Peace Within...Only From Him

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 14:19-28 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 14:27-31a ~~~

 

“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”

 

If we consider the many hardships of just the Blessed Mother Mary

and Joseph before Jesus was even born we see they had hardships.

It seems that if you want to be associated with Jesus

 expect to have a few challenges along the way.
Their joy was quickly tempered by their fleeing from a demented ruler.
How could anyone feel threatened by an infant?
Time after time those who follow Jesus are faced
with ridicule and false accusations.
It takes strong faith and conviction to face death for what you believe,
but we have many martyrs in the early church who did just that...
they gave their life to enter into the Kingdom of God. 

 

'...they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.'

 

 Our faith is built up by hearing the faith stories of others.
The more we hear the more likely we are to also believe.
We can see the enthusiasm of our peers...
those like us, and we too become inspired to a deeper faith.
 

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 

Do not be afraid to share your story of how God has worked in your life.
What may seem as insignificant to us may be just what someone else needs to hear.
Every time we share our story it serves as a reminder to ourselves.
A reminder of how God is alive and real.
How he is with us, present now in our life.
He always has been and he always will be...until the end of the ages.

In our world today it can be challenging to think of peace.
There seems to be more than enough reasons for us to doubt
the possibility of ever living in a peaceful world again.

It only takes a few minutes of watching the news
before we realize what a violent world we live in today.
We must be vigilant of our personal safety at all times.
And yet there is no way to protect oneself from senseless violence.

Jesus does give us peace, but as he says it is not the peace our world can give.
We must look for the peace from God within our soul.
This is where we will find the peace from him.
This interior peace, when cultivated, can calm us as
we live in this world of ours.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

 

 If you are living life to the best of your ability,
 the manner in which God has commanded,
 then you have no reason to have troubled hearts strangled with fear.

Many times in scripture we hear Jesus say...
be not afraid it is I.
Perhaps we should focus more intently on his peace on a regular basis.
Whenever I feel afraid I picture my guardian angel
enveloping me in his/her wings of protection.

The Peace from God is another Blessing of Easter
that we can meditate on today.
Look for ways to bring more peace into your life;
it is good for your soul.

Only Through the Power of God

~~~ Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena ~~~

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 14:5-18 ~~ Psalm 115 ~~~ John 14:21-26 ~~~

 

Do not be satisfied with little things,

 because God wants great things. Letter T127

The human heart is always drawn by love. Dialogue 26

 The above are quotes from Saint Catherine of Siena,

 Doctor of the Church.

 

 Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

The disciples went about healing and doing the work of God.

They consistently resisted the temptation to take any credit for themselves.

Barnabas and Paul tried to stress to the people their humanness...

saying we are just the same as you.

 

They realized that under their own power they were nothing.

All the good they were able to accomplish was through the power of God.

They allowed God to use their hands and inspire their words.

We can ask God to use us in a manner that is pleasing to him.

 

"...The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name–
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you."

 

Jesus promised that the Father would send down the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit came then and continues to come down upon all of us.

 

The Holy Spirit comes down opening our minds and hearts to understanding.

The Holy Spirit keeps the word alive;

providing for us what we need for our soul. 

 

The Advocate...

The dictionary says...

one that pleads the cause of another; specifically :

one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court...

 one that defends or maintains a cause or proposal...

one that supports or promotes the interests of another. 

 

 The grace of the Holy Spirit gives us insight

into God's plan for our lives.

The Holt Spirit inspires us into being all

that God intends for us to be. 

 

The Holy Spirit is our connection today with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit moves freely in and out of our daily lives.

Do you even notice when the Spirit is present?

Begin to become more aware;

it will bring you much joy and comfort.

 

'Stand up straight on your feet'

knowing that God has sent the Holy Spirit for you.

 

We begin now to anticipate the formal sending down

of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

 

So very many Blessings of Easter.

We are so very loved.

Love Like Jesus: He Commands

~~~ Fifth Sunday of Easter ~~~

 

~~Acts of the Apostles 14:21-27~~Psalm 145~~Revelation 21:1-5a~~John 13:31-33a, 34-35~~

 

After Judas has left the group of men closest to Jesus...

after he had humbly washed their feet...

this is when he speaks of love.

 

Knowing that he was about to be betrayed by one from his inner circle...

one who had walked with him, broken bread with him,

 heard him speak words of healing and compassion;

this is the moment when Jesus commands us to love.

 

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

 

It is easy to give commands to those who are under your control.

Parents give their children commands.

Military personnel give commands to those under them.

You know some common commands...

come here, stand up, sit down, stop.

