Is It All Sunshine and Rainbows?

2 Timothy 4:10-17B

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

You know I remember when I took on this whole "Christian Thing", I thought it was great. You know I was all pumped on the Holy Spirit. For me it was all Sunshine and Rainbows. Part of me wondered if a unicorn was going to come to me some day out of the forest so that I could ride from town to town proclaiming the Gospel. Until...

WHAM!!!

I'm not talking about the pop group fronted by George Michael. I mean I got knocked down on the seat of my pants. I received my first dose of persecution. I'll be honest if was extremely mild compared to what the early Christians or Christians of the middle east face today. What was my response? Pause, in fact, I began to second guess this whole "Jesus" thing. Today mild persecutions I receive from time to time don't bother me as much. I try and keep the big picture in mind and keep my sight focused on home (Heaven).

Luke 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"


Maybe some are thinking, "Well okay with all this persecution stuff I'm gonna just stay home. I mean I love Jesus and all, I don't see the need in going out and getting flack for it. I just need to get me to Heaven right?"

Thing is that Jesus is pretty blunt about the fact that he wants us out there in the real world sharing his word and his brand of love. This can be particularly daunting for fellows such as me who are very insecure around others and group situations, but here we read that Jesus sent out hid disciples. He wants us to go out and he wants us to be aware of the possibilities, however he doesn't want us to worry. Too much is at stake. I mean could you actually look someone in the eye after they have been condemned to hell and say, "Hey look sorry I didn't share Jesus' message with you. I mean come on I was afraid that you might think badly of me. You might have even walked away". I wrestle with this myself from time to time. Thing is when I do share my faith with others it is very rarely a negative experience. Are we all ready to hear Jesus speak to us the next time he wants us to share our faith in him, cause I mean it is there after all right?

Jesus, 

I love you, because you love me, a coward. I love you because you took on so much pain for my sake. I love you because your version of love is the version I have been longing for all my life. Please help me today to go out into the world and share my faith. Help me to share my love for you. Holy Spirit please come down and infect me. Please come down and posses me. Give me all that I need to share the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and most of all be patient with me because after all I am a coward hoping for sunshine and rainbows of eternal Heaven.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

What's Really Important Here?

Romans 1:16-25

Brothers and sisters:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."

The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven
against every impiety and wickedness
of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
For what can be known about God is evident to them,
because God made it evident to them.
Ever since the creation of the world,
his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity
have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
As a result, they have no excuse;
for although they knew God
they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.
Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,
and their senseless minds were darkened.
While claiming to be wise, they became fools
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for the likeness of an image of mortal man
or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

Therefore, God handed them over to impurity
through the lusts of their hearts
for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen. 

It's hard to navigate this world. There are so many bad things that happen it is hard to tell what what is evil and what is righteous punishment from God. Perhaps they are one in the same. I know that can seem like an odd statement, and again I am no expert, but it seems to me sometimes when there are those that choose to live outside of God's covenant's bad things happen to them it is because God allows it. Why? I don't exactly know, perhaps because if you choose to live outside of God's commandments then you no longer receive his protection. If this was the case then why do evil things happen to good people sometimes? Great question, we could go round and round on this for eternity. 

Here is a fact that I know for certain though, this life is temporary. This world that we see so concretely will be here one day and gone the next. Life on this world is merely a pit-stop and that is what seems important to me, or at least to keep in mind. As a Christian I am taught to live my life righteously regardless of what happens to me. My judgement and reward (or lack thereof) will be awarded in the after life. I know this may sound stupid. I know that this is very counter-cultural to the way the world teaches us to live, but I know that if I choose to chase temporary pleasures instead of lasting happiness, not only will I become a slave, but I will also receive no reward in Heaven. 

Luke 11:37-41

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you."

And this is where Jesus brings it home, he pleads what we worry about what is in our hearts and not what we amass here on earth. He wants us to be pure of heart. Why, cause he wants to be with us for eternity in Heaven because he loves us and desires our company. I have heard people say, "Well if God really loved me then he would let me into heaven and accept me as I am." God does love you as you are, but he doesn't want people entering Heaven only to ruin the place. He wants peace and tranquility, not more drama.

Jesus,

Thank you for another day. I love you so very much and this life you have gifted me with. Help me to make the most of it. Help me to not be distracted by cheap pleasure. Help me to love genuinely. Help me to keep my heart pure and please forgive me for all the stupid sinful stuff I do each day. You're so awesome. I love you.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray, 
Amen

Am I Locked Up In Chains?

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, 
but established as Son of God in power 
according to the Spirit of holiness 
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, 
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Okay, as usual I am going to try and be open, blunt and honest. The word "slave" here throws me for a loop. "Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus," This is where my brain originally when WHAT?!? So, okay I decided to pause...

slave

1. 1.

   a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them

Alright this helped a little. I can handle being legal property of God, I know for some that may sound odd, but I would rather be property of God than the devil. I would rather be a slave to God than a slave to sin. God is love after all so I would rather be a slave to love than do Satan (the divider) or wickedness. The next hurdle is, "...forced to obey them", Keep in mind that this a definition from Google. I have read my Bible many a time and I have NEVER found anywhere God forces me to do anything. God's most amazing gift to us all is free will. You can choose to not be property of God's at any time. Keep in mind though if you are not property of God's you don't enter his house. The choice is yours.

Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation 
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here."

What I find interesting here is that Jesus says, "This generation is an evil generation", okay so this isn't alarming because he's talking about people back in his day. Of course people back in his day didnt have instant access to pornography 24/7. People in his day couldn't gorge themselves on food at a drive through. People in his day weren't subject to advertising nonstop that would make one greedy or at the least covet their neighbors things or wives. Hmm... makes me think Jesus is still talking to us today. But here's the cool thing. Jesus is coming to us to help us because he loves us. He's coming to you write now as you read this, no I'm not Jesus, but his words are above my commentary on this page. You get to hear it straight from his mouth and then decide. Do you/me want to be a slave to God and all the benefits that has to offer, or do you/me want to be a slave to sin and deal with those consequences. Again, with God's ultimate gift (free will) we get to decide.

Jesus,

I love you so very much, but let's be honest. I'm pretty stupid. I mean I do really stupid things sometimes because I think that will make me happy. Help me to hear your words echoing in my mind today. Help me to hear your call. Help me to love the way you do. Help me to be the person you know that I can be. Help me so that I don't settle for pleasure's second best, but rather help me to choose the love that I was made for. Help me to look past the fancy car and see the starving children. Help me to look past the attractive model and see a person that desires genuine love and respect. Help me to see that I already have everything that I need and that you can help me to use what I have to make maximum impact on this world with the talents God gave me to make this world a better place. 

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

Who's By My Side and What's On My Doorstep?

Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!

Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.


These are the kinds of verses I love, but that also haