Friday, May 4th
2018
The Fifth Week of Easter
Acts 15:22-31
Psalms 57:8-10 & 12
John 15:15
Christians, Jesus said to his disciples; “This is my
commandment: love one another as I love you.”
Christians, since this is, a commandment; we should seek to find out the
ways that the Lord Christ Jesus loves, his disciples and loves us, so we can
learn to love, one another, as Jesus loves us…
Jesus did not indulge sin; in fact, in one teaching some Galileans came
rushing up to Jesus excitedly, being out of breath, telling him that Pontius
Pilate had killed some eighteen Galileans, but what does Jesus teach?
Jesus did not get all excited and say pick up your swords; let us head to
Pontius Pilate, and let us have it out with him – surrender your swords Pilate
or else, we will be unruly….
No this
is not what Jesus told these excited Galileans; rather he spoke to them this
teaching – this way of loving one another as Jesus loves us – saying, “Do you
think that these Galileans are more sinful than any of the other Galileans?”
Jesus says, “No, I tell you this, unless you repent of your sins and
believe in the Gospel you will surely perish;”
Jesus does not indulge sins.
Now Jesus was not sidestepping any responsibility; in fact, Jesus was
teaching his Apostles and other disciples who were there with him, the most
important thing that they should and could do; Jesus was teaching them the most
loving thing, we can say to another person; the most loving thing that we
ourselves can embrace, in our own hearts and minds; and this most loving and
wonderful thing is, what Jesus said to his disciples, “Repent or you will all
likewise perish.”
Jesus told this
same thing to all people, young and old, for Jesus truly loves us, and he knows
that unless we repent of our sins and sinfulness we will perish….
Now Christians, do you truly believe that a mandate from the Apostles:
the Apostles who received the gift of the Holy Spirit; the Apostles who were
with Christ Jesus, all the days of his ministry; the Apostles who witnessed the
Risen Saviour Christ Jesus that their instructions, their teachings are somehow
only equivalent, to other men who may have the wisdom of men; is this what you
are trying to reduce the Apostles teachings to: simply the teachings from men?
Christians, the words and teachings of the Apostles are teachings that
are one with Christ Jesus, and blessed through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit….
Now two-thousand years
later, a person claiming to have been filled with the Holy Spirit, yes there
should be some skepticism; still to try and reduce the Apostles to such
individuals is wrongheadedness….
We
see this same account, of wrongheadedness… about things inferred about Saint
John’s testimony, with the Book of Revelations; Saint John is not just another
person, who had a vision….
No Saint
John is one of Christ Jesus’ Apostles, and his vision is as if Jesus was
standing there, in person, dictating text to him….
Yes Christians, the Apostles were gathered and they prayed, and most
important: they were filled with the Holy Spirit….
The same spirit that they received when
they were all together: the disciples and Apostles; when there came a sound,
from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming that filled the entire house, where they
were sitting.
Whereas, the Holy
Spirit could be visibly seen, as parted tongues of fire that sat on each
disciple and Apostle of Christ Jesus: those who had gathered together on that
day of Pentecost, when Christ Jesus baptized his Apostles and disciples, with
the promised gift of the Holy Spirit….
So these same men, these disciples of Christ Jesus, when they sent Judas
and Silas with the message, it was a message that was, of one accord with Christ
Jesus, and this message was not, to put burden beyond what was necessary:
whereas to be in the life, of Christ Jesus’ truth and way, we are to abstain
from meats sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
from fornication, and from unlawful marriages….
Now Christians, we read in these psalm verses that the Psalmist is
steadfast, and why not?
For Christ
Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and will be the same for all the tomorrows,
now, and for all eternity: repent and believe in the Gospel or you will perish....
Yes Christians, sing out praise and thanks for the Lord Christ Jesus, for
he has given us: the spirit of truth; Jesus has given us life; and he has given
us the way for life and eternal life….
Awake your souls Christians and receive the gift of Christ Jesus’
Gospel….
Let Christ Jesus’ Gospel
fill you with life and truth and let us live with circumspect, of all the life,
and of all the dealings going on around us: so we will not be tricked or carried
away by a doctrine that may be appealing, but yet is false, and not of Christ
Jesus.
Let us put on the armor of
Christ Jesus’ Gospel, so that we will not fall or be tempted, by the wiles of
temptations, or by the children of the evil one….
Yes, let us know and understand that Christ Jesus’ Gospel is a double
edge sword – sharper than any knife; for it will cut the soul, from the spirit
and, it will bring the spirit of truth… to every situation at hand.
