Friday, March 2nd
2018
The Second Week of Lent
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28
Psalms 105:16-21
John 3:16
Christians, the stone that the builders rejected has
become the cornerstone….
Now
Christians, God appeared to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria,
saying: Jacob you will no longer be called by your given name, for from this day
forward you shall be called Israel: since you have been strong against God, your
creator; how much more will you prevail against men?
Christians, when we read that Israel loved his son Joseph, the best;
perhaps, we should recognize that he did not… love Joseph more… than his other
sons?
Still, sometimes, as people,
we simply have an affinity with a person that we may not have with others, but
this does not mean that we love others less or recognize them less, or in any
way act with favor….
Yet, it also,
just so happens: that we may have a notion… to give a certain thing to one
person and then… to give another certain thing to another person, and such was
the case, the relationship, between Israel and his son Joseph, whom he loved
best….
Now, if we let our spirit
guide us, we may recall the relationship between God, the Father, and Cain and
Able; whereas, Abel’s gift was pleasing to God, the Father, but most certainly
God, the Heavenly Father did not love Cain less… or with favor: for God is
righteous, and his righteousness is not swayed by favor….
Yet again, God may favor who he wills… as Israel loved best his son
Joseph, but in the face of justice and obedience to his… commandments: God, the
Father has no favorites….
In example
of this, we remember that God, the Father held, the man after his own heart,
King David, accountable for his adultery: as we all will be accountable, for the
sins we choose not to repent….
As
well, Christians, we may also remember the teaching of Saint Paul, for he
teaches us, “There is no partiality with God, the Heavenly Father!”
Now Christians, adultery and other such sins… are not… the only sins of
the flesh that Christ Jesus’ grace and truth – gives us the strength to
overcome; certainly, hate is a sin of the flesh and Christ Jesus’ grace and
truth – gives us the strength to overcome our hate; if we so choose and prefer
Jesus’ grace to our hate…?
Christians, Joseph’s brothers chose to hold onto their hate, for him: because
they knew Israel, their father, loved best his son Joseph, and the gift of a new
tunic was the catalyst that fomented and incited the hate in Joseph’s brothers….
Harken your hearts and minds, Christians, and ponder this question: are
we not to give gifts, to our children, because some of our other children may
hate, the child who has received a gift; of course not, for there is no truth or
understanding nor growing of an individual, in this type of thinking or logic….
The sin of hate was clearly the fault and choice of Joseph’s brothers,
and Joseph and Israel had no part in, inciting, their hate or fomenting their
hate….
Their hate, Joseph’s brothers
hate for Joseph was all of their own doing, and it is a sin of the flesh….
By the way Christians, in case you do not know this: “In Christ Jesus, we
are no longer slaves to our flesh.”
For now we can ask for and receive Christ Jesus’ grace and truth, then if we
ask and accept Christ Jesus’ grace and truth, over our hate, we will be able to
overcome our hate….
Jesus teaches,
“We do not overcome hate with more hate, but we overcome hate with love,” and as
well Christians, we are called to be holy as our Father in Heaven is holy….
Therefore Christians, when it comes to the sins of the flesh: whether it
is hate, pride, adultery, sodomy, or all other sins of the flesh, in Christ
Jesus, we have the grace and truth to overcome these fleshly sins, that is: if
we choose Christ Jesus’ grace over preferring, the sin that we may be living and
choosing….
Joseph’s brothers chose
and planned, they devised a way to kill him, saying, “Here comes the master
dreamer; let us kill him, and throw him into one of the cisterns.”
Joseph’s brother’s plan was to lie, to bear false witness, to their
father Israel, telling him, “That some of the wild beasts devoured him, and then
in their sarcasms, which its root is jealousy, they mocked; “Now we will see
what becomes of his dreams.”
Now
Christians, the Psalmist entreats the reader, the listener, the people of
Israel, and to all who now read this psalm, entreating: remember, “The Lord our
Heavenly Father called down a famine on the land;” still, God the Heavenly
Father had plans for Joseph….
Now
through the wickedness that Joseph’s brothers did… God, the Father blessed the
Israelites: by bringing them out of Egypt, through the Prophet Moses, and most
importantly, God our Heavenly Father gave to them, the Israelites, the Covenant
of the Ten Commandments….
Christians, God
so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, the Lord Christ Jesus: so
that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life….
Christians, in the name of the promised Messiah, the Lord Christ Jesus,
our Savior let us pray and be thankful.
Amen….
