Friday, January 6th
2017
Christmas Weekday
1 John 5:5-13
Psalms 147:12-15, 19-20
Mark 9:6
Christians, it is a mystery: the heavens tore open; a spirit – likened to a dove descended upon the babe, the son of Mary; and a voice came from the heavens and those individuals, who were at the River, Jordan that day, when Jesus came over from Galilee heard God speak, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased!” Now Christians, whoever… believes in the Son of God that is the Lord Christ Jesus, has the testimony of spirit and truth, within them, and whoever does not believe God, has made him a liar – by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son, the Lord Christ Jesus. Christians, it is the person, who believes, in the Lord Christ Jesus that overcomes the world, and whose victory is a reward, which is recognized by and through faith: because of our faith in the Son of God, the Lord Christ Jesus, we are rewarded.... Now Christians, since it is through faith that we become victors, over the world, and since this is true – then what is our faith: if not – belief in the Lord Christ Jesus and what is Jesus, the Messiah, if not – his Gospel? Yes Christians, Jesus commands us to love the Lord God, our Heavenly Father with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and with all of our strength and then Jesus tells us, “What it is to love God:” "...Loving God is living, our live, in accordance too and keeping, his, the Lord Christ Jesus' words and teachings!” Therefore, Christians, in earnest, do not delude your selves about what it means to believe in Christ Jesus! For Christ Jesus is the very image of the invisible God: Jesus is the heir to all things and it is through Christ Jesus, the Heavenly Father did create the universe, and in these last days, it is through the Son of God, the Lord Christ Jesus, whom God, our Heavenly Father does speak to us: Christians, we cannot change the incorruptible image of God, our Heavenly Father for an image, of corruptible man; truth reveals that affording God glory, as God is only way that brings peace to the creature of man, as man. Now Christians, Jesus came through both water and blood: we as Christians are to be baptized with water, which is one manifestation, of man affording God glory, as God, and as well, we are to be baptized by the blood of the cross, of the Lord Christ Jesus: Christians, we must be born both of water and spirit, to enter into the kingdom of heaven / the kingdom of God. Now Christians, hear this… and come to its understanding; it is the Spirit that testifies and the Spirit is truth; therefore, the Spirit is: the water and the blood and the spirit, and these three, testify and they are in one accord…! Now this is the testimony of God: “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his son, the Lord Christ Jesus." Whoever possesses the Son, the Lord Christ Jesus has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life…!” Christians if we believe in the Lord Christ Jesus and if we honor what the phrase, “Believes in the Lord Christ Jesus means,” in accordance with the scriptures, then we truly do have life and the hope for eternal life in Christ Jesus eternal kingdom, heaven. Oh! Jerusalem praise the Lord, our Heavenly Father. Christians glorify the Lord our Heavenly Father; for what can be known about God is evident, because God has made it evident to us. Furthermore, since the creation of the world, God’s invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what God has made; therefore there is no excuse for any person. God, our Heavenly Father has strengthened the bars of our gates; however, through our own disobediences: the acceptance of sin, rather than the admonishment of sin and the encouragement of sinfulness, rather than teaching, the wage of sin is death: the enemy gets a foothold towards tearing down the bars and overrunning the gates that is until the time, of our repentance for our sins and sinfulness: for there is no other way to life and eternal life, other than the Lord Christ Jesus' way, truth, and life. Yes Christians, our children are blessed, but we invite their destruction when we do not acknowledge God as God and afford God glory as God, by keeping his commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and also when we neglect the words and teachings of the Lord Christ Jesus’ Gospel. Christians, Christ Jesus did charge his Apostles and Disciples to go forth to all nations and to baptize: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; be that as it may, in the Revelation to Saint John, John teaches that the great liar, Lucifer will go out, to the four corners of the earth, among nations, to deceive the people and many will fall to Satan’s deceptions and they in turn will behave as agents for evil – gathering other lost souls: to believe the lie, to reinforce the lie, and to perpetuate the lie that sin and sinfulness is acceptable, to the sight of the one and holy and loving God, our Heavenly Father and his, Son the Lord Christ Jesus. Now Christians, if Saint John, the Baptist considered himself unworthy to stoop and loosen the thongs, of Christ Jesus’ sandals and Jesus tell us, “Among men, born of women, there is no man more worthy than John, the Baptist,” then how much more unworthy are, each of us and how much more do we need to search: our hearts and minds and our consciences in the hope, of being aware of our sinfulness and in the hopes that we will have the courage and humility to repent, of our sin and sinfulness. Yes Christians the Lord Christ Jesus was pleasing to our Heavenly Father and we too should seek to be pleasing to our Heavenly Father, by honoring our father and mother and by keeping all of Christ Jesus’ commands, statutes, and his, Christ Jesus' words and teachings. Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful. Amen.
