Posts Tagged ‘ Christ ’

As a Christian, I am not known by my transgressions, but by the grace that God has given me…Thank you Jesus!

His Only-begotten Son and the Word of God 1885...

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Scripture:  For through the law I died to the law, 19 that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.  (Galatians 2:19-21)

Observations:  It is clear to me after reading the two chapters in Galatians that I am not justified by the observance of the law, rather my observance of the law is justified by my faith in Jesus Christ.  What I mean to say is that it is not because I study the law and the prophets that justifies my faith, rather that Jesus died once, over two thousand years ago, that justifies my faith.  I attempt to follow the law that is written on my heart because of the grace that comes freely from God, not by some arbitrary observance of a law that existed only to point out man’s sinful nature. 

Application:  It is my intention today to live out the call that Jesus gave me and follow the will of God in my life.  I will open the eyes of my heart to see exactly what it is the God wills for me in all situations today, and I will never forget that I am first a sinner who is not worthy of God’s grace.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  Amen.

2010
11/05
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Why rejoice today?

The Resurrection—Tischbein, 1778.

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Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.   

 

Reading:  I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.  In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.  (Philippians 2:17b-18)

Observation:  Paul is talking about how he may be killed right before this statement about sharing joy.  Although, I thought that it was important to know the context that this admonition to rejoice comes from, it is more valuable to me this morning to see the words apart from the suffering.  So many times I have focused on the suffering that must come with being a disciple, and this morning I am reminded that this world is suffering enough that we need not be reminded of it.  Also, it is very rare that we hear a call to rejoice, except during holidays.

Personification:  Joy  After hearing the words of Paul tell me to share my joy, it only makes sense that I would choose to display the fruit of joy in my life today.  This fruit is not something that comes easily in most situations of life these days, because of the suffering of a lot of people in this world.  However, I will make it a point today to show that it is possible to rejoice even when the only thing to celebrate seems to be our redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Of course, when we look at that redemption in the light of our unworthiness, there is a lot to celebrate.

Prayer:  Lord, continue to allow me to see the great gift of redemption that comes to me through your suffering and death on the cross.  Please help me to pick up my cross today and offer my suffering in union with yours on the cross and leave it there, so that I can rejoice and share your joy with others.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2010
11/03
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What a promise…

The Eucharist - Read and Understand the Gospel...

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Gift:  Understanding – With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live.

Reading:  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day.”  (John 6:40)

Observation:  In my journaling group, we have a running joke that if you journal on the last verse in the readings for that day, you are just trying to show that you read all the reading.  I did read all the readings, but of all the verses, this one from the Gospel of John spoke to me the most.  I think that a belief in Jesus is enough to be given eternal life is pretty awesome.  I could go on about how I think that eternal life should start now, but I think I have said that enough in previous journal entries.

Personification:  Love   I will hopefully be able to display the fruit of love today.  It is clear to me that if the Father has given me eternal life, the only proper response would be to love  others with the love that he has shown me.

Prayer:  God, my Father, may I love You in all things and above all things.
May I reach the joy which You have prepared for me inHeaven.
Nothing is good that is against Your Will,and all that is good comes from Your Hand.  Place in my heart a desire to please You and fill my mind with thoughts of Your Love, so that I may grow in Your Wisdom and enjoy Your Peace.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

2010
11/02
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Pay attention to the Lord’s reminder…

Niels Larsen Stevns: Zakæ

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!  (Wisdom 12:2)

Observation:  I am hearing the good news from the old testament this morning.  Granted the Gospel reading this morning is pretty good news as well, because we see in Zacchaeus that no matter how distasteful our sin may look to others, Jesus is still calling us home to repentance.  To me today, the idea of the Lord reminding me of my sin so that I will abandon my wickedness and believe more fully in him is better news than the knowledge that no matter how great my sin, it will be forgiven. 

Personification:  Peace  I am hearing a renewed call to spend my time today displaying the fruit of peace in my life and with the people who come into my path.  I would hope that I normally do that, but it will be my intention to share this peace in a special way today.

Prayer:  (Prayer of Saint Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2010
10/31
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For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.

My son Chad took this picture with his new camera back in March...

Gift:  Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

Reading:  For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.  If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.  And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, (for) that is far better. Yet that I remain (in) the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.  (Philippians 1:21-24)

Observation:  I have had thoughts about when it will be my time to go and what would be the legacy that I leave behind.  However, I feel much the same way that Paul is feeling in these verses from his letter to the Philippians.  I feel like my presence is necessary for my family and my communities benefit.  I really hope that is true, because I also agree with Paul when he says that his life is Christ, but death is gain.  To be with God, in the presence of the most holy without a filter of this earthly sinfulness, would be unexplainably amazing.

Personification:  Joy  I believe it has been a while since I have chosen the fruit of joy to focus on.  It will be my intent to act with sincere joy today.  It is in the knowledge that God can overcome any sin and make us whole again, that brings me great joy today and hopefully I get plenty of opportunity to share that joy with the world today.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

2010
10/30
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No longer strangers…members of the family?

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

Your family too...

Gift:  Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.

Reading:  So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 10

Observation:  When reading these two verses this morning, I was reminded initially of how the feast days for the apostles have similar readings picked out for them.  Then, when I went back to read them again, I realized that it was not about them, but about us.  I should see myself as no longer a stranger.  I compare it to when I went to my father’s childhood home in North Carolina and once I had lived there for a little while, they all accepted me as family.  As my father’s son, they had always welcomed me to their homes.  However, knowing now how hospitable everyone is in the south, I don’t know if that was any different from any other person who was not a member of the family.  Anyway, my focus this morning was on the fact that Paul is saying to the Ephesians that they should see themselves as members of the family…we should too.

