Stewardship of our food?

Stewardship. Stewardship and discipleship are one and the same. When we become a disciple, we also become a steward. I was reading just the other day about diet and nutrition, one of my hobbies. As I was reading, I came across the comment that a pound of fat is roughly equal to 3500-4000 calories. What does that have to do with stewardship? Everything in a way.

When my wife and I got married, I was roughly 380 pounds. I was a big fella. That's at least 180 pounds more than I should have been.  Even more so if some of those charts are right, and one of my doctors who indicates I should weigh about 180 pounds. That means that I alone had at one point in time enough fat on my body to have fed someone for an entire year. That really blows me away. That doesn't count all the times that I've lost weight, and then put it back on... every one of those pounds counts too.

As a steward of God's world, I believe we are responsible for every material possession that we get. We are supposed to use them for His glory, for His kingdom, for his children. Can I honestly say I am doing that if I consume enough of the food he gives me to gain hundreds of pounds, instead of using it to feed others? I know God still loves me. I know that he forgives me for my 'gluttony.' But I also know he wants me to do better.

What are some ways that we can take small steps to do better? What are some things we can do during Lent, to help us grow closer to God, and at the same time get our minds in the right place for the rest of our lives to give God glory?

The deserted places

Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
"If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.


"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."

Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, 
touched him, and said to him, 
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 


He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest 
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."


The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

These were two of the scripture readings from today's mass. They tie together in some obvious ways. The main obvious one is that they both deal with leprosy. But today it struck me that there is something hidden there, a jewel. A shadow of the cross. As our Priest read the Gospel reading today.. I was struck by how wonderful Jesus is.

You see in the first reading we see that the Jewish people didn't have a full understanding of Leprosy. They believed it was sin that caused it. That the person wasn't just unclean and diseased, but he reason they had leprosy in the first place was some sin in their life. They didn't know about bacteria and viruses, but God in his infinite wisdom taught them to help keep from spreading it as best as they could. So what happens in ancient Jewish culture when someone gets leprosy? They are ostracized. They are sent to live by themselves or in a colony of other lepers, until they get better.. if they get better.

Then flash forward to the year 30 or so AD and here we have Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Someone with leprosy, someone who would have been considered a sinner, came to Jesus to be healed. You see first off that Jesus sees the mans faith. After all the man says "If you wish, you can make me clean."  This man didn't ask for healing, he stated a fact. He knew that if it was God's will, it would be done! He knew who Jesus was. And Jesus did it! This was two fold... the person was not only healed, but if sin caused the leprosy.. then his sin was forgiven! Jesus forgave this mans sin, and told him to go to the priest to be declared clean, giving up his thanks to God in a sacrifice.

But the part that caught me today.. was that Jesus was then forced to goutside of town. He was forced into the deserted places. Jesus who had done no wrong, because of his glory and majesty, was instead put in the sinners place. The leper was the one who should have been in the deserted places, unable to come into town.. but Jesus.. the healer.. the King of Kings... shows us in a shadow of things to come, a shadow of his work on the cross.. that Jesus forgives our sins.. and takes our punishment... Just wow! How glorious is our God? Have you praised him today for taking your punishment?

In Christ,
Brian

Repost: Husbands and Wives

 Ephesians 5 22-24 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

This is a very unpopular verse. Mostly because it has been used in the past to make women subservient to their husband, with only he allowed to make decisions. That was not the intent of this passage at all. I will get to that later. First I want to talk bout how the husband is supposed to act.

Ephesians 25-32 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Take a moment and let that sink in. There are a few characteristics that we can look at immediately about how we are to treat our wives. Mainly, we can look at how Christ lived his life for the church. Christ came into this world with one goal, to redeem his people to God. To bring his church into himself. We are after all the body of Christ. Christ LIVED literally for the church. He gave his life, his precious blood, for us. He suffered and died, just for the church. 

Well husbands, we've got some serious shoes to fill, don't we. We are to love our wife, even when she doesn't deserve it! Not just when she loves us back, but period! Christ didn't come down for the saints, he came for the sinners! The people who turned their back on him! We have to love our wives, even when we don't particularly like her! I believe every couple has that moment as well. The moment when they are definitely not happy with their spouse. Be it when someone spent a great deal of money, without even consulting the other. Or someone hid something from the other. That doesn't excuse us! We still have to love her! 