We are good at giving our dogs commands.

We expect them to obey;

giving them rewards for their prompt response.

 

Jesus gives us the command to love at a time in his own life

when most of us would hardly consider a time of love.

 

His message to his apostles seems to be no matter what

I am commanding you to love...even in the face of pain, sorrow,

and certain death.

 

But how does one command another to love?

Love is a strong emotion, given freely to others.

It is not as simple as sitting or standing.

Love is very complex.

Jesus led by his example; this is why he can command us to love.

 

 

The chemical emotion of love is strong stirring up passion,

but perhaps the love Jesus speaks of today is the love

through which we make a conscious deliberate

decision toward loving another.

 

This love is not driven by chemicals this love is driven by our intellect.

Jesus is commanding us to see the world as it is with all of its

shortcomings and love anyway.

This is the greatest commandment because it is precisely very difficult.

Loving those who would do us harm goes against our natural instinct to love.

 

Why would you want to feel love for someone

who wants to hurt or betray you?

 

I believe the message today is to love in spite

of not having the feelings of love.

Love even those who would wish harm to come upon you.

 

So many times we see Jesus exhibiting compassionate unconditional love,

but his love for Judas surpasses all.

Our society today is filled with many reasons not to love.

 

If we are to be true followers of Christ

then we must go beyond the emotions of love.

We must obey the command of Jesus to love others.

 

This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.

 

We must love when we do not feel love in our heart.

We must love when it goes against every fiber of our being;

this is the kind of love Jesus shows us in today's Gospel.

 

Love is not just for those for whom it comes easily;

love is for all including those we would rather not have in our life.

 

Ask God to show you how to love like him.

This may be one of the great blessings of Easter.

 

Pray for those you find difficult to love.

Pray for those you do not want to love.

 

The Saints are wonderful examples of how to love at all times.

The Mystery of Three

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 13:44-52 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ John 14:7-14 ~~~

 

There is a cross called the Trinity Cross that depicts the three persons...

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

 

This a great mystery of faith...three persons in one God.

The disciples could not grasp this concept no matter

how many times Jesus tried his best to explain it to them.

 

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

 

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me...

 

Every time Jesus says that he comes to do the will of the Father he is

revealing his union with the Father.

When Jesus promises to send down the Holy Spirit after he returns to the Father

he is revealing his connection with the Spirit.

 

The union of the three is something unique unto God.

Things unique to God are not meant for us to comprehend.

They are matters of Faith.

 

234. "The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life.

It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith,

 the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching

in the 'hierarchy of the truths of faith'. [GCD 43.] The whole history of salvation is identical

 with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men

'and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin'. [GCD 47.]"

 

This is what the catechism says about the Trinity.

 

 

All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread...

The disciples were disappointed that the Jews were not becoming believers

so they turned to the Gentiles...that would be most of us.

 

They had to move on in order to spread the good news as efficiently as possible.

They could not dwell in the disappointment.

So we are told...

So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

 

Whenever I need to let go of something that has irritated me this image

of shaking the dust from my feet comes to mind.

Once the dust is off of your feet you can free yourself more easily.

 

When I was young we would go to the beach on the weekends.

Before getting back into the car mother would teach us all

how to dust off the sand from our feet.

She did not want the car to be covered with sand.

 

When you hold onto things that are bothering you it is

equivalent to allowing the dirt and sand to remain

on your feet as a constant irritant.

 

So I encourage you to kick the dust off and move on whenever possible.

 

Easter Blessing...the mystery of the Trinity.

The Divine Interior Decorator

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 13:26-33 ~~~ Psalm 2 ~~~John 14:1-6 ~~~

 

“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

I am going to prepare a place for you...

 

I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.

 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled..."

 

Jesus goes out of his way to reassure us of his love.

He shows us the way. He goes before us to prepare a place for us.

He promises to come back for us.

Why do we have such a problem trusting in his word?

Is it because we do not really believe he is real?

Are his promises just too outlandish and far fetched for us to accept?

 

Do we not believe anyone would do these things for us?

Who are we that God would care that much about our future eternity?

 

We hear things coming from the words of Jesus

that we often do not hear from those who claim to love us.

The people we know and live with day in and day out.

 

Jesus sincerely wants us to be with him for all eternity.

Sometimes our loved ones don't want to be with us for one day.

 

We become weary of empty promises, but God is different.

God never says anything he does not carry out.

He fulfills his promises far beyond what we could imagine.

Just maybe that is why he is God?

 

We have a magnanimous God.

Magnanimous literally means greatly generous...

being great of mind and heart.

 

Why would he want to prepare a place for me...a sinner?

 

His intense love for us is unstoppable and unquenchable.

God will never tire of loving us.

 

 

God's house has many dwelling places.

God is our divine interior decorator.

He is capable of working wonders with our heart and soul.

He can make all things new, shiny, and bright.

He can restore the most tattered and torn.

He has rooms to meet all of our human needs

if only until we are ready to proceed to one of the other rooms

 free from earthly ties.

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled for God

has the interior of his dwelling places perfectly planned for us...

beautifully furnished...adorned with his glorious love.

 

He has a place for you.

Perhaps the sparkling crystal chandelier will your attention

or the room with sounds of beautiful violin music.

But rest assured there is a dwelling place

prepared for you.

 

The Blessings of Easter just keep getting

better and better with each passing day.

 

What a Magnanimous God!

Grace: Icing on the Cupcake

~~~ Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist ~~~

 

~~~ 1 Peter 5:5b-14 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~ Mark 16:15-20 ~~~

 

Today we celebrate the author of one of the four Gospels of the Bible.

Mark's gospel is the shortest, but it reveals for us the humanity of Jesus.

Mark gives us wonderful details pertaining to certain happenings with Jesus.

These details make allow our mind to create a better picture.

The human brain thinks in pictures.

A good author paints the story through details we can picture.

 

We are blessed with a beautiful letter from Peter.

Peter is urging the community to treat one another with humility.

Humility; the opposite of arrogance.

This community of followers are growing in the Way together.

Everyone should be trying to do the best they can...

helping each other...

encouraging each other...

 

Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another

 

Hardship and trials come into each person's life.

It is just a fact of life.

No one has such a perfect life that they are always upbeat.

Peter says I know this is happening, but remember God is here by your side.

 

Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

He cares for you because he loves you.

He cares for you because you are his creation.

He will never abandon you.

 

The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.

 

 Suffering is part of living,

but God continues to bestow his grace

down upon those who suffer.

Contained within his grace is restoration for the mind, body, and soul.  

 

 

 I guess we can never tire of hearing that God cares about us.

He cares about our joys and our sorrows.

He cares about our struggles and our accomplishments.

He cares about the next breath we take.

He cares about our desire to spend all of eternity in heaven with him.

 

God covers everything with his grace.

This grace is better than the icing on your favorite cupcake.

 

Easter Blessings just keep coming.

Set Apart...Sent Forth...to Shine

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 12:24—13:5a ~~~ Psalm 67 ~~~ John 12:44-50 ~~~

 

'...Set apart for...

...the work to which I have called them...

...sent forth by the Holy Spirit...'

 

Through our Baptism we have each been set apart.

Through our Confirmation we have been sent forth by the Holy Spirit.

Now how we live our life speaks louder than the words we might speak.

 

How do you respond knowing that you have been set apart?

How does this make you different?

 

Some may erroneously believe they have been set apart for the wrong reasons.

God will never set you apart to cause harm or destruction

to another person.

We are set apart by God to do good...to pray for others...

to treat others justly with compassion.

We are set apart to be a conduit of God's love.

 

It is true that because we are frail humans

we sometimes fail to live up to the mission for which God has called us.

But he is a patient God who is there to light the path of return.

 

May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth

 

The psalmist draws from the blessing in the Book of Numbers.

Part of the blessing is requesting God to let his face shine upon us.

The God of light shines his benevolent face of grace

upon all who call upon his name.

 

 

Without this light of truth and goodness;

we would be forever lost within the darkness that obscures the world.

 

I came into the world as light,

I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.

 

In spite of this darkness Jesus brings forth the light

which is from God

which is of God.

God is the source of all light.

He is the Creator of the Light.

Jesus is the manifestation of this light for us to witness.

We come to learn and love God best through

knowledge and love for his Son, Jesus.

 

The presence of the Son makes the love of the Father more real.

Our God is truly an awesome God...

a God who saves in as many ways as possible.

If we ask for forgiveness we will be granted it.

 

May the light of Christ shine out to all of the world through each of us.

 

The Easter Blessing

of being set apart and sent forth.

Bring the Light of Christ with wherever you go.

May God let his face shine upon you!

We Came to be Known as Christians

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 11:19-26 ~~~ Psalm 87 ~~~ John 10:22-30 ~~~

 

To me one of the beautiful realities about scripture

is how the New Testament is better understood by reading the Old Testament,

especially within the historical context.

But what is even more profound is how the present time

in our journey of faith is better understood

by reading the New Testament, especially now.

Every year after Easter we hear from the Acts of the Apostles.