Friday, March 9th
2018
The Third Week of Lent
Hosea 14:2-10
Psalms 81:6-11, 14 & 17
Matthew 4:17
Christians, we know that Jesus teaches us that we are to
love God our Heavenly Father with all our hearts, minds, souls and with all our
strength, but do we also know what it is that Jesus teaches, “Is actually the
loving of God our Heavenly Father:” for if we do not know what is loving God,
the Father, “How can we love him with all our strength, with all our mind, our
soul, and with all our heart?”
Now
Christians, Jesus teaches, “That the way we love God, our Heavenly Father is by
keeping his word,” and therefore, we should understand that to love God, the
Father, according to His Commandment, we must keep His WORD: with all our
hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls, and with all of our strength;
for truly, this is the only way that we can keep His Commandment….
Now Christians, once again, we have the Heavenly Father, through his
Prophet Hosea, mercifully helping his people, and trying to help them see the
true pearl of life; for Israel had collapsed because of its guilt….
Now, likewise, with God, the Heavenly Father, Jesus speaks to Saint
Peter, “Who then is… the faithful and wise steward, whom the master will put in
charge:” for God lovingly and mercifully and with wisdom speaks with Hosea,
telling him, “Take with you words and tell them, to return to the Lord, God of
all Creation and say to God, the Heavenly Father, “Forgive our iniquities and
receive what is good; accept our repentance and our acknowledgement: ‘That we
have sinned against you; accept and look, into our hearts and minds and measure
out our souls and strength, and see, that we have changed and that we have given
up our sinfulness, and are now choosing to walk in your way, truth, and life.’”
Yes Christians, set your faces like flint and first seek the kingdom of
heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness: for to seek your defense in
other countries who appear to be strong, such as Assyria, is not only a denying
of, and being unfaithful to God, the Heavenly Father; it is also putting your
faith: in the proud and arrogant, whom we know the Lord God of all creation has
a distain for such people: because of their arrogance and their false pride.
Again Christians, put your faith and belief in Christ Jesus for as God
the Father did tell the Israelites: “I will heal your defection and I will love
you freely,” so too will we find life, truth and salvation in Christ Jesus….
Remember Christians, Jesus tells us, “That the time is fulfilled and the
kingdom of God is at hand….
Repent
and believe in the Gospel.”
Christians, Hosea speaks to the Israelites, and tells them how the Heavenly
Father will be: if they will return to him; if they will return to truth; if
they will return to life; and if they will return to the faithfulness of the
covenant God, our Heavenly Father has made with Abraham….
Hosea says: “God our Heavenly Father will be like the morning dew, which
gives life to the grass and the leaves on the trees, bushes, and plants….
God will blossom like a lily; he shall strike root like, the Lebanon
cedar and put forth his shoots....
The Heavenly Father’s splendor will be like, the olive trees and his fragrance
will be of Lebanon Cedar....
Yes,
the people will live in peace and abundance: they shall raise their grains; tend
the lands; build and fortify their homes, and care for their livestock – they
will live in the joy and love that comes from being in the presence of the Lord
God, our Heavenly Father; and furthermore, all the people around – will know
that God is in Israel, and that he is the one true God….
Now again Christians: we are to repent of our sins; we are not to be
idolaters: in our thoughts, words, or deeds; we are not to be idolaters, in our
hearts and minds; and we are not to be idolaters of craven images or covetous
for treasure; however, we are to yield our hearts and minds to Christ Jesus’
Gospel, and walk in his way, his truth; for Jesus’ truth is truth, and walk in
the life of Christ Jesus; for Jesus’ way is life: …being alive does not
necessarily mean that you have life!
Yes Christians, all of these idolatry things: false prophet words, worship of
craven images, coveting mammon rather than serving God are all basically: first
choices that we have made in our consciences; spiritual choices that we make,
and since God’s word, his Gospel is spirit and truth, we are either making
choices and decisions that are in accordance with Christ Jesus’ Gospel or
against Christ Jesus’ Gospel: hence, Jesus teaches, “The person who is not with
him is against him, and if the person does not gather with Jesus, they are
scattering unto the evil one….
Whereas Jesus says, ‘All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven, but the
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven, unto men.’”
Now Christians, the Psalmist pleas with the people -- recounting the
admonitions from God the Heavenly Father, saying, “Israel will you not hear me?”
Christians have we become deaf to Christ Jesus’ Gospel or have we rather
idolatrized Christ Jesus’ Gospel: by misrepresenting Christ Jesus’ Gospel, of
repentance for the forgiveness of sin, into a Gospel of inclusion, for those who
would really rather not repent, because they want to live according to their
fleshly desires....