So what does the first verse tell us then? The one about wives submitting to their husbands? Well it doesn't seem to make sense if you think of marriage as a union, in which you just dissolve it when you don't agree anymore. It's not! Marriage is not something that we just leave when we have a disagreement. Someone has to have the deciding vote. Many people will tell you it's just the man, but it's not. It's God! The man should be approaching God with the problem and saying Father, help me to solve this in your will! Then he should be going to his wife, and saying “You mean more than my own life, what is your opinion in this matter?” Then out of love and trust in the Lord, he should decide. Even if the two members do not agree, they should abide by that decision. Because it was approached with ultimate love for one another, and love for God. 

Women love your husbands! Respect them! Help edify them, lord knows we men need our wives support. Men love your wives, more than yourself. No man who loves his wife more than his own life will hold it over her head that he is put in charge of the final vote. He would instead cast that final vote in love for her! Or even step aside and say I love you so much, that we are going to do what you want to to do, even if it's not what I want to do, as long as it's God's will. 

Remember Christ came as a servant, he served the church even though he was it's King. You are to be your wives servant, even if you are the head. That's what it means to be spiritually the head, that you have went above your own wants and needs and are looking for hers. Because she is being obedient to God by submitting to you, you must be obedient to God and submit to her! 

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

In Christ, 
Brian

Epiphany

Today at our church we celebrated Epiphany. I remember hearing that word the first time when I was in the 12th grade. It had no religious connotations to me at all, it simply meant something to the effect of 'a eureka moment.' That moment when you went 'Ah hah!' because you had figured out something you had long been contemplating. It was the name of a poetry magazine/booklet that many of us were very happy to have our words printed in. I don't even remember what I wrote about, just that the word Epiphany was etched on the front.

As a protestant growing up we didn't celebrate these seasons. We only celebrated Christmas and Easter. Christmas was a day, Easter was a day. After the 25th the tree came down, thoughts returned to every day life. It was over till Easter. The Catholic faith has a much different view of life. Christmas is a season! We celebrate not just his birth and death, but his baptism, the assumption, the annunciation of his birth, etc. We celebrate everything about Christ, even when we are in ordinary time.  We attempt to make our lives about Christ and reflecting Christ.

So today we discussed Epiphany. Epiphany is the celebration of the wise men journeying/arriving to see the young Jesus. We are reminded that they saw a star in the Heaven's, a mysterious light that led them to the King of the Jews. They came to give him gifts and pay him homage. We don't think about the word homage much. It means something to the effect a public declaration of their allegiance, to show him respect. Isn't it interesting that three magi, three gentiles were one of the first people to come and declare their allegiance to Christ? To bring him gifts?

Epiphany has many deep theological levels, but the one that sticks out the most is that they saw his light, or something that pointed to him, and they kept searching till they found him. Today on this epiphany I am reminded of something my priest said one day, about how that Jesus Christ is inside each of person, even if they aren't aware of it yet. You see we are made in the image of God, and if we look hard enough, we will see his reflection hidden somewhere deep under someones flesh. Jesus reminds us of that when he tells us everything you do for the least of these, you have done for me; and likewise everything you do not do for the least of these, you have not done for me.

Epiphany reminds me to look for that light. That even in the face of someone I cannot stand, I should be looking for their light. That even my enemy deserves the basic dignity of human life, because he is made in the image of my creator. That Jesus is in the world in very special ways, and I should be looking for him. Searching for him every single day. Until I arrive at his feet, bringing what meager gifts I can muster up, to pay him homage.

Help me Lord to find you both in prayer, in my heart, and in the faces of the broken and bruised of this world. Help me to see your face and to remember that I when I am looking into the eyes of a brokenhearted, angry, or sad individual that I am looking not only at them, but through them to the reflection of you inside. Help me to go out of my way to help them find that image in them, that they too will be led to go out searching for you. Until searching for you becomes our very existence. I pray for a world where everyone searches for you so fully, that to find you in our world we only have to turn and look to the very  next person we see.

In Christ,
Brian

Faith is a Verb

Faith. The word is often used by us Christians to be synonymous with 'belief'. But it's much more than that. It does indeed mean belief, but it also means action. Faith is a gift from God. He has given us both the ability to have a supernatural belief, one in something we cannot see, and to have knowledge of the way to express that faith. You see, faith doesn't just speak of you believing in God, it speaks of you expressing that through your actions.

Everything you do during the day should express faith. Do you live your faith? Do you show others by your very actions that you believe the basic creeds? Do you live your life in a way that shows that you believe this life is just the start of an eternity? Or do you live your life like death is the end? Do you live your life in a way that shows that you truly believe you are forgiven for your sins? Or do you live your life in a way that makes others doubt God's forgiveness? Does your very attitude toward God show an appreciation for what he did on the cross? Or does it make grace out to be something cheap, and disposable?

The Nicene Creed is a basic list of the things we believe, do you think about this during the day? About what we truly do believe?

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

In Christ,
Brian

6 Covenants

Yesterday I wrote about covenants and why they are important to understanding God and His relationship with us. Today I want to write about 6 major covenants and their signs. I think understanding God's plan as it is laid out for us in scripture is very beneficial to understanding our duty as Christians.

First I'd like to list the people involved in those six covenants: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus the Christ.

The Covenant with Adam

The covenant of Adam was one of a marital bond. God told them to be fruitful and multiply. He created a covenant with the mother and father of the entire human race, one that was fulfilled by Christ. In the covenant bond God declared that there would be enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent. Genesis 3:15. The sign of this covenant was the Sabbath day. For the very first full day of mans existence was spent in the Sabbath.

The other thing to notice is that Adam fulfilled a covenant role. He was the Husband of the covenant under the form of a marriage. We'll talk about the role and form of each of the major covenant men as we go through, they are important to note.

The Noahic Covenant

The covenant between God and Noah occurs after the flood. The only people left on the planet alive are Noah and his family. God promises never to flood the world again to destroy it and then gives the seven laws of Noah (Genesis 9) God declares that the sign of the covenant will be the bow he has placed in the sky after a storm (the rainbow).

Now we see that Noah fulfilled a covenant role as well. He was the father of the family the covenant was made with, the form of the covenant now goes from marriage to household. God made his first covenant with a man and woman, now he makes it with an extended family.

The Abrahmic Covenant

Abraham was called out of his native land and brought with him some of his extended family, his household and servants. We are unsure as to how many people this tribal chieftain brought with him but the numbers were likely in the hundreds at least, but could easily have numbered in the thousands. When God made his covenant with Abraham it included ALL of them. All men, servants included were to be bound by the covenant. (Genesis 17:9-14)

Now we see that we have another covenant where Abraham fulfilled a covenant role. He was the chieftain of a tribe, the form of the covenant now goes from a household to a tribe! We are starting to see a pattern here, where God is starting to include more and more people in his covenant promises.

The Covenant with Moses

Then comes Mount Sinai. God makes a covenant with a people. He declares his words from the mountain top and after hearing just the ten commandments, the people don't want to hear his voice anymore. They are afraid of God. They ask Moses instead to listen to God and then come and tell them the rest of it. So Moses does so. In the end Moses writes down everything God has commanded and it's 612 different commands. The people agree, this 'we will do.' (Exodus 19:8) The sign of this covenant was the passover meal.

Here we see that God has now made a covenant with a nation! 12 tribes have now become a single nation under the 'constitution' of the law of Moses! It's no longer just the family, or just the tribe.. but the entire nation of Israel! Moses again fulfills a role in the covenant, the role of judge.

The Davidic Covenant

The Davidic covenant established a kingdom. This created a situation in which people under the jurisdiction of the king would be coming to visit, to pay taxes etc. This exposed many nations to the ways of the Lord God, and even shows us that God showed himself to the Gentiles and they learned to worship the one true God. God's plan is in motion, and has already changed from one marriage, to a tribe, to a nation to a Kingdom!

God promised a throne that would last forever through David's 'son' and the sign of this covenant is the throne of David! David's role was king.

The New Covenant

The final covenant, the one that fulfilled all others and formed a new and everlasting covenant is the covenant formed by Jesus Christ. Though Jesus Christ salvation was extended to all nations, all peoples, every race and creed! God extended his covenant promises beginning with the just a single man and woman, to include the entire human race! (It was his plan from the beginning!) He fulfilled the covenant promise of the Sabbath by becoming Lord of the Sabbath, and becoming a means of eternal rest and emulation of God. Where as the Sabbath was the way the Isrealites emulated God and gained much needed rest, through Jesus Christ we find a much more perfect way of emulating God while also providing rest and peace to our neighbors and ourselves.