We hear how the early church flourished

and the number of believers increased daily.

 

Today we hear how we came to be called Christians.

It is obvious that God did indeed send the Holy Spirit.  

He opened the minds and the hearts of many

who heard the message from the apostles and other faithful followers.

 

The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 

 

 Barnabas, like others during this time,

...saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart...

as he traveled from village to village.

 

I wonder where we can witness the grace of God at work today.

This year during the Holy Saturday vigil we welcomed

eighty people into our church.

Surely that was the grace of God at work.

I invite you to look for evidence of the grace of God around you.

 

During the recent tragedy in Boston

the grace of God was evident

through the many who came to the aid

and assistance of the injured. 

Helping a stranger in need must be motivated

by the grace of God through compassion.

 

Today we learn when we were first known as Christians.

Christian...a follower of Christ...the Anointed One.

 

'...in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.'  

 

 

Jesus sent out such strong and deep shock waves

 that we can still feel the effect today

more than two thousand years later.

His teachings turned the world upside down.

We are still trying to emulate who he was.

It is not an easy task, but he is with us to show us the way.

He is the Good Shepherd.

 

My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.

 

 A shepherd would never abandon his sheep,

not even one who strayed away from the flock.

 

I pray to hear the voice of the Shepherd so as not to stray,

but to faithfully follow him.

 

We know how we came to be called Christians.

Another Easter Blessing.

How can we keep from rejoicing?

The Sheep Know His Voice

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18 ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~ John 10:1-10 ~~~

 

I am the Gate 

 Whoever enters through me will be saved...

 

The gatekeeper is also the Shepherd.

The sheep know the voice of the shepherd and they follow him.

They will not follow a stranger instead they run away

because they do not recognize his voice.

 

Others have come before making false claims

 but they are not the gatekeeper.

There is only one can lead the sheep through the gate to the other side.

 

Sometimes we are not as smart as the sheep.

We are misled into following one who is not the gatekeeper

or the shepherd sometimes only later to be disappointed.

 

We become disillusioned after following the false shepherd.

We lose our way and feel depressed and rejected.

For when we follow the true shepherd and gatekeeper

 

there is no need for these negative feelings. 

When we recognize a person's voice we know them well.
The shepherd has an intimate relationship with his sheep.
This is what we long for in the depths of our soul...
an intimate relationship with our shepherd and keeper of the gate.
The gatekeeper opens the gate to let us in;
we are safe inside with the shepherd.

There are dangers known and unknown outside of the gate.
The gatekeeper has full knowledge of these dangers.
Because the shepherd loves his sheep he wants them
to come inside where he can keep them safe.

 

Not just safe for a few hours, but safe for all eternity.
The shepherd leads to a life previously unknown to us...
a life where we will forever be near to him.

The Holy Spirit was with Peter as he traveled around the region.
Peter accepted his call to continue manifesting the goodness of Jesus.
We too are called to preserve all that has come
 before us as signs of the presence of God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God? 

 Listen to his voice and you will be blessed
with the sight of his face as well.

We Are in His Hand

Good Shepherd Sunday

 

~~Acts of the Apostles 13:14, 43-52~~Psalm 100~~

~~Revelation 7:9, 14b-17~~John 10:27-30~~

 

"My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me..."

 

This short Gospel is packed with a beautiful message for us today.

 

Jesus portrays himself as the good shepherd.

The shepherd is very important to the sheep.

The sheep quickly learn the voice of their shepherd.

The have come to trust him.

He is the one that protects them.

He is the one who leads them to food and water.

He is the one keeps them out of harms way.

When he calls them and they hear his voice

they come to him without hesitation.

As best as they can they love their shepherd.

His presence brings them peace.

 

 

They follow the shepherd because he gives them something.

He gives them himself.

He gives them his undivided attention.

 

Today we can chose to follow this same shepherd.

Today we can chose to hear his voice.

Today the message is the same...

Jesus will care for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep.

Jesus cares for us because he knows us

we are his...

we are in the palm of his hand.

 

Elsewhere on this blog I have written about

shaking the dust from your feet.

 

Listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd

for he calls out to you to come follow him;

we are his.

 

The Blessings of Easter are many.

We Too Have Come to Believe

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 9:31-42 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ John 6:60-69 ~~~

 

We continue to hear how the church is growing;

how it is strengthening believers.

 

'...She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.'

Peter was blessed with the gift of healing and restoring life.

This was one of the gifts realized through

the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus.

These gifts were one of the ways

the presence of God remained real after the death of Jesus.

 

It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

 

Peter had no power without the intercession of the Holy Spirit.