Again the
Psalmist speaks, saying, “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my
ways,” which begs the question, “When will people turn from their preference of
the darkness and start to choose: to walk in Christ Jesus’ way, truth, and life;
to walk and live in the light of Christ Jesus?”
Christians Jesus teaches, “Repent, says the Lord; the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.”
Now Christians, in the
name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful….
Amen.
Friday, March 16th
2018
The Fourth Week of Lent
Wisdom 2:1 & 12-22
Psalms 34:17-21 & 23
Matthew 4:4
Christians, the Judeans wanted to kill Jesus, and with a
study inferred from the Gospels, “We see their reasons, for wanting Jesus dead,
were: because he healed a cripple woman on the Sabbath; because his presence,
called questions about their authority; and because he was holy and their piety
was merely a pretense.”
Now
Christians, when you read the Book of Wisdom; do not let it escape your
discernment, “That the wicked talked, they conversationed, among themselves, and
this is important – because they did recognize: the just man, the person trying
and wanting to live in accordance with God’s Ten Commandments and the person who
wants to live in accordance, with Christ Jesus’ our Lord’s Gospel and covenant
with humankind, but this person, this just person, this person seeking to be
righteous, holy, and good – was obnoxious to them!”
The way it is too with the Judeans, wanting to kill Jesus: not because he
was a murderer; not because he was an adulterer, which in those days they stoned
to death; not because he was immoral, unethical, or even rebellious – like
Judas, who was called Machabeus, who we learn about in the Book of Maccabees….
No, Jesus did not do any of these criminal things, rather he lived
according to every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, our Heavenly
Father: Jesus’ Gospel was not of his own imagination or ideals, rather his
Gospel is: the words and teachings and life and truth and grace that is God, our
Heavenly Father’s, the God of Abraham….
Now similarly, with the Sodomites and Gomorrahians, wanting to pervert
Lot’s visitors, because these perverted people were uncomfortable, around people
walking and living in God’s light, for their sins became evident….
Christians, we also see in the Book of Wisdom, where the wicked – wants
to condemn the just person to a shameful death, because the just person’s
presence brought to the wicked person’s mind: their transgressions and the
violation of their training….
They,
the wicked person mocked the just man, saying “He professes knowledge of God and
styles himself a child of the Lord,” but to us he is nothing but a censure of
our thoughts….
The wicked person
accuses the just person of judging them; simply because the just person chooses
to walk in the light: the way, the truth, and life of God, our Heavenly Father
that being the Lord Christ Jesus.
They accuse the just person, the person who wants to live according to the
Gospel of the Heavenly Father of being aloof, because the just person will not
debase them self….
These were the
thoughts of the wicked, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them and
they knew not the hidden counsels of God, our Heavenly Father….
Christians, the Lord our Heavenly Father confronts the evildoers, to
destroy remembrance of them from the earth….
Now Christians, if with... and by... and because of… the Heavenly Father’s
Righteousness: we call out in prayer; if we humble ourselves and admit that we
have sinned and seek the face of our Lord Christ Jesus, by keeping his words and
teachings, and by first seeking the kingdom of heaven: Christians, turn from your
wickedness, then our Lord Christ Jesus’ grace and truth will abundantly flow
over and through you – washing and cleansing you of your sin, but how can you be
free of your sin; if you first do not admit that you have sinned….
Yes Christians, the Lord Christ Jesus has sent us a teacher and
comforter; he has blessed us with the gift of the Holy Spirit and those who are
brokenhearted are close, but they must reach out to Christ Jesus, by repenting
of their sins and believing in his Gospel….
Christians, if you have never witnessed the truth of God, our Heavenly
Father’s words and teachings; let it be this day that you hear his words: “Many
are the troubles of the just man, but out of all these our Heavenly Father has
delivered us, by and through the grace and truth of the Lord Christ Jesus….”
As Saint Paul teaches, “He is convinced that nothing on this earth or in
the heavens, not future things nor past things, that there is nothing that
exists that can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus.”
Yes Christians, our most merciful and loving Heavenly Father, the creator
of all that is and will be, is close to the broken hearted....
The Psalmist tells us that he watches over the bones of the just man, and
this verse of scripture was fulfilled by the Lord Christ Jesus, who was the just
man whose bones were not broken….
As
well, when we consider Moses, although the Lord, our Heavenly Father did not let
him set foot, in the Promised Land: Moses was forgiven and he incurred no guilt
for he took refuge in God, our Heavenly Father….
