Wisdom

Wisdom 7:22B–8:1

In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.

First, I'm just going to pause a moment and notice here that Wisdom is described as a woman. I don't know, for some reason that just makes me smile. Here wisdom is put on full display, and after a description such as this, why would you want to move through life without her? Oh but I do, week in and week out I leave my dear friend wisdom behind and all that she has to offer. I find as I get older I pray and ask God for wisdom. With each year I find it more precious than anything else I have.

Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."

Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,

'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."

For all the wisdom that man thinks he has he still wonders about the end of time. Many over the years have tried to predict it but have done so in folly. I remember the days leading to Y2K. I can laugh now in hindsight but I know many a friend nearing the year 2000 that worried what was going to happen. It all ended okay though. For me I try not to wonder about my end, when or where or how it will come about. I try not to worry about my children, that is even harder. I find that wisdom guides me to trust God, even if God doesn't seem to make sense. I trust in God and I have peace and all works out okay. I find when I don't trust God it is usually because of my other close friend Ego. You would think I would know better by now.

Jesus, 

I love you. Thank you for all that you have blessed me with. Thank you for the grace you bestow on me each day. Thank you for loving me even when I do the stupidest things. Jesus could you please send down your Holy Spirit and ask him to build me up with some wisdom? I could really use some, in fact the whole world could use a lot right now. I know we might not deserve it, but please give us the wisdom to see just how beautiful you are. Maybe if we REALLY saw your beauty we would love you the way you deserve.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Gifts Forgotten?

Wisdom 6:1-11

Hear, O kings, and understand;
learn, you magistrates of the earth's expanse!
Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude

and lord it over throngs of peoples!
Because authority was given you by the Lord
and sovereignty by the Most High,
who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.
Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly,
and did not keep the law,
nor walk according to the will of God,
Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you,
because judgment is stern for the exalted–
For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy
but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
For the Lord of all shows no partiality,
nor does he fear greatness,
Because he himself made the great as well as the small,
and he provides for all alike;
but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.
To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed
that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.
For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy,
and those learned in them will have ready a response.
Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed.

I read these lines and think, "Whew, I'm all good cause I am a big fat nobody", but the problem is that there is this thought in my mind that this just doesn't pertain to kings, princes and people of "power". Living in America I am rich, not by America's standards, but by the worlds. Many in this world do not have the voice, wealth or power that I have just being an average citizen here in the USA. Question is, what am I doing with it. How am I sharing the gospel? How am I battling world hunger? How am I helping the sick, naked and imprisoned? This is a major reality check. I have work to do for sure.

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."

As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" 
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."

This is where it all comes home. I have been blessed. By the power of Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and forgive for all my nasty sins. I am clean, but do I appreciate it? Do I show thanks for my gift? How do I move forward in the world? Would the average person call me a Christian? In a good way? Thoughts to ponder for sure.

Jesus, 

I love you. Thank you for all your many gifts and blessings. I know I take them for granted. As I go out into the world today help me to remember who I am. Help me remember what you did for me, and help me to share that will all that I meet. I don't deserve you. Thank you.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Pilgrimage, Fighting and Seeing the End Game

Wisdom 2:23–3:9

God formed man to be imperishable;

the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

The world can really take a knock at a guy. It's easy to get distracted and loose sight of goals with adversity rushes in. I read these lines and feel like I am in the locker room at half-time. I feel as if this is a pep talk to overcome and conquer when all seems lost. Know this, this life in this world is a journey. This is not home. God loves you and is waiting for you to come home but you have to stay on the path. It's easy to let adversity distract you and let you detour into sin. Stay the course. This life is a blink of an eye compared to eternity and God has so much waiting for us if we hold the course and love like he does.

Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

This is an interesting question. Who would have their hired hands come in and serve them after a days work that they were supposed to do. I can tell you I go to work, complete my tasks and then I go home. At the end of the week I collect my check and pay my bills. I don't walk in off the floor and have my boss waiting on me hand and foot. God is waiting though, he is waiting for you to come home where he wants to share all he has to offer. God desires you, because he loves you oh so much. Do we desire God's love? Do we deserve all that he has to offer. In reality, no, we spend too much of our time wasting what he has given us and using it only for ourselves. That's not how God wants us to love, but he still desires us every day. Which way will you turn?

Jesus,

I love you very much. Your gifts seem to know no bounds. Please help me to stay the course. Every week it seems it's hard to realize that on one level this life doesn't really matter. I mean, I know it matters and we should make the most of it and love the way you want us to, but I shouldn't get upset when things don't go my way. I should worry that things go your way, your will should be done. Help me to see past the power, greed, gluttonous lifestyle and sex that this world tries to peddle each day and focus on home, Heaven. Where you are waiting to see me in person. I am your faithful servant, not out of duty but out of love.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

Where is My Attention?