Just as Jesus gave credit to the Father for his miracles of healing.

 

Those who experienced healing either in mind, body, or spirit

would profoundly praise the name of the Lord.

 

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

 

Once you have experienced this closeness of God

 how could you not want to call on his name?

But some did not. Some actually turned and walked away.

When people are confused and lack understanding

 they are more apt to make poor decisions.

 

Peter is able to profess his loyalty to Jesus;

convinced that Jesus had the words of eternal life.

 

 

My prayer is that I will have an equally strong conviction

in the living Spirit within my life.

 

I may not have been healed of a terrible illness

or raised from the dead,

but without the Spirit I would not amount to much.

It is the Holy Spirit who sustains my ability to do the work of God.

It  is the Holy Spirit I invite to give me the words

I write here everyday.

 

May you be blessed always in all ways.

Easter Blessings!

Blindness Led to New Sight

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20 ~~~ Psalm 117 ~~~ John 6:52-59 ~~~

 

Jesus gave Saul a resurrection experience...

his sight was restored after three days.

Sometimes God must blind us in order to grab our attention.

Sometimes God must blind us in order

to give us new eyes with which to see the world.

Sometimes God must blind us

because it is the only way to get our attention.

 

During Saul's 'darkness' he abstained from food and drink.

Depriving his physical body in this way allowed him

to be more focused on his experience. 

He was entombed with the presence of God.

His senses were heightened without his sight.

The spirit of God had taken hold of his whole body, mind, and spirit. 

It is difficult to imagine being in that state and not be forever changed...

which indeed Paul was.

After this encounter with the power of God he was a new person....

he was reborn into what God had planned for him to become.

 

I wonder if today God still uses such extreme conversion experiences?

The closest I can imagine is the experiences I often have with music.

 

"...this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."

 

 

When Paul's sight was restored I believe

 the whole world appeared to be brighter to him.

We see things through our internal lens.

If we are filled with darkness

then all that we see will be darkness and evil.

On the other hand if we are filled with the light of Christ

 then we will see the good in the world around us.

 

Notice for yourself; see if your attitude effects

how you see everything around you.

I am reminded of Blessed Mother Teresa,

she had reason to see the darkness around her

 but she chose to see goodness.

She chose to spread compassion and loving kindness to others. 

 

Where are you?

How do you see the world around you?

Does your vision need an overhaul?

Can you see with new eyes?

 

 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

 

I was blind and now I see.

Easter Blessings!

Philip Holds Bible Study Class

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ John 6:44-51 ~~~

 

We continue with the message of Jesus being the Bread of Life.

The manna with which God fed the people in the dessert

cannot compare with the food that Jesus himself offers to us.

 

'...this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.'

 

Believing in this 'bread' requires a leap of faith. 

Both the manna and Jesus come down from heaven.

The people fed in the dessert eventually died,

but the bread Jesus offers is the bread of eternal life.

 

The death of our physical body is actually

what leads one into the land of the living.

Those in the land of the living have fed on the Bread of Life...

the Body and Blood of Jesus...

Eucharist.

 

“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

 

I never realized that this verse from the Acts of the Apostles

could be used to promote Bible study.

Every Sunday the homily is designed to give us

a better understanding of what we are hearing and reading that day.

 

Learning more about the meaning of the scriptures is something

we should want to be doing on a regular basis.

Today there are numerous resources to help

explain the meaning of the scriptures...

lectures, books, and even podcasts are available.

 

Some people believe the Bible is open

to whatever interpretation you choose.

That is not the same as believing that there is a personal message

within the daily scripture readings.

I have written here before about scripture being the living word of God.

 

To better understand the Bible, however, there needs to be

 a knowledge of the historical period.

A good bible study class can fill in the gaps

and help us appreciate the context of the time.

 

Many things that Jesus says to the officials can only be fully appreciated

 if you have the Old Testament meaning.

 

Context is critical to understanding.

Context is essential to a deeper meaning.

 

We too can be asked,

“Do you understand what you are reading?”

We are in a position to seek understanding...we do not have to wait...

we can take the initiative for ourselves.

 

I pray that you will have the desire

for a better understanding of the scriptures.

If the desire is present then you will be open

 to the resources available to you.

 

The Easter Blessing

 for a deeper understanding today.

Divine Mega Food

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 8:1b-8 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ John 6:35-40 ~~~

 

Today we have one of the great 'I am' statements

spoken by Jesus about himself.

 

I am the bread of life...

 

Jesus feeds the crowds with bread and fish, but here he is speaking

of a food that will nourish the entire person.