He fulfilled the covenant of Noah by providing a way that mankind will never be destroyed again. By bringing eternal life, by bringing us through the waters of baptism, into a new life. We are no longer under threat of death, but God has seen His rainbow and not only remembered His promise(as if He needed to be reminded) but has provided the way for ALL people to be saved!

The Abrahmic covenant required circumcision for the promises of God, to bring people into God's family. Jesus fulfilled the promise to Abraham by extending the spiritual descendents of Abraham to every nation, thereby fulfilling the promise that Abraham's descendents would be more numerous than the stars! (Genesis 26:4)

Where as the Mosaic covenant required men who broke to be under the curse of death, Jesus himself took that curse and bore it that we might be freed from the law. The law is not done away with, but fulfilled! Fulfilled by God himself!

As a direct descendent of King David, Jesus as a son of David established an eternal throne, just as God promised fulfilling the covenant of David to completion. Now the kingdom has been established with the Heavenly throne and the Son will reign forever!

The New Covenant, which made the old obsolete (Hebrews 8:13) and replaced it with a 'better' one, did not destroy them or make them meaningless. It fulfilled them! It gave us a new sign, a new seal whereby we show our faith in God. We no longer circumcise, but we baptize into the family of God! We no longer celebrate Passover, but instead we participate in communion!

You see Jesus also had a role in the New Covenant, many of them in fact. Not only was He the sacrifice to seal the covenant, but He was the High Priest! Just like the other covenants it extended the scope of God's salvation to the extent that it was original intended. From a marriage, to a family, to a tribe, to a nation, to a kingdom, to the Church. We are under the New Covenant of God, and our sign is Holy Communion, do this in memory of Him! Think about that for a second! The sign of our covenant is in fact the Blood of Jesus Christ!

Now the question becomes, which covenant are you living under? What are some of the other signs that have been 'fulfilled' with new versions, shadows that have been brought to light?

In Christ,
Brian

What is a Covenant anyway?

What is a covenant? A covenant is an agreement with two unequal parties. Covenants were a vital part of the culture in the early times of mankind. The king would make a covenant with his vassal, someone who couldn't give him anything in return, and the king would be bound to keep his promise. God made a covenant with Abraham, and the bible gives us a description of that covenant.

God gives us a vision of the covenant between him and Abraham. Abraham has divided animals in half and placed them opposite each other. Then in his vision he sees a torch and a pot pass between them. This was a binding covenant. God was saying if I break my promise to you, then I shall be torn in half just like these animals. That's a powerful thing! And remember, God had no one more powerful to swear by so He made the promise by Himself! God cannot break this promise. That's the entire concept of the covenant.

Yet it also shows us that there is a blessing AND a curse. If we break the covenant, we will be just like those animals, dead. This is why the wages of sin is death. If we break our promise to God, we deserve death. And the bible tells us ALL have sinned. In fact, if we examine our consciences we know we have sinned. God also made a covenant with Moses at Sinai. This is what most refer to as the Old Covenant. It begins with the ten commandments, and when all is said and done contains 612 different rules and regulations. Imagine that! 612 different things you have to follow to stay in good standing with God!  So what does the old covenant have to do with us?

The Bible tells us that when Jesus was on the cross, He became the curse for us. That doesn't mean that Jesus was the curse. It means that HE took our curse. That is why it tells us that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant. Because we could not keep the sin free life, we deserved the curse, death. So Jesus took it in our place! He died for us that the covenant would be fulfilled.

That is also why Paul says if we go back under the Old Covenant, we have to keep ALL of it. Because if we do not, we are breaking the covenant.. and instead of a blessing we will receive the curse. It's how a covenant works! It doesn't change, it isn't gone.. the law is still there.. but we aren't under the law, we are under the New Covenant, the Covenant of grace.

That doesn't make us free to do whatever we want. We have our own moral codes to try and live by, but if anyone tells you that you have to follow the Old Law to be sealed into God, or that we have to receive a mark that involves the Old Law, and not the New, then if we follow the Old Covenant, we have to follow all 612 commands, not just 10 or 1.