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

I am no master, teacher or prophet. I am no learned man, but these lines give me goosebumps. To me I read here and I see the grandeur of God. The world is no doubt salty and only God can make it fresh and good because God is love, pure love. I never spend time with God and come away feeling dirty. I always feel refreshed and new, even in my darkest of hours.

John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and

doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
"Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
"What sign can you show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews said,
"This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?"
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

I find it interesting that this is one of the few times in the Gospels were Jesus looses his cool, but can you really blame him? Jesus wants us to come to his father for communion, so that we can be loved. God loves us immensely. He longs to spend time with us. I often wonder how upset God has been with me in the past when I have shown up for worship and I get distracted by something inconsequential. I wonder if He is sad when I don't sing along with the hymns cause I get wrapped up in planning the rest of my day after church. I wonder if He is angry when he is trying to tell me something important through the readings and the pastor and I get hung up on something that happened on the ride in with my children.

Jesus, 

I love you. You work so hard to get our attention and to help me. Problem is, most of the time I'm too distracted to realize you are even next to me. Please forgive me. I should be so much better for you and for me. I wasn't made for pettiness. I was made for Heaven. Please help me to be better in chuch and to appreciate all that your father does for me in each breath I take.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Rejected?

 Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29

Brothers and sisters:

I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
Of course not!
For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?

Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall?
Of course not!
But through their transgression
salvation has come to the Gentiles,
so as to make them jealous.
Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles,
how much more their full number.

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation:
a hardening has come upon Israel in part,
until the full number of the Gentiles comes in,
and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

The deliverer will come out of Zion,
he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;
and this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.

In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account;
but in respect to election,
they are beloved because of the patriarch.
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

I read lines like these and think, "Silly Jews too bad they don't understand God and Jesus", but then I look at my own house. I have to be honest too many times I have heard people I love, even myself, in my own church look down on others as if they didn't belong in God's house. God please forgive me. I was foolish and stupid. We all belong in God's house because God loves us all.

Gospel Lk 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,

noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

I am so glad that I was not there the day Jesus spoke these words cause I would have probably been one of those taking a good seat at the table. I mean I can read it and laugh a bit. Here people are sitting down to eat, taking the places of honor, all the while Jesus the son of God is standing there. How often I have been blind to those more deserving around me, many times. When I read lines like this spoken by Jesus I don't hear him hollering and condemning in a strict tone. I hear Jesus speaking in a calm compassionate tone with maybe a bit of a smile on his face. After all this was the man that was tortured to death and still had the wherewithal to say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".

Jesus,

I love you so much and I thank you for having patience with me. Thank you for sharing you wisdom and teachings with me. Thank you for helping me see my stupidity so that I can repent and move forward loving the way you want me to. Oh, and for all those times I didn't get the point, I am sorry. Help me to see those around me that are in pain. Enlighten me to love them the way you would. Help me to invite all to your table and to sit next to you for everyone deserves to feel your love.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Sticks and Stones...

Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

I have had many a person scoff at my Christianity. To them it seems like a waste of time, "why do it?" I have been asked bluntly. My answer, "It makes me happy." I know this might sound stupid or uneducated but 'STUFF' no longer has an appeal, and as a father of 6 I get to stand at a distance and watch my children react to 'STUFF'. It's not good. Don't get the impression that we don't have a TV or radio, that we pee in an outhouse and we use to sticks to light a fire. We have all the normal amenities but I watch how the kids react when they get too much screen time. It's just not worth it and down right unhealthy. I am a Christian because it makes me happy and I wouldn't want to live an eternity without God. I've seen too much in this life to believe that he is not real. So if I gotta take a little flack because my faith so be it. 

John 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds:

"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."

Jesus turns away no one. People may turn you away but Jesus turns away NO ONE. It's a strange world we live in but know that certain things hold the test of time. One of those things is God's love for you. He wants to save you. Maybe you don't think you need saving. I would pray on it. Maybe you think Jesus is a joke. I urge you, pray on it. Jesus loves you and wants to save you because you are a beautiful person that deserves God's love, but you have to choose. There will be an end. You will die. Your soul will need a place to go till the resurrection. What do you choose? 

Jesus, 

This world can throw a lot at a person and it doesn't seem fair, but when I think of what you went through I cant deny you. I can't say to myself that any minor discomforts on your behalf are too much. I have no nails in my hands or feet, no crown of thorns on my head, haven't been whipped till the skin has been ripped of me, haven't been spit on, beat and mocked by crowds walking down the street. If I do some day please give the the strength to bare it all as you did. I love you without pause. You have my heart and soul in your hands. Please make me worthy or your kingdom.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Battle of Prayer