Friday, January 13th
2017
The First Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 4:1-5, 11
Psalms 78:3-4, 6-8
Luke 7:16
Christians, when Jesus saw their faith, he said to them, “Child your sins are forgiven.” Contemplatively, let us look at these four men carrying, the paralytic, and make some assumptions of their motives: these men could have been tired and weary, of caring for the sick person, and they may have been looking for a way out, of caring for this sick-person’s-illness; they may have loved this paralytic person; it may will have been a brother or sister, and they were wrenched, in their hearts, in the hopes for a cure for this person; they may have been paid, by someone, to bring the paralytic to Jesus, so he may be healed – whatever their motive: they, went through a lot of work, thought, and ingenuity to find a way to get the paralytic, person, in the presence of the Lord Christ Jesus to be healed. Now, without a doubt, Jesus could look to the very souls, of these individuals, and he knew and perceived, unquestionably, why, and by what motive, the paralytic and the four men came, to him, for a healing. Jesus did not have to assume their motive for he could judge the truth of their hearts and minds in totality, without bias and without fault, and Jesus knew the truth of them…. So with these simple words, “Jesus saw their faith” -- there was much more than, the shallow notion of some superficial understanding of these individual’s faith. Indeed, there was a totality of understanding and judgment of these people: there was the knowing of these men and the knowing of them, by their faith; there was the knowing -- that their faith was worthy; and therefore, Jesus said, “Child your sins are forgiven.” Now miraculously this person, the paralytic, was healed; immediately, he was paralytic no more…! Now Christians, Saint Paul, in book of Hebrews, takes our thoughts: to a spiritual truth and too Christ Jesus’ truth -- teaching us that there is a time, which will come, when we are no longer able to enter into the rest of Christ Jesus…. This time may be explained, in various ways, but there is only Christ Jesus’ truth as an explanation. It may be telling us, of the time, when Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead or it may be telling us that there is a time, in each individuals life, when the chance to enter into Christ Jesus’ rest will pass on by: due to the individuals refusal, to repent of their sins and due to the individuals refusal, to acknowledge God, as God. Christians, being obedient to God, our Heavenly Father and too His Son, the Lord Christ Jesus is realizing that God is telling us the truth about life: it is not a hardship, it is the delivery from our sinful flesh; it is not uncool, it is the simple and basic, unabashed and unvarnished truth; it is not dictatorial, iron-fisted, autocratic, or authoritarian, it is the enlightenment to life, it is the wisdom to and of truth, it is the knowledge of the souls health and its purpose; and it is the refinement of the senses and the freedom of a democratic life: Christians, we are to strive to enter into the rest that is, Christ Jesus’ Gospel and it is through our disobediences, to Christ Jesus’ Gospel that we fail to enter into his rest…. We have received the Good News, of Christ Jesus Gospel, and through our faith and belief, in Jesus, we may enter into that watchful guard of Christ Jesus’ rest. Christians, those who are not united in faith, with the words and teachings of Christ Jesus, do not enter into Jesus’ rest: for God, the Father swore in his wrath, “They shall not enter into my rest.” Now Christians, we must not forget the works of the Lord, our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus, the Son of God: for although there is the theory of evolution; there is, also the story of creation: Noah and the flood, Moses and the ten plagues, David and Goliath, and Christ Jesus rising from the dead after his death on the cross. Additionally, Christians, cement this into your knowledge and understanding; there is no doubt that Pontius Pilate crucified Jesus, the son of Mary. That the Scribes and Pharisees were up in arms against Jesus, which led to his crucifixion: that Jesus walked on water; that Jesus healed the