Does that mean the ten commandments are bad? No. They are a beautiful way of judging morality and we should indeed use them in our lives. But we aren't 'under' them. They are not our seal with God. The Bible clearly tells us that the seal of God is the Holy Spirit. So go forth, continue to learn what the New Covenant is, and how the early church formed. Study the early church fathers and their works, and find out what the covenant we are under means to us. It's not free or cheap grace, but it's still a light burdern and easy yoke.

Was Abraham's the only covenant? How many different covenants are there in the old testament? What are some of the 'signs' of those covenants? What is the sign of the Christian covenant?

In Christ,
Brian

Advent - Which way should I go?

During Advent we often ask ourselves, or should ask ourselves, which way should I go? Life is filled with paths and forks, easy paths and hard, good paths and bad. One of my favorite poems as a child, which inspired me to begin writing my own poetry, was Robert Frosts, "The Road Not Taken". How many of us are at those very same forks in the road? How many of us are looking to find which road we should walk down?


Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”1

In the Bible, God is compared many times to a shepherd. How deep that statement is. It seems so simply on the surface but there are so many little pieces of the puzzle that fit together once we begin to look at God not just as the King, the Prophet, the Almighty Creator.. but in the light of a lowly shepherd. What does a shepherd have to do with the above quote?

Shepherds walk behind their flock. As they walk behind them they watch out from their vantage point to make sure everyone is moving the way they should be going. He knows where to take them for the best grass, the water, and to the safety of the rocks or their home. He guides them with his staff and with his voice, calling out direction from behind as they walk forward. His watchful eyes are on all of His sheep, making sure that each one of them gets to the place He knows is best for them.

Isaiah reminds us of this fact. That just like the sheep in this illustration we should be listening for God's voice as we go through our lives. We listen for Him to tell us through our conscience, through our prayers, through the signs He sends us to 'This is the way; walk in it.' All too often we try to be the voice of God, telling others the way. We try to stand in the middle of the pack, yelling out at the other members 'No, not that way!' Instead we should be teaching them instead to listen for the voice of God, to find God's will for themselves. We should be reminding them of the sources they can go to to find God's word, both the written and the living. We should lead them to good shepherds as well that God has appointed, that can help them in their walk.

What are some ways that we can find God's will in our life? What are some ways we can begin to encourage others to listen for that still small voice?

In Christ,
Brian

1. Isaiah 30:21

Advent - The least of these

As a parent there seems to be an unwritten rule. When someone does something nice for your children, we tend to make a mental note of it and remember to do something nice for that person. We the parent, feel responsible for repaying others when they do things for our children. It's not because those people want to be paid back. In fact, I have many beautiful friends who do wonderful things for our children that I know do it out of the golden hearts they possess. Then again, maybe it's a southern thing? 'When someone does something nice for you, you should do something nice back.' I remember hearing that growing up. Even though that person is doing something nice for your child, we the parents feel it is something nice for us! Being nice to our kids, IS being nice to us; that's how much our children mean to us.

I was just reading the morning paper when I came across an article about a man who came face to face with a homeless woman. It was a startling for the writer of that article to come face to face with a woman he knew. A woman he watched grow up as a child. She disappeared after her fourth child and the parents next door simply began raising their grand kids. Like most 'good' neighbors he never commented on it, simply noticed and walked on. Then one day walking downtown he heard a feeble voice call out for money, and mentioned the name of their home town. He turned and there was the girl. He talked to her for a while about the town, her children, her mom and dad. In the end he gave her all the money in his wallet.

As he walked away he began looking around, trying to see each person as a son or daughter. As a person, not just as a 'homeless beggar.' It touched him. It took seeing someone he actually knew in the face of a beggar to bring his heart to realize they were people. Some have problems yes. Some are drug users, some drunks, some have mental illness. Some are just down on their luck. All of them are someone's child.

You and I as Christians have been charged that 'whatever we do for the least of these, we do for'1 Jesus Christ. How much more prominent does that stick in our mind when we compare it to how we treat our own children? Every person is made in God's image. Every person has that divine image in them. If it pleases us to see others do good for our own children? How much more so does it please God? On the converse, when someone turns their nose up to our children... how much does it break our heart? To see those children hurt?

This Advent, as we prepare for our Christmas gatherings, as we gather with our friends and family to share with one another the blessings that God has given us, as we look for gifts for family and friends; let us also keep in mind those who are less fortunate. Let's look for Jesus in the face of every person we meet. Even if they aren't particularly pleasant. Even if they seem strange and aloof. Let us look for ways to help the widow and the orphan, the prisoner, the homeless. Look for ministries that give, leave a present on the porch of someone you know is having problems, buy a coat for a child whose family can't afford one.