Now Christians, the tempter tried to raise argument against God, our
Heavenly Father’s Gospel, and tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread, for Jesus
was sorely hungry – having not eaten for forty-days and nights; however, Jesus
renounced the tempter, and witnessed to him: God our Heavenly Father’s words and
teachings, saying “A person does not live by bread alone, but on every word that
comes forth from the mouth of God.”
Now after Jesus refused the temptations of the tempter, Angels of God, our
Heavenly Father tended to his, the Lord Christ Jesus’ mortal needs.
Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be
thankful.
Amen….
Friday, March 23rd
2018
The Fifth Week of Lent
Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalms 18:2-7
SEE John 6:63 & 68
Christians, Jesus said: “If you do not believe in me…
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in
me, and I am in the Father.”
Now
Christians, for the Prophet Jeremiah, there was terror all around him;
nonetheless, Jeremiah turns to faith, his faith in God, our Heavenly Father, and
proclaims, “It is not I, who will suffer from your vengeance, and nor can you
trap me from any missteps that I may take….
No… that is not the course of events, which will come to pass!
Rather it is you, who will suffer for the vengeance in your hearts and
minds; for God, our Heavenly Father is with me: he is my champion; my
persecutors will stumble; and they will not triumph.”
Yes Christians, Jeremiah, the Prophet of the Heavenly Father was
denounced because he was a censure to the Israelites; who were choosing to live
sinful lives….
Jeremiah spoke of the
many sinful things the Israelites were doing: those who knew the law did not
listen or know the voice of the Lord; those, who ruled transgressed against the
Lord, and the prophets prophesied, by Ba’ al; they exchange the glory of God,
the Heavenly Father, for that which does not profit; and Israel played the
harlot, and made the heritage of God, the Heavenly Father an abomination….
Yes Christians, God the Heavenly Father spoke through the Prophet
Jeremiah; telling Jeremiah to say to his people: “From the time I brought you
out of Egypt you have not listened to my Ten Commandments, you have not obeyed
my voice; although I have persistently warned you….
You, Israel, sacrificed burnt offerings that the Lord God your Heavenly
Father did not command….
Through
your stubbornness and stiff necks, you walked in your own will… and in the
perversity of your wicked hearts: you went backwards not forward....
Yes Christians, although the wicked and the powerful have their season,
their way is not truth, nor is it life….
Now Christians, if we look at some parallels between the Prophet Jeremiah
and our beloved Saint Paul we may remember that Paul taught us: “I count all
things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung that I
may gain Christ,” and as Saint John would say, “So that I may gain fellowship
with the Lord Christ Jesus.”
Yes
Christians, sing to the Lord God our Heavenly Father, and sing praise to the
Lord Christ Jesus: for their Righteousness is the judgment of humankind….
Christians, let us listen to the voice of Christ Jesus’ words and
teachings, his Gospel, and let us be mindful of this scripture; Jesus says:
“Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.”
Now Christians, although in our lives we may face… many trials and may
face… much distress, but do not look away from the truth; Jesus is the truth,
and in Christ Jesus: we have a grace and love that is greater than anything in
this world….
Remember, Saint Paul’s
teachings, “He was convinced that in all things we overcome because Christ Jesus
has loved us....
Saint Paul was sure
that 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 the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now Christians, in these Psalm verses, the Psalmist calls the Lord his
rock, and we should remember that Christ Jesus said, “Upon you Saint Peter my
Church will be built;” therefore, let us give the honor that is required to
those whom the Lord Christ Jesus has built his Church upon….
As well, let us urge one another unto love and good works; not forsaking
our own assembly, our community, as is the custom of some….
Rather, let us spur on one another, to walk in the union and fellowship,
to walk in the light of Christ Jesus’ Gospel, and so much the more… as we see
the day drawing nigh.
Yes
Christians, the Psalmist was well aware of death, mortal death, “Saying the
breakers of death surged round about me;” nonetheless, in our faith and because
of Christ Jesus’ grace and truth, if we choose faith over fear, than we know
that there is only one thing to fear, as taught to us by Christ Jesus: Jesus
says, I will show you what and whom to fear, “Fear him, who after he has killed
has the power to cast you into hell.”
Yes, Jesus says, “Fear this, fear him who once you have died can cast you
into hell.”
Christians remember
also, what Jesus taught his Apostles, who were so very excited that they could
cast out demons and heal in the name, of the Lord Christ Jesus; still, Jesus
says to them, “Rejoice not in these powers to cast out demons, and to heal, but
rather, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Yes Christians, our Lord Christ Jesus’ Gospel is spirit and life; and his
words and teachings give us the opportunity to receive eternal life, that is; if
we repent and believe in Christ Jesus’ Gospel of life....
Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful....
Amen.
Friday, March 30th
2018
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Isaiah 25:13 – 53:12
Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Philemon 2:8-9
Christians, imagine for a moment you are one of the
disciples walking with Jesus, and the Apostles across the Kidron, Valley....
Here you are walking with a man, the Promised Messiah, and he has
recently raised a man, Lazarus from the dead: imagine, the weather, the field,
your life, what can it all mean that Jesus is the Son of God – what your mind
must be filled with… besides awe and love….
Now Christians, one thing that we should not forget is, “God, the
Heavenly Father, and this includes, the Son, our Messiah, the Lord Christ Jesus,
and the Holy Spirit are the same today as they were yesterday, and will be the
same tomorrow: there is no changing the truth, and God is love, life, grace and
truth….”
Christians, a servant of
God, the Heavenly Father: seeks justice; they seek love of neighbor as they love
themselves, they seek to treat others as they would want to be treated; and they
seek the loving of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with all their hearts,
with all their minds, with all their souls, and with all their strength – this
then being, “First, seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s
Righteousness.”
Now, when we do
these things; we seek these things, then we shall prosper: we shall be raised
and greatly exalted for the word of the Lord, our God, the God of Abraham, the
Father of the Lord Christ Jesus – God’s word does not come back to him void; it
accomplishes the purpose for which it was spoken to do….
Now Christians, a concept that does not get enough attention, when we
pray and meditate, “Is how God allows his truth to be revealed to some and not
to others?”
For instance, when Jesus
is talking about his passion, about how he will be delivered into the hands of
men: Romans, the High Priest, and those who hate Jesus, because of the attention
he receives from the everyday people, the common folk… the Apostles did not
perceive what he was talking about: the meaning of what he was saying was hidden
from them [Hidden from their minds]….”
Now on the other side of this, Jesus tells Saint Peter: “Blessed are you
Simon Bar-jona: because flesh and blood has not revealed, this [Truth] to you,
but it was my Father, who is in heaven” [that has revealed this truth unto you
Peter.]
Now Christians, as we read
these verses in Isaiah we may notice a certain line of text, it says, “But the
Lord was pleased,” but before and after this line there are all these horrendous
things that befell this man, Jesus, which this text is speaking about: how can
the Lord, the loving Father, be pleased to crush his Son in our infirmities; how
can God the Father, be pleased that a grave among the wicked was to be his Son’s
dead body’s resting place; and how could God, the Lord, of all creation, be
please to allow such horrible things to happen to his most beloved Son, with
whom he was well pleased; and the simple answer is, “Because God knew with his
only begotten Son sacrifice, he would take away the sins of the world, and the
devil, Satan could no longer deride God for man’s/humankind’s inequities: for a
sacrifice was made for all the sins that have ever been committed, and for all
the sins that will ever be committed.
Now Christians, the spirituality of this text should not be overlooked
because it has the appearance of infighting between God and the Arch Angel
Lucifer, who was cast down to the earth, and is now known as the devil, but
nothing could be further from the truth: God the Father is light and truth, and
in him there is no darkness; therefore Satan had to be cast down to the earth,
and now is allowed to work his evil for a time, so men and women can see evil,
and choose good and choose life and choose truth that being, the Lord Christ
Jesus....
In a clearer example we
have Jesus whose face was set towards Jerusalem....
Now the Samaritans did not receive Jesus because his face was set towards
Jerusalem, and James and John, Apostles, who at this time had not yet received
the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, and were very much in the
flesh....
So they asked Jesus, “Do
you want us to command fire to come down and destroy the Samaritans,” but what
did Jesus do?
Because Jesus was of
the spirit, and because we too are now, in the spirit – we can now overcome our
flesh, Jesus rebuked James and John, saying “The Son of man came not to destroy
souls, but to save them;” God the Heavenly Father takes no delight in seeing any
of his people perish....
Still, some
of them prefer darkness to the light, of God, and they choose sin, and because
of this, Jesus will separate the wheat from the chaff, and the chaff will be
thrown into the unquenchable fire.
Now Christians, we read of Nicodemus, and how he asked Pilate for the crucified
body of Jesus of Nazareth....
Nicodemus and others took about a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes and burial
cloths, with spices, according to custom; they prepared the body for burial, and
placed the dead Jesus, in a new tomb that was in a garden, which was close by:
Jesus was buried and sealed in the tomb….
Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful….
Amen.