked about in the last entry).
So in this knowledge, "Arise, shine, for your light has come" come into being (a new being); originate (a new beginning)--- glow, be bright with the reflected light of the Savior who came to provide information and clarification. "the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
Give thanks to God for our Salvation and the knowlede of it. Reflect upon it on this celebrated day, and continue to remember all the things that Christ came to give us. I wish for you to have a daily epiphany, a daily revelation that Christ Jesus is the Son of the Living God; and to remember all that your belief entitles you to.
May your faith be strong and light your lamp, so that others may come to it, and come to believe in Christ,in whom, by the counsel of the Father's plan, we have life; in whome we are all heirs to the promised Kingdom.
Epiphany. The 6th of January. Every year. To recognize, believe, that Christ came into the world, he must first have come into this world. Thanks be to God for His grace and mercy. I had recently come to the conclusion, and managed to put into words, that sense is the proper use of logic. for if logic is used improperly, no sense is made, and there is no reason. So i will try to logic properly for this wonderful Christian festival.
I thouroughly enjoyed reading all three of the scripture lessons for this week and, as usual, have struggled delineating a line of logic. Perhaps I should start using outlines. But there is so much to say; so many things to be imparted. But I will start with the word "epiphany," and a short story.
Epiphany
Epiphany: from the greek epiphaneia, to show forth, manifest; a moment of sudden intuitive understanding; flash of insight b a scene, experience, etc. that occasions such a moment (these being only 2 definitions)
also: Manifest Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious.
1. To show or demonstrate plainly; reveal: 2. To be evidence of; prove.
Continuing On
We celebrate this day as a day of revelation, when the Gentiles, in the form of the Magi, had Christ the savior revealed to them. Now, as such an historic day, being the entrance of prophesied Savior and King of the Jews into the world, I am pretty sure that it was a day that the Magi remembered throughout their lives. But I am pretty sure that not many of us remember when Christ was revealed to us, through the Holy Spirit, by our Father in Heaven, for the first time. It seems that we may only recognize that every time we profess Christ as the son of the Living God, that it can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than remembering the first time Christ was revealed to us as the Son of Living God.
There is a man, a Gentile, who has heard the voice of Lord, praise be to God, and who has seen the Sun of Righteousness rise with healing in its wings. It is safe to say that this man has been blessed with a rather extraordinary epiphany of the Lord. But to him it was apparent to his sight, and understanding, that there was One true God, and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that in Christ he had the forgiveness of his sins, and was made to be righteous and holy before the Lord; a son entitled to his inheritance.
It was the hidden mystery of the Father that the Gentiles should come to be heirs to the Kingdom of God, which had formerly been preserved for the Jews. We are together heirs, we are now members of one body, the Lord Jesus Christ, who brings us together. We gentiles are adopted through Christ. When a person was adopted in Roman times, they were considered new peoples. Their past was forgotten, all their debts, their former lives disappear as if they had never breathed before the day they were adopted. And so it is with us in Christ: rightful heirs. holy. blameless. it is our right in Christ to be Sons of the Father. We can rest assured that our inheritance will not fail. It is the mystery that, in Christ, all things should be brought together (as talked about in the last entry).
So in this knowledge, "Arise, shine, for your light has come" come into being (a new being); originate (a new beginning)--- glow, be bright with the reflected light of the Savior who came to provide information and clarification. "the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
Give thanks to God for our Salvation and the knowlede of it. Reflect upon it on this celebrated day, and continue to remember all the things that Christ came to give us. I wish for you to have a daily epiphany, a daily revelation that Christ Jesus is the Son of the Living God; and to remember all that your belief entitles you to.
May your faith be strong and light your lamp, so that others may come to it, and come to believe in Christ,in whom, by the counsel of the Father's plan, we have life; in whome we are all heirs to the promised Kingdom.
02 January 2010
The Riches of His Grace
2nd Sunday after Christmas
Readings:
Old Testament 1 Kings 3:4-15
Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel Luke 2:40-52
Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
My friends, I wasn't sure what to write about this week, but a theme is emerging so I am going to let the rhythm of my fingers on the keyboard takeover. So let me apologize now for any broken thoughts, sentences, or convoluted statements.
It is always important to recognize the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. It is important to remember the body and blood of Christ; the words he spoke in all wisdom and truth, pleasing to the Father, and the atonement he made for us on our behalf, being sent by the Father in all wisdom and truth.
I read a daily devotional this week that seemed to harbor animosity towards atheists and the battle the world (being said to be led by atheists) wages against the Christ and Christmas. It did eventually find its way to making a prayer for the souls of the atheists, that they may be saved, but it was certainly lacking the love we Christians should practice. And upon this and other events I ponder, "what meaning is there in this? what purpose has God here?" And I believe that other people ask these very same questions, variations on the question, "why?" But the world tends to cast a negative light on things, asking, "if God is so loving, why does he allow these things to happen?" But it is in accordance with the will of God that these things should take place. If you as Christians ever wonder this, you need only to remember Christ your Salvation. Your sins have been forgiven, by the shedding of his blood, done in all wisdom and understanding, according to the riches of God's grace. This was done with intent and purpose, it fits into God's plan for the world, which is simply that everything should come together, heaven and earth, and to reconcile the two, us being in darkness and sin, Christ was sent to bridge the gap.