What are some ways that you can help? What are some ways that you can remind yourself that every person you walk by is made in the image of God? Remember, people have entertained angels unaware.

In Christ,
Brian

1. Matthew 25:31-46

Advent: Our lampstand

I am often reminded of the comment made by Gandhi that is often quoted at Christians by those who disagree with them.

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it's not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time.1

Often this is thrown into the face of someone when the other wants them to realize how hypocritical Christians are. I have to agree. Many of us, myself included, often do not live up to the person that Christ wants us to be. In fact, in my own case, I fall very far short of the mark. Our goal in life should be to be transparent. What do I mean by that? The bible tells us that we are "the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."2

If we are the light of the world we must think of ourselves in terms of that light. In fact, we should consider the light bulb. The light bulb is a simple device, in which you have a light source inside and clear glass outside. The power sources comes in and illuminates the interior, and then the light shines out through the glass. If the glass were opaque, the light would be changed. If it were dark, it would be darkened. If the outside were made of rock, we'd never see the light.

The same is true about us, that is what I mean by being transparent. We are told by John that the "The true light that gives light to everyone"3 was Jesus Christ. In order for us to be true lights, we must share our light to the world.  By allowing our lives to reflect Christ we become transparent like glass. Sometimes we harden our hearts, like rock; at these points the light is trying to shine but we hide it. Other times we let ourselves get in the way. We hear God calling us to do something but we try to change it; we interfere with the light. The light still shines through, but it's being blocked by our opaqueness. When we truly let go and let God, we become transparent and the world will not see us at all.. just the light.

As Gandhi's quote reminds us Jesus said we cannot serve God and Mammon. During this Advent as we prepare for Christmas let us spend more time at the altar of God, emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas. All too often we turn it into a commercial nightmare, seeing who can get the most gifts, decorate the most lights, have the biggest tree. Let us instead let our light shine in every action, including our Christmas celebrations. Do not "light a lamp and put it under a bowl."4  Instead allow God to light your lamp and allow Him to shine through to the world.

In Christ,
Brian



1 Attributed to Gandhi by William Rees-Mogg in The Times [London] (4 April 2005)
2 Mathew 5:14-16
3 John 1:9
4 Mathew 5:15

Advent: Three Wise Men

Most Christians would agree that we don't know how many wise men there were. Likely there were more than three, but over the years our nativity scenes have included those three men to indicate the number of gifts recorded in specific detail in the nativity story.

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.1

The first lesson we get from the wise men is in how they found Jesus. They watched! It's unclear why they were watching, but they were looking for a sign. They might have known Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9:24-7) or they could even been aware of the old testament calling for a king of the Jews. Regardless of how they knew, they responded to the signs. They had seen His star in the East, they were watching for it!

Do we respond to the signs in our life that God is active? When we see something or hear something that seems to indicate God is working, and that He is among us do we follow the signs? Do we look for Him? Or do we think "It's but a coincidence." Do we set out on the journey that is laid out before us, looking for the King of Kings? Or do we go back into our homes and ignore Him until Sunday rolls around again?  Are we 'watching?' Jesus said specifically, Watch! Are we watching?

Next, they offered gifts. In each of these gifts they acknowledged Jesus not only as King, but as priest, and as Messiah. They offered gold, a standard gift for a King. They offered frankincense, an offering for one of the priests to God. They offered him Myrrh, a burial ointment.   They acknowledged Him as who He was, and offered it up to Him.

Do we offer ourselves up to God? Acknowledging Him as King, Priest, and Savior? Or do we only acknowledge part of that? Do we realize that as our King He is the rule and guide of our faith? That obedience to His word is necessary? Or do we only see Him as the priest, who did the sacrifice for us, who officiates the offering that clears us of sin? Or do we only see Him as savior, the man who died in on the cross? We as Christians need to acknowledge Him as all three. Both the victim and the victor. Both the King and the servant.

What are some ways that we can offer our lives to Christ as a gift? What can we do to show that we acknowledge Him as our King? What can we do to show that we acknowledge Him as our Priest? What can we do to show we acknowledge Him as the Savior?