paralytic man and that Jesus rose from the dead, and that after his resurrection: he sat, eat, and talked with the disciples, as the Risen Savior of Humankind. Yes Christians, do not forget of what we have heard and learned and know, and what our fathers have declared to us: that time and time again, Israel falls to its destruction, because of their disobedience to God, our Heavenly Father – not because, God does not love Israel; rather, because he does love them, but that God cannot lie to himself nor can he be false to himself, and Israel’s disobedient-darkness cannot stand in the light of God or the Heavenly Father’s glory. Again, Christians, do not forget the works of the Lord, our Heavenly Father: that if we teach our children the ways of the Lord, they will not depart from them. Yes Christians, keep a steadfast heart -- discerning your own hearts and minds, to their faithfulness and obedience and mindfulness towards, the Lord Christ Jesus’ words and teachings. Do not find your selves declaring that you cannot believe in a God, Jesus who would call homosexuality a sin; who would call adultery a sin; who would call covetousness a sin; who would call bearing false witness a sin; and do not find your selves declaring that you cannot believe in a God, Jesus who would teach... "That the wages of sin is death." Furthermore, in watchfulness of your own life: make sure that you are not creating God, the Lord Christ Jesus in your own image, of what you believe Jesus is or should be, but that you are living in accordance to the incorruptible and eternal image, of our everlasting God, our Heavenly Father: for by false pride and rebellion and stubbornness some individuals look to the image of a corruptible man and wrongfully make out this image to be god and worshipped and adore the corruptible and corrupted man. Yes Christians, a great prophet was Jesus indeed, but more than a prophet – Jesus is the Son of the eternal and everlasting God, our Heavenly Father and God, the Lord Christ Jesus did visit his people two millennium ago, which is two days in God’s perceived time; therefore, look too your hearts and your minds, and put the love of God, the Heavenly Father before your flesh – repenting of your sins and sinfulness and seeking the kingdom of heaven. Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful. Amen.
Friday, January 20th
2017
The Second Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 8:6-13
Psalms 85:8 & 10, 11-14
Christians, Jesus’ cousin John, the Baptist had been reiterating what the Prophet Isaiah spoke, “He will be a voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Now Jesus had been baptized, by John; Jesus was known as a person speaking with authority; Jesus healed multitudes throughout the synagogues of Galilee; Jesus healed the paralytic man; he called the tax collect Matthew to be, one of his Apostles; Jesus answers questions about the Sabbath; Jesus healed a person on the Sabbath and the Pharisees did not take into consideration, the works that Jesus was doing, rather they were filled with thoughts of how they might destroy him; and then it came about that Jesus, went up upon a mountain calling whom he did – distinguishing the twelve from the others, who were there with him. Jesus called the Twelve, Apostles: many are called, but few are chosen…. Now Christians, Christ Jesus is not merely another priest or high priest; neither is he merely a prophet, rather Christ Jesus is the minister of holies, the minister of the heavenly sanctuary, and he, Jesus is of the true tabernacle, which the Heavenly Father has pitched / which was setup, by the Heavenly Father, and Jesus is the only begotten Son, of the one true God, our Heavenly Father. Now Christians, before Christ Jesus, the High Priest would offer up blood sacrifices: unblemished lambs, doves, and other signs of atonement, but with Christ Jesus’ offering – a gift, as a high priest, his own body and blood, an eternal atonement was made for the sins of humankind. Christians, in Christ Jesus we have the most excellent minister, who has shed his blood for our sins and sinfulness; if only we would put on his armor that he has affords to us: by living according to his words and teachings; by seeking his grace and truth in helping us to overcome