This food satisfies all hungers...all longings...

only that which comes from Jesus is able to quench this hunger and thirst.

It is a hunger and thirst for the mystery of the God of Love.

Jesus gives to us everything which was given to him by the Father.

All is freely and generously given to us.

We have been given all that we need to reach heaven.

We just need to believe this to be true.

 

'...everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.'

 

How can we not cry out with joy?

How can we not be speechless with gratitude?

 

 

 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

 

How many of us would have the courage to continue preaching

any message if those around you were being persecuted for doing the same?

 This is what was happening in the early days of the church.

Those who came to believe in the new church were routinely persecuted

for what they believed.

This, however, did not stop them.

In many ways it may have made them even more confirmed believers.

As quickly as people were being rounded up and hauled away;

more believers were coming into the circle of believers.

 

Once the nest of the preachers had been disbanded

the more areas could be reached.

 

It was impossible for the authorities to keep it under control.

The young Christian church was alive and thriving.

There was nothing that could deter its spread.

Today we are the beneficiaries of their strong conviction.

 

There was great joy in the city as people were being healed, crippled walking,

paralyzed regaining mobility, demons being cast out.

 

 Now we are presented with the joy of passing on their joy

in what God does for his people.

 

Jesus feeds so much more than our physical bodies.

When the soul is fed nothing else can compare to that fullness. 

 

May we continue to be joyful...

we have the Bread of Life to nourish us into eternal life.

Come to the table of the Lord and be fed.

He provides the 'mega' food rich with all

of the nutrients and graces we need.