Personification:  Generosity  I will choose today and hopefully for the rest of my life to make my life a gift to others.  I have my duties that I must fulfill as husband and father, and my fulfillment of these duties will be my gift to my wife and children.  For everyone else, I will make sure that my life is on display enough that people will be able to see that you can be a broken vessel and still be a member of the same household as the apostles and prophets.

Prayer:  Lord keep me away from all serious sin and I’m sorry for those times that I have chosen sin.  Please help me rid myself of all sinfulness, so that I can more closely follow the path that you have laid out before me.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2010
10/28
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We can’t go back in time to free slaves, so free yourself…

Three Abyssinian slaves in chains. The Anti-Sl...

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Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not human beings, knowing that each will be requited from the Lord for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.  (Ephesians 6:5-8)

Observation:  My son said to me this morning, after reading the first reading, that he would free as many slaves as he could.  Of course, he said that he would have to have the money to buy the slaves and live during the time of slavery.  At first I thought, what a nice idea for him to think of the slaves of that day and his thoughtfulness that he would want to give them thier freedom.  Then, I remembered that I had that same thought as a young person, even before I became a Christian.  I figured out that now, the Apostle Paul in this letter to the Ephesians is not agreeing with slavery, he is just saying that we need to accept our place in life, as if the Lord himself gave it to us, no matter what that place may be.  If it is freedom you seek to provide for others, then first free yourselves from the slavery to sin, and then look to what the Lord does with you.

Personification:  Self-Control  For me, I must remember to set boundaries in my life, so that I don’t cross them.  Also, if I do cross the boundaries that I set for some reason, I must remember to rely on the Lord to save me from myself and allow me to quickly return to the path that He has set before me.

Prayer:  Lord, I know that you have a path laid out for my life.  Please help me to stay true to you and not waste any more time following my own path.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

2010
10/27
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Full grown faith…He is still waiting…For me, at least…

Mustard Seed Sign

Gift:  Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

Reading:   It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.’”  (Luke13:19)

Observation:  I know it says in the footnotes that Jesus was talking about the small beginnings of the faith community in Jerusalem, and how that grew to the faith that they knew in the time of Luke’s writing of the Gospel.  However, I can’t help but see that Jesus uses the same example of the mustard seed, that he used earlier when talking about how small your faith had to be to move mountains or uproot a tree.  To me, I am seeing that if that same faith, seen as small as a mustard seed at the beginning of my faith life, is allowed to mature it will become as large as the mustard bush when it is full-grown, what a source of hope and shelter it could be for others.

Personification:  Kindness  It is my intention today to display the fruit of kindness to everyone today.  In order to do this, I will have to react to every situation peacefully and remember to keep joy in my heart.  It will be the grace of God working through me if I can accomplish displaying the fruit of kindness all day today.

Prayer:  Lord, build up my faith to its full maturity today.  Please help me to react to every situation the way that you would.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.

2010
10/26
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The end will not delay forever…

The Last Judgement...

Gift:  Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) – With the gift of wonder and awe (fear of the lord), we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.

Reading:  4 And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”  (Luke 13:6-9)

Observation:  This morning, the first reading is full of good news about understanding that God has a mission for all of us and that we have been given gifts to carry out that mission.  However, I couldn’t escape the significance of the Gospel reading today.  First, the call to repentance that I know by my own sinful nature is necessary to hear, and then the reminder that the end will not wait forever.  The more I hear about the Apostles and other disciples in the beginning of the church in Jerusalem and surrounding countries, the more I realize that they expected the return of Jesus during their lifetime.  More importantly though, I think, that attitude was an important part of what made them more disciplined in their faith life and spreading the good news as fast as possible. 

Personification:  Faithfulness  I am hearing a call today to stop thinking about the first disciples of Christ as wrong about the time of Jesus’ return, but rather right in their attitude toward acting as if he was coming soon.  What I mean to say is, I will try to display the fruit of faithfulness in every thing I do today, because if we truly do not know the time or the hour, I should stop acting like I have plenty of time to preach the good news and tell everyone that Jesus loves them.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, help me to spread the good news of your return and grant me a repentant heart to turn away from sin and follow through with your call for me to share your love with everyone I come in contact with.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen. 

 

2010
10/23
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All Christians believe in…

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of t...

This image was the background for my first blog...

Gift:  Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

Reading:  2 one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Observation:  It once again took me reading the footnotes to see the point of this reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  In it he tells of the qualifications of a true church that belongs to Christ.  Here is the footnote, so you can see them for yourself…The “seven unities” (church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; one God) reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse.  I am hearing this morning that the belief of the Christian comes down to these simple terms.  The church is the one body of Christ.  The holy Spirit is the one spirit, and the hope of our call is that we all be at peace with one another regardless of the way we practice our faith with God’s guidance over us all.

Personification:  Self-Control  Yes, I am still working on this fruit of the Spirit.  The blackberry has gone a long way to get me organized in my day, but I feel like I am missing something when it comes to focusing on the displaying of the fruit of self-control.  I guess if I think about the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of self-control, it is controlling my passions or desires of the flesh.  I don’t believe my blackberry is going to be able to help me with that.

Prayer:  Lord, it is my will to be your follower in all the things I do today.  Please help me to control my passions and desires to be more in line with the love that you would have me show to others today.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.  Amen. 

 

2010
10/22
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