our sinful flesh; by yielding our hearts and minds to Christ Jesus’ Gospel; and by seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father Righteousness – loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Christians in a meditated honesty with ourselves, our inferences and conclusions are only probable truths to a given situation; therefore lean not upon your own understandings, rather trust and have confidence and put your faith in the words and teachings of the Lord Christ Jesus’ Gospel of life. Christians do not harden your hearts and minds to a given situation or cause – being rebellious or bent; assured of your own understanding, of a given thing, as being the absolute truth: rather, let the love of neighbor and the love of God, the Father be the light, of your hearts and minds: seeing, understanding, agreeing, and becoming a faithful and loving disciple of Christ Jesus’ way, truth, and life. Jesus is truth, but our own understanding of a given situation and thing – may likely be based upon and according to a moment of fleshly desire: a fleshly desire of pride, which may stem from a moment of sexual passion; a fleshly desire of pride, which may stem from a wanted avarice: money, an object of desire, or a power in society. Yes Christians, it is the desires of the flesh that leads us to sin. Now the spirit and flesh are in inverse opposition to one another: for the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. They, the spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another, so that we do not do the things that we would….! Yes Christians, in Christ Jesus we resist, the sins of the flesh, but if we have had an occasion, of sin or if we do have an occasion, of sin – whether this sin is of the nature of pride or some other immorality: if we seek repentance and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, than the grace and truth that does exist because of Christ Jesus blood offering from the cross, we can be assured of forgiveness if our repentance is sincere and worthy. Christians, the definition of repentance varies: from sincere regret, to remorse, and as well contrition. However, we find the true definition of repentance, illustrated by Christ Jesus, with the adulterous women, brought before Christ Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees; although there was no person without sin to cast a stone, at the women, Jesus did tell her to go and sin no more: therefore adultery is a sin and the way of repentance, from adultery, is to stop committing adultery and commit adultery no more – this than is the example, the paradigm, and the standard of and for repentance…. “If you are in sin or you are committing sin: turn away from your sin, leave your sin, and sin no more – this than is repentance and worthy fruits, in part, for repentance.” Now, it is possible that a person may have to give, from their wealth, in the cleansing of the flesh, but the spiritual cleansing comes from going away from your sin and seeking Christ Jesus’ grace and truth, and the sinning of a sin no more…. Now Christians an extreme consequential reality taught, to us, by Christ Jesus, through Saint Paul, in the Letter to the Hebrews: is the fact that there is no excuse for any people choosing to live in sin. For the Lord, our Heavenly Father teaches, “This is a covenant… established, with the house of Israel and after those days, says the Lord: God our Heavenly Father’s laws will be written in their minds and he will write his laws upon our hearts.” Neighbor will not have to teach neighbor, saying “Know the Lord!” For all will know the truth, of the Lord, our Heavenly Father, from the least to the greatest – for the Lord our Heavenly Father will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more. Yes Christians this is the great covenant established with Christ Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, for Christ Jesus took away the sins of the world; he brought us grace and truth and the great gift of repentance for our sin and sinfulness: Jesus’ blood offering being an eternal sacrifice for the sins of humankind that affords us forgiveness when we turn away from our sin and sinfulness and go and sin no more…. Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful. Amen.