In Christ,
Brian



1. Mathew 2:11

Advent: The Corporation

 There once was a billion dollar corporation which had just opened a new branch in a country that was in the middle of an economic depression. Thousands upon thousands of men and women applied for the jobs, thousands for every single position. In the end there was only three positions left, all with the same title and job duties.

The first person chosen for the job was an experienced person. She had many documents saying she was qualified. She had the training, job experience, and the education necessary to perform the job. They gave her an Employee Manual full of rules and regulations, and expected her to follow it.

The second person chosen for the job had worked hard to get her application noticed. During her interview she quoted the employee manual consistently and verbatim. She knew exactly what the company wanted and how they wanted it done. They still gave her a copy of the Employee Manual and expected her to follow it.

The third person chosen for the job didn't even apply. In fact she didn't deserve the job. She had no qualifications, and she didn't know what to do. She had no idea why they chose her, but in the end she still got the job. They gave her a copy of the Employee Manual and told her to follow it and everything would be fine.

Over the next few years each of them responded in a different way. The first person hired felt she was too good for the job. She felt like the company had come to her, not her to the company. She didn't care what was in the employee manual. She did everything how she felt it should be done, after all, she was good at what she did. In the end she was fired, because she didn't follow the rules.

The second person followed every single rule, just like a robot. She simply did what she had to do, and never anything more or less. She followed every word exactly the way it was written. In the end she too was fired, because she didn't produce for the company. They wanted more than the bare minimum.

The third woman realized that the company had chosen her, not for anything she had done, but out of generosity and heart. She tried her best to follow every single rule, even though she wasn't perfect and failed at times. She went above and beyond making sure the company came first, trying to repay them for the hope they had given her. She talked to others about the company and how generous they were and brought good, hard working, honest men and women to work there as well. All the while sharing as much as she could about the Employee Manual and what she had learned from it. She is still with the company and always will be.

You see the kingdom of Heaven is much like that corporation and the Word of God like the Employee Manual. Do we feel like we deserve Heaven because of all the good things we have done and how good we are? Do we feel sometimes like if we follow the book close enough, doing just exactly what it says and nothing more, then we will have to keep our position? Or are we like the third woman, who realizes we have done nothing to earn it, and likely shouldn't even have it.. but we work hard, try our best, and keep doing what we can to share it with others... that we do what we know we should, and as much as we can on top of that.. not because it gets us the job.. but because we love the One who gave it to us?

 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 1


In Christ,
Brian



1. Ephesians 2:1-10

Advent: Simeon the Elder

One of the questions I think very apropos to us during Advent, is how do we respond to Jesus in our lives? As we prepare for His return and celebrate His birth; do we often think about the many ways He is right here with us? One of the things we can learn from is the attitude of Simeon the Elder. Simeon we are told by the scriptures was a just and devout man of Jerusalem who had received a promise from God that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.

Do we cling to God's promises? Simeon did. He trusted that when God said it would happen, it would. God has promised us many things in our lives. Do we stand firm on His word and promises and believe them? Or do we go through life simply professing but not really hoping on those promises? Simeon in fact lived with the right attitude.

“Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God.”1

The word used in the Greek for took is decomai. This word has an inflection to mean not just 'take' as we say it in English, but also to 'receive' in a warm affectionate way. Simeon received Christ! He not only stood on God's promises, but the moment he saw Jesus he received him loving into his arms, and he thanked God! That's an amazing thing! If God told you that you would live until you saw someone, would you receive that person with joy and gladness? Most of us would run and pretend we didn't see them at all. But Simeon praised God for it! He praised God for the Messiah, for the baby Jesus and said:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”2

Simeon received Christ warmly, with affection and love, then he praised God for what God had done! Then he proceeded to declare that he was ready to die in peace. Do we respond that way when God has provided? "Lord if you let me live through this, I'll never drink again!" "Lord just take away this pain and I'll never ask again", "Lord just let me make it to the place on time, and I'll die a happy man"..... All too often we think of God as an ATM and prayer the pin number. Simeon's testimony reminds us to stand on God's promises, to trust in them, and to thank him for every blessing; and above all to trust that God's plan is the right one.

What are some of the ways you can receive Jesus on a daily basis with open arms? Are we willing to embrace the Christ openly even if it means that our time has come to an end?

In Christ,
Brian

1 Luke 2:28
2 Luke 2:29-32