Surrendered Life Itself

~~~ Acts of the Apostles7:51—8:1a ~~~ Psalm 31  ~~~ John 6:30-35 ~~~

 

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

 

The elders and the scribes were closed to anything contrary

to what they had always held to be truth.

We are often no different; we want to continue to believe

 and act according to how we have in the past.

 

They literally covered their ears.

Indicating that they could not even risk the chance of being changed by

the power of the words of God.

They were scared that their whole world was about to cave in on them.

Then what would they do? How would they be able to defend their position?

The risk was too great. They had to much to lose.

Their pride was in jeopardy.

 

So they chose, to respond as the class does when the teacher

speaks in the Peanuts shows...

"Waa, Waa, Waa, Waa, Waa"

 

Instead of hearing and being moved for good;

 they picked up rocks and stoned Stephen to death.

 

We do this too, maybe not with rocks but often

with our condescending words and hurtful actions.

 

When was the last time you did hurl a rock towards someone else?

 

Stephen is a vivid reminder that even in the rejoicing

of the Resurrection there are those who must carry their cross.

 

 

Stephen surrendered himself to the fate of stoning

 because he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

He was so aligned with the true spirit of Jesus

 that he asks for God to forgive each person raising their hand

 to throw their stone.

 

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

While we do not experience anything close to being stoned

 there are times when we need to make this same plea to God for forgiveness.

 

Finally we can learn from Stephen to completely

surrender our spirit...

to turn all that we are over to God.

 

It is not necessary to wait until we are on your deathbed

to release your spirit to God.

Daily we can surrender to God in small ways so that

when we are presented with something of greater magnitude

we will be in the habit of laying down our will to God.

 

It feels like your heart is opening up from inside and literally turning inside out. 

 

God will give us what we need when we need it.

 

"When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak

or what you are to say. You will be given

at that moment what you are to say."

(Matthew 10: 19)

 

The Blessings of Easter

 emerge from the darkness of the Death.

Fed and Transformed

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ John 6:22-29 ~~~

 

 

"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled."

 

 

Once you get a 'taste' of Jesus your soul longs for more.

You begin to crave his presence; for some it is close to an obsession.

 

Anything to an extreme is not healthy, but the more you have of Jesus

the more you want.

I recently heard a person who was in the midst of a God loving group

comment that they wanted what the others had.

 

Being fed by what Jesus has to offer produces invisible signs.

These signs are however detectable by the casual observer.

 

The more you are fed by Jesus the more his love for others

 seeps out of your pores.

It is impossible to be fed by Jesus and not be transformed.

It is true that you can block and reject this transformation

 but it does happen.

 

Jesus is pure goodness.

His goodness enters into our being and swirls about whisking away

our frailties and our insecurities.

 

 

'...and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke...'

 

Perhaps Stephen was the first Christian martyr because he would not stop.

 

'...This man never stops...'

 

He ministered to the poor and preached the love of Jesus

through his actions and his words.

 

I pray that I will have the strength to make my life 

 a true reflection of the love of Christ.

Reparation for His Denial

~~Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32, 40b-41~~Psalm 30~~Revelation 5:11-14~~John 21:1-19~~

 

John's account of the third appearance of Jesus to the apostles

gives more information about the conversation Jesus has with Peter.

Peter may have thought that after denying Jesus three times

Jesus would not want to be around him.

Jesus instead comes to Peter and gives him a chance to make amends...

Jesus gives Peter a second chance...an opportunity to make reparation

for his offenses against Jesus.

 

Jesus comes to the beach because he knew they would be need to be fishing.

Jesus had this encounter with Peter in the presence of six

other apostles.

 

How many times do we say, "I would never say ____ or I would never do _____"?

When Jesus revealed to Peter that he would deny him three;

Peter was shocked and believed that Jesus was mistaken.

 

So many times when you believe you would not say or do something

 it is because we are incapable of predicting a situation

that would illicit such a response.

 

Peter's denial of even knowing Jesus happened

because he was not aware of how paralyzing his fear

would be after the arrest of Jesus.

There was no doubt that Peter loved Jesus,

but in this situation his love was not strong enough to sustain him.  

 

 

If Peter was to be the Rock of the church,

 it was important that Jesus have this conversation

 in the presence of some of the apostles.

 

Here is the dissertation...

 

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

 

Jesus asks Peter three times to verbally confess his love for Jesus.

Peter denied three times and now professes his great love three times.

 

Each time the question from Jesus to Peter is more intense.

Peter becomes frustrated...but Jesus wants him to be absolutely sure of his love.

Finally Peter admits that Jesus knows everything....

Jesus knew that Peter would deny him before the reality occurred...

Jesus must also know of Peter's great Love for him.

 

The Lord knows what is in your heart...

I pray that I can live up to his expectations for me.

 

Easter Blessings.

It is I, Be Not Afraid

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ John 6:16-21 ~~~

 

Doing the work of the Lord does not give you an excuse

for taking care of your responsibilities.

Unless you are living in a cloistered secluded community

you have daily chores that must be maintained.

 

The apostles and the other new Christians are so excited

about participating in their ministry

that they began to neglect their other duties.

They were no longer providing assistance for the widows of the community.

They became the forgotten ones since they had nothing of their own.

They relied completely on the community for their needs.

 

As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.

 

Someone needed to bring the twelve back to reality;

they could not just go about preaching all day every day

ignoring the needs of the people.

This was never the plan of Jesus.

We have many examples where he recognized and addressed

the need of the crowds who followed

 him for hours and days.

 

 

So the apostles took action and chose a few good men to attend

to the daily administrative needs

of the people.

 

We are reminded in the gospel that Jesus is there in our times of need.

He may allow the storms of life to toss around a bit before

we can hear him say

 “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

 

He is always there by our side in good times and in bad times.

We often chose not to recognize his presence.

 

In times of trouble see his hand extended out toward you...

hear him saying to you

 “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

The House of God is Wherever He Is

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 5:34-42 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 6:1-15 ~~~

 

 '...For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God.'

The wonder that the message preached by Jesus has survived over
two thousand years certainly confirms it is of divine origin.