We have been chosen. He chose us to be blameless and holy in his sight, before the creation of the world. Who are we to understand the will of the Father, or how exactly it will play out? His thoughts are above ours. Who can comprehend his will? But praise be to God! We have our Salvation, and a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, the Holy Spirit. We have been marked, by the Lord as His own. Christ is our shepherd, in him we have been granted every spiritual blessing.
I often hear people speak of prophecies as warnings to change your ways. They tout them as changeable occurences in history meant to steer us one way or another. They are meant as warnings. They are meant to steer us one way or another. But I tell you that God knows we are a rebellious and sinful people, and He gave us prophecies to tell us what to expect so that we believers can be ready. And when these things happen, do not ask why... know that these things had to happen. If a prophecy revealed from God through the Holy Spirit doesn't happen, then what power does God have? But these things must happen, that others may see and repent; that they may return to God.
We may not understand everything that happens to us, or in the world, but we, as believers, can rely on Christ, and his Salvation, knowing that we are loved, forgiven, to the praise of His glory, that when the times will have reached their fulfillment, we will have our redemption, and heaven and earth will be brought together under one head- Christ.
May God lavish his blessings upon you. May you be reminded of His love when you are in doubt, and may you always remember and rejoice in your Salvation, which is in Christ Jesus. Amen.
afterthought: I suppose I could've have written more on the riches of his grace; relating the OT lesson of a thousand and one sacrifices, to Christ's; and the epistle expounding on God's grace and plan, our unknowing, to the Gospel lesson of Mary and Joseph not understanding what Christ meant, yet treasuring those things up in their hearts... but maybe I'll write a second entry this week before Epiphany (Jan 6), which should be fun!
Readings:
Old Testament 1 Kings 3:4-15
Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel Luke 2:40-52
Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
My friends, I wasn't sure what to write about this week, but a theme is emerging so I am going to let the rhythm of my fingers on the keyboard takeover. So let me apologize now for any broken thoughts, sentences, or convoluted statements.
It is always important to recognize the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. It is important to remember the body and blood of Christ; the words he spoke in all wisdom and truth, pleasing to the Father, and the atonement he made for us on our behalf, being sent by the Father in all wisdom and truth.
I read a daily devotional this week that seemed to harbor animosity towards atheists and the battle the world (being said to be led by atheists) wages against the Christ and Christmas. It did eventually find its way to making a prayer for the souls of the atheists, that they may be saved, but it was certainly lacking the love we Christians should practice. And upon this and other events I ponder, "what meaning is there in this? what purpose has God here?" And I believe that other people ask these very same questions, variations on the question, "why?" But the world tends to cast a negative light on things, asking, "if God is so loving, why does he allow these things to happen?" But it is in accordance with the will of God that these things should take place. If you as Christians ever wonder this, you need only to remember Christ your Salvation. Your sins have been forgiven, by the shedding of his blood, done in all wisdom and understanding, according to the riches of God's grace. This was done with intent and purpose, it fits into God's plan for the world, which is simply that everything should come together, heaven and earth, and to reconcile the two, us being in darkness and sin, Christ was sent to bridge the gap.
We have been chosen. He chose us to be blameless and holy in his sight, before the creation of the world. Who are we to understand the will of the Father, or how exactly it will play out? His thoughts are above ours. Who can comprehend his will? But praise be to God! We have our Salvation, and a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, the Holy Spirit. We have been marked, by the Lord as His own. Christ is our shepherd, in him we have been granted every spiritual blessing.
I often hear people speak of prophecies as warnings to change your ways. They tout them as changeable occurences in history meant to steer us one way or another. They are meant as warnings. They are meant to steer us one way or another. But I tell you that God knows we are a rebellious and sinful people, and He gave us prophecies to tell us what to expect so that we believers can be ready. And when these things happen, do not ask why... know that these things had to happen. If a prophecy revealed from God through the Holy Spirit doesn't happen, then what power does God have? But these things must happen, that others may see and repent; that they may return to God.
We may not understand everything that happens to us, or in the world, but we, as believers, can rely on Christ, and his Salvation, knowing that we are loved, forgiven, to the praise of His glory, that when the times will have reached their fulfillment, we will have our redemption, and heaven and earth will be brought together under one head- Christ.
May God lavish his blessings upon you. May you be reminded of His love when you are in doubt, and may you always remember and rejoice in your Salvation, which is in Christ Jesus. Amen.
afterthought: I suppose I could've have written more on the riches of his grace; relating the OT lesson of a thousand and one sacrifices, to Christ's; and the epistle expounding on God's grace and plan, our unknowing, to the Gospel lesson of Mary and Joseph not understanding what Christ meant, yet treasuring those things up in their hearts... but maybe I'll write a second entry this week before Epiphany (Jan 6), which should be fun!
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