Friday, January 27th
2017
The Third Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 10:32-39
Psalms 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40
Matthew 11:25
Christians, Jesus our Lord and Savior spoke the words of spirit and life, unto humankind, by and through many parables; however, in private… Jesus explained and discussed everything, the entire meaning, the spirit and the truth of each parable that he, Jesus did speak unto his Apostles. Now, imagine the days and nights of conscience, and there, in each moment of question, about the parables and about life, Jesus: the way, the truth and the life was physically there to explain, converse, discuss, and give to the Apostles and then they too humankind, the very essence of life, truth, and peace: what an epiphany of mind and heart, what an euphoria and jubilation and joy of spirit to know and see the very truth of life, and yet to be human, and to be vexed by the world of the flesh: having doubts, temptations, desires, and fears. Yes Christians, Jesus talked in parable about, how it is with..., the Kingdom of God, our Heavenly Father. Now Christians, when we look and read and try to understand – might it give you pause that a person would have to suffer, because they spoke the words, “Love your neighbor as you love yourselves;” that a person might be beheaded, as Saint John, the Baptist was… for speaking the truth, “That Herod was living in adultery with his brother’s wife, Herodias.” What did Saint John do to enflame Herodias, so much – that she conspired with her daughter to trick King Herod, into beheading Saint John, the Baptist? All John did was to speak the truth – that had been the truth, mind you, ever since, and before Moses was given the Ten Commandments. It is even truth that adultery was against the law, among those who did not have God’s Commandments; yet, because Saint John spoke the truth: Herod, Herodias, and her daughter were the principals involved, in the beheading of Saint John, the Baptist. Why were Herod and Herodias so outraged with John, the Baptist? Now Christians, we can further stipulate that Saint John did not judge Herod or Herodias; rather all John, the Baptist, a man known as being holy, did was say to Herod: “It is not lawful for you, to have your brother’s wife.” According to the written account, in scripture, and not the Hollywood version, of Saint John, the Baptist – John never said to Herod or Herodias repent; after all it was not until, Jesus came and spoke, “Least you repent of your sins you will all perish.” As well, Jesus affirms, “Do not think those, eighteen, whom the tower in Siloam fell upon were somehow greater debtors of the flesh, worse transgressors of the flesh or more sinful than any other person, who commits a sin;” truly, Christians, with the innocents of a child take and understand, “If you have committed a sin or you are committing sins or you are living in sinfulness – you must repent of your sins and sinfulness or you will perish; there are no two ways about it…! Now Christians, do not be deluded about the promises of God, our Lord Christ Jesus and the Heavenly Father, for although they, God’s promises are the very essence of life and eternal life – we know that the just and the righteous have suffered wrongly, at the hands of the unjust; still, we also know that when we are truly in Christ Jesus’ way, truth, and life that nothing can separate us from Jesus’ love: neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature will be able to separate us from Christ Jesus’ peace and love and life, that is, when we truly belong to the Lord Christ Jesus. Therefore Christians, remember, it is the person who is righteous and who lives by faith that will have life and will receive eternal life. Now Christians know this: “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.” Yes Christians, we are to trust in the Lord Christ Jesus and do good, that we may dwell in the land and be fed in security. As well, Christians, if you take delight in the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s way, truth, and life – Christ Jesus will grant unto you your heart’s desire. Again Christians, let us not be deluded about these teachings: let us take a look at the two parts of the last sentence: if you delight in the Lord, our Heavenly Father… Christians, how can this teaching mean anything other than, being mindful of God’s way, truth, and life: how can it mean anything other than, being obedient to God, the Lord Christ Jesus’ Gospel, and then like Adam and Eve, who were disobedient to our Heavenly Father – we too are disobedient, when we do not live, our lives, in accordance with Christ Jesus’ Gospel of life. Now as far as, God giving us our hearts desires: if we delight in the Lord, basically, we are delighting in the way, truth and life of the Lord Christ Jesus, and our hearts and minds, desires, are fulfilled: for our prayers, our hopes and our desires become ABBA Father: your will God, the Father, let your will be done Lord Christ Jesus. Yes Christians, we must commit ourselves to the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s way, truth, and life, that being, the Lord Christ Jesus, then, justice will dawn for you, like dawn’s light, and your vindication will be as bright as the noonday sun. Now Christians, remember, our struggle is not against flesh and blood; it is not against people, rather we struggle against principalities, we resist sin and sinfulness, and we speak and live: Christ Jesus’ Gospel of life. As well, we struggle against the rulers of the world, of this darkness; we wrestle, against spirits of wickedness, in high places, but not against flesh and blood. Therefore, Christians, first seek the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness and love your neighbor as you love yourselves. Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful. Amen.