Those things which are not rooted in God eventually crumble and can no longer
 sustain themselves simply on their own merits.
Many such beliefs have come and gone over time.
What Jesus left for his followers has been preserved as a living entity.
Over time it has developed into a message for all people of every age.

The word of God is truly living...it is not merely ancient words
recorded on fragile parchment pages.

Everything about the ministry of Jesus was about living...
living without sin...living with restored physical health...living
through nourishment for the physical body.

Jesus feeds us today just as he did the crowd gathered on the grassy hillside
with the five barley loaves and the few fishes.
Jesus recognized that if the body is not fed the mind and the soul
will be distracted away from the message.
Hunger is a very powerful emotional reality.
People steal and kill for food if necessary to keep from starving.

 

 

 The beautiful psalm 27 speaks of dwelling
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

 '...That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.'

I suggest that the house of the Lord was there
 on the grassy hill that day.

 

 The house of the Lord is not a man made structure....
the house of the Lord is the shelter he provides wherever he is present.
It might be easier to think of the church building as being the house of the Lord,
but I would like to consider a much broader concept for
God's house. If you feel at home with God then you will be
 in his heavenly house someday.

 If you are at home with God you want to do those things that are pleasing to him.
You will try very hard to avoid damaging the relationship through sin.

In the house of God our great blessing is being allowed to gaze into his loving face.
In the house of God he gazes back into our eyes.
What do you think God sees as he looks into your eyes?
What do you see when you look into his eyes?
Spend sometime today imagining you are gazing into the eyes of God.
Set aside any judgments and just be in the moment.
More Easter Blessings
from the God who feeds us mind, body, and soul.

Divine Ventriloquist

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 5:27-33 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ John 3:31-36 ~~~

 

'... the one whom God sent speaks the words of God...'

 

God sent Jesus to be among other things his voice.

Jesus in carrying out the will of the Father spoke the words of the Father.

Jesus uses his voice so that we may have a very personal experience of God.

 

A good ventriloquist can be very convincing by using his voice

 and his puppet or dummy.

Edgar Bergen was one such accomplished ventriloquist;

perhaps you have seen one of his skits.

Of course I am not suggesting that Jesus was just a puppet for God.

 

When God sent Jesus to become human he took our flesh and blood

without losing his divine connection to God the Father.

Jesus becomes the self portrait of God himself.

 

If we hears the words spoken to us by Jesus,

 then we also hear the unspoken words of God.

 Jesus is the Word made flesh.

 

 

 The Holy Spirit is given to those who hear the word and are obedient to it.

 

The apostles heard and were obedient; even in the face of imprisonment.

 

They were commissioned by Jesus to continue spreading his message of love.

 It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that they maintain

the stamina and conviction to persevere

no matter.

 

I must ask myself today...

Is my conviction strong enough to give me the necessary stamina

needed to stay the course?

It would be much easier to simply be a puppet

under the complete control of the Master...

to speak and move only at his command.

But God does not want us to be controlled by him,

but rather for us to make the decision

 to allow him to be in control of our lives.

 

The Lord is close to all who call upon his name.

 

The Easter Blessings continue as we witness the outpouring

of the Holy Spirit upon those who believe.

 We are a part of those who believe.

therefore the Holy Spirit is upon us as well. 

 

Unlike a ventriloquist puppet we have the ability

to move and speak as we wish. 

We can make the choice to maintain God's self portrait

by making the right choices in our actions and words.

T-Shirts and Bumper Stickers

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 5:17-26 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ John 3:16-21 ~~~

 

The Sadducees are no match for the Holy Spirit. Even locked jail doors

cannot deter the plans of the Lord.

The 'Houdini' apostles had been freed from the barred cell by an angel.

Much to the surprise of the guards they were found preaching in the temple

surrounded by many believers.

The people were inspired to follow and believe what the apostles

were revealing about Jesus.

 

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.

John 3:16

 

Possibly one of the most quoted scripture verses.

This verse can be found on everything from coffee cups and tee-shirts

to car decals and bumper stickers.

 

 

 

'...the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.'

 

Ask any law enforcement officer and they will tell you more crimes are committed in the cover of darkness. Evil wants to stay hidden.

The light reveals both the goodness and the wickedness in this world.

God sent his Son to dispel darkness.

If we are blind to our sins then we cannot turn away from them.

When a person is so immersed in their sinful ways they may only see darkness.

 

We are blessed with the grace of God.

We are given the strength to come into the light and follow Jesus.

God so loved the world that he made it possible for all of us to follow

the light illuminating the path to heaven.

 

Even the smallest crack allows the light to enter into the darkness.

If you have any areas of your life where darkness is still

holding firm ask God to send his penetrating light to that very area.

 

Just by setting the intention to allow the light to enter will be

all the openness needed for God.

 

 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Let His light shine within your heart.

Is Seeing Really Believing?

 

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 4:32-37 ~~~ Psalm 93 ~~~ John 3:7b-15 ~~~

 

Is seeing really the same as believing? 

Can you really believe everything that you see?

I have been to magic performances where I have been deceived by my own eyes.

Relying solely on your eyesight can be an iffy proposition at times.

 

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he testifies to what has been seen and

people still do not believe.

This is Jesus speaking about not being believed.

 

If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

 

As fragile and flawed is our system for believing; we cannot stop believing.

Our brain is designed to organize the puzzle pieces until they make some kind of sense.

Our brain likes completeness...wholeness.

If there are missing parts the brain automatically fills in the gaps.

No, this is not about lying or fabricating the facts.

 

Jesus promises us eternal life if we believe in him.

In order to completely believe in Jesus

 we must accept a certain amount missing pieces.

There are many mysteries surrounding our believing in God.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the missing parts little by little;

accepting that some can never be revealed to us.

 

 

So many came to believe after the Resurrection of Jesus

that the apostles were touched by the generosity

of the community of believers.

The people had seen the signs of God

working through the words and touch of the apostles.

 

We are often led to spiritual things through physical things.

The healings were a physical sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles themselves were not capable of healing;

it was only through the power of the Spirit given to them by God.