Now Christians, Christ Jesus has blessed us exceedingly; not only with
life and truth and the Holy Spirit, but he has also blessed us by calling us
friend, and by declaring that he has completed the work that the Heavenly Father
gave him to do… the work that God the Father gave to his Son, the Lord Christ
Jesus….
Now Christians, in the name
of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be thankful….
Amen….
Friday, May 11th
2018
The Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 18:9-18
Psalms 47:2-3, 5-7
SEE Luke 24:46, 26
Christians, hear the words and teachings of Christ Jesus
and know and believe that they are truth and life, for Jesus is truth, and he is
life; therefore see and understand that although we, weep, and mourn as the world
rejoices, our grief will become joy, and this joy will be based, on loving the
Heavenly Father with all our hearts, minds, souls and with all of our strength;
this joy will be based, on loving our neighbor as we love ourselves; this joy
will be based, on doing what is right and what is good; and this joy will be
based, on seeking the righteousness of the Heavenly Father and it will not be a
joy that delights in wickedness; it will not be a joy that deals falsely with
self and with neighbor; and it will not be a joy that is backbiting or of the
hating of God, the Heavenly Father, the creator of all things….
Now Christians, when Saint Paul tells us he had a vision of the Lord
Christ Jesus, telling him, “Do not be afraid,” we can put this witnessing into
our hearts with goodness, love, and grace or we can rebel against it, dismiss
it, laugh and mock it, but the truth is, “Saint Paul tells us he had a vision
from the Lord Christ Jesus, where Jesus tells him – ‘Do not be afraid and to go
on speaking the Gospel, and to not be silent.’”
Christians consider this: Jesus tells us that, “If we deny him before men
that he will deny us before the Heavenly Father.”
Jesus also tells us; “Get away from me, for, I know you not – to certain
individuals who believed in Jesus, with only lip service, and not in accordance,
with his words and teachings, with their hearts and minds.”
Furthermore, Jesus tells us, the only way that we can love God, the
Heavenly Father and himself, the Son the Lord Christ Jesus is by keeping his
words and teachings, by being faithful to his words and teachings; therefore
Christians we see that it is not only for immoral behaviors that we will be cast
into the unquenchable fires of everlasting condemnation, but we will be cast
into these same fires, for denying Christ Jesus, and for not speaking his Gospel
with love, with truth, with kindness and with goodness, when others try to get
us to accept the ways of the flesh, the ways of falseness, the ways of sin, and
the ways of the world….
Christians,
do not think that serving Christ Jesus is a fairy tale where everything is oh so
wonderful and pleasant, and that everybody loves Christians because they love
Jesus; such notions of sentimentality are completely false and misleading….
Rather remember and know that our early brothers and sisters were thrown
in with lions in Rome, at the Colosseum; remember and know that Saint Stephen
was stoned to death because he spoke the truth of Christ Jesus’ Gospel; remember
and know that each and every Christian who died for Christ Jesus considered it
better, to die for Christ Jesus, than to live with: the lies, the falseness, the
hate, the wickedness, the backbiting, and the hating of God, the Heavenly Father
that the children of the evil-one take delight in and take their pleasure….
Still Christians consider this as well: not only were Christians beaten
by the children of the evil one, but even Priests, who tried to imprison Saint
Paul, but failed – because the Roman Proconsul, Gallio refused to listen to the
Sosthenes, the synagogue official who tried to bring charges against Saint Paul,
for teaching Christ Jesus’ Gospel.
Yes Christians, we speak and live the Gospel of the Lord Christ Jesus because in
our inner most being we believe, it is truth and life….
Christians, the verdict is this: the light has come into the world, and
men, humankind, men and women loved darkness rather than the light; for their
works are evil….
Now Christians, Saint
Paul remained quite some time with the Christians in Corinth, in Achaia, and he
continued to speak the truth of Christ Jesus’ Gospel, but his brothers, the Jews
that rose against him: in speculation, they likely did not turn to Christ Jesus
and likely worked against Saint Paul all the time that he was in Corinth; still
a Church of Christ Jesus was established there and is present there even to this
day.
Now Christians, the Psalmist
sings, “God is the king of all the earth,” and we know that Christ Jesus is king
of kings and lord of lords; therefore clap your hands in the joy of the Lord
Christ Jesus; shout to God, the Lord Christ Jesus with cries and thanks of
gladness; for just look at this creation of earth and the universe and its
wonders, and look at man with his free will to live in truth or deny truth, then
know and understand that God is awesome, God is righteous, God is holy; and God
is life, truth, and the way of our salvation.
Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful….
Amen….
Friday, May 18th
2018
The Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 25:13-21
Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, & 19-20
John 14:26
Christians, Christ Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and he instructs us to follow him, and we follow Jesus the Messiah, the Lord and Savior: when we live according to his words and teachings; when we live according to his Gospel; when we love the Heavenly Father with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength and when we love our neighbor as we love ourselves – this… is following Jesus, the Son of God, the creator of heaven and earth…. Now Christians, when reading this account of Saint Paul being left in prison by Felix, for Festus to deal with – one thing we can realize is that politics have not changed in two-thousand years; people are still just people; individuals are still just individuals; what is corrupt and sin is still what is corrupt and sin…. However there is one thing that has changed: we now understand that the laws of God, our Heavenly Father were, not, abolished by Christ Jesus; we also realize that that the law is not the means of salvation; and that it is the person who is righteous by faith that will live and receive salvation; that it is from faith to faith, from Abraham to Jesus, from faith to faith…. Yes in Christ Jesus we may now find, new life; we can be born again – baptized with both water and spirit, the Holy Spirit.... Perhaps it is not necessary to clarify that we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit? Yet, when we understand and realize that temptations are also a spiritual presence, in our minds and hearts, and that we need to discern temptations and deny temptations, that is, not satisfy our temptations; that we must pick up our crosses daily and choose to live by and with and in the Holy Spirit – recognizing, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are: goodness, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, and longanimity and that we are to crucify our flesh with its vices and affections and crucify our flesh with its lusts and concupiscence, then perhaps, clarifying that our minds and hearts are subject to temptations of the flesh and that there is sin and sinfulness, but that we also have the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus’ grace, to overcome our flesh, then hopefully, we will see that hearts and minds are subject to temptations, but that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our temptations…. Now, while Saint Paul is sitting in prison waiting, patiently; he is praying in the Holy Spirit, and God the Heavenly Father is working in the minds, of Felix and Festus, bringing about his purpose: for God the Lord Christ Jesus has more work for Saint Paul to accomplish…. Christians, at this point, we may realize that with Saint Paul as with Christ Jesus, when Jesus tells his Apostles, ‘let us go back to Lazarus for my work is there!’ However, his Apostles remind him that the Jews but sought to destroy him, and they ask, “And you want to go back?” Still Jesus says to his Apostles, “Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walks in the day he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world: but if he walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.” Now so too was it with Saint Paul; although the Jews sought to destroy him, but since Saint Paul was walking in the light of Christ Jesus – Paul did not stumble, for God, the Heavenly Father was with him…. So after all the charges were brought against Saint Paul by his brothers and sisters, the chief priest, the elders of the Jews; seemingly God, the Lord Christ Jesus had different plans for Saint Paul, so Paul was shipped off to Rome to Caesar.... It is interesting to meditate on these verses, in the Acts of the Apostles: it could be said that God the Father harden the hearts of the Chief Priest and Elders for God knew that Saint Paul would end up, in Rome, and Rome is where God, the Father wanted Saint Paul…. Still that is only speculation and conjecture, which is different than reading and trying to understand and realizing the witnessing that the Apostles did speak and do…. Now Christians, the Lord, God our Heavenly Father has established his throne in heaven…. Yes Christians, be reminded of the words and teachings in the Book of Hebrews; specifically, where Saint Paul testifies: “That Christ Jesus whom God, the Father has appointed as heir, over all things, and by whom God, the Heavenly Father also created the world and established his throne in heaven!” Yes Christians, we know that Christ Jesus was with God, the Heavenly Father when he created the world because the word says, “In the beginning was the word and Christ Jesus is the word… made flesh.” Now Christians, because God is life and truth let us sing: “Bless the Lord, oh my soul and let us sing, 'Let all my being – bless his holy name!'” Christians, why would we, not, want all of our soul to bless the name of the Lord Christ Jesus: for Jesus is life and truth, and Jesus is the way of salvation…. Now Christians, Saint John writes and witnesses to what Christ Jesus taught them, the Apostles, for Jesus said: “I have spoken to you, while, yet I abide with you…. Still, after, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Heavenly Father will send in my name, will teach you all things that you need to know and will bring remembrance, to you, all the things that I have said, to you.” Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be thankful…. Amen…..
Friday, May 25th
2018
The Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
James 5:9-12
Psalms 103:1-4, 8-9, 11-12
SEE John 17:17
Christians, the Rabbi Jesus taught, the crowds gathered
around him, in the district of Judea….
Now Christians, let us look at judging, in the context that Saint James
teaches….
Saint James teaches; do
not complain about one another, brother to sister, so you will not be judged….
James teaches that the judge stands before the door, so be patient with
one another….
Still James also
teaches, in the Book of James: that we are not to be covetous; that we are not
to bear false witness against our neighbor – speak not evil one of another,
brethren; James also tells us to govern our bodies, using the simile – as a bit
controls a horse, we too must control our tongue for in doing so we bridle the
whole body; James teaches; that we are not to show partiality to one another;
that to all individuals we are to live Christ Jesus’ Gospel in grace and truth:
now speaking these Christ Jesus’ truths, James is not judging us or any person,
but he is being a faithful witness to God, the Heavenly Father’s Gospel that
being Christ Jesus the Messiah…. Yes
Christians in our holiness; we must endure hardships and we must choose to be
patient: one to another, Christian to Christian and people to people and
individual to individual and Christian to all of God’s creation; for love
endures all things; love bears all things; love believes Christ Jesus’ Gospel;
love hopes all things; and Christ Jesus’ grace and truth is the life of all
things….
Christians, we know the
holiness of God, the Heavenly Father’s prophets and Jesus tells us, ‘that
something greater than these is here;’ we know that the Prophet Job was holy,
but that he endured hardship, beyond hardship: that his joy was in God, the
Heavenly Father.
Now it is as if,
for Job, and other Prophets, such as Jeremiah, who endured such tremendous
sufferings, while in their holiness with God the Heavenly Father that God is the
center, of their lives, and their emotions: of grief, sorrow, happiness, that
all their emotions are like the planets orbiting the Sun: nothing, not any of
their emotions, can touch them, yet they are fully aware of all their
emotions…..
Now Christians, in the
holiness that exists because of God and the light that exists because of God,
when we speak and live Christ Jesus’ Gospel, we are not judging others; still,
God, the Heavenly Father’s Gospel, Christ Jesus, teaches us that in no way will
fornicators enter into the kingdom of heaven and if we witness this truth, we
are not judging fornicators; rather we are being faithful witnesses, of the
Gospel of Christ Jesus….
Now
Christians, Jesus teaches us, “Unless we turn that is be converted and become as
little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven;” therefore,
when we read, “But above all brothers and sisters, do not swear with any oath;
rather let your yes, be yes and your no be no:” do not set about trying to
justify swearing, with some intellectual argument....
For it is by faith, the faith of a child, and the understanding of what
this means, this faith that will keep us from condemnation: let your yes mean
yes and your no mean no….
Now
Christians, the Psalmist teaches that the Lord is kind and merciful, and the
Lord God, the Heavenly Father commands us, “Thou shalt not kill;” however, if a
person does kill, his brother, another individual, God the Heavenly Father
expects us to bring this individual to justice, in and earthly way, among
people….
For God, the Lord Christ
Jesus will assure judgment upon the person who murders: if that person does not
repent of their sin and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, for God the
Heavenly Father is just and righteous along with being merciful and kind, and is
the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow….
Christians, the Psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul; and all my
being bless his holy name,” and Christ Jesus teaches our Heavenly Father’s
Gospel…, by teaching that the first commandment is to: “Love the Lord God the
Heavenly Father with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength,
and with all your soul;” Christ Jesus’ Gospel is the Gospel of our Heavenly
Father, for the two are one, and in union with the Holy Spirit, yes, yes the
three are one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit….
Christians, again the Psalmist teaches… “Merciful and gracious is the
Lord: slow to anger and abounding in kindness; still the Psalmist says/teaches…
that God the Heavenly Father will not always chide nor does he keep his wrath
forever: Christ Jesus’ judgment is as assure as this morning sunrise; yes, yes
the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his works!”
Christians if you have ever pondered how great the kindness of the Lord
is, the Psalmist gives us a look at God the Heavenly Father’s kindness: Christ
Jesus' mercy, his kindness is; “For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so surpassing is God the Heavenly Father’s kindness toward those who fear him.”
“As far as east is from west, so far has he put our transgressions from
us:” great and merciful and kind is the Lord God, our Heavenly Father, for he is
just and righteous and rewards every person according to their works….
Now Christians, know this and believe this: Christ Jesus’ Gospel, his
words and teachings are truth; pray that we are consecrated in Christ Jesus’
Gospel, consecrated in truth.
Remember Christians, the Lord Christ Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life….
Now Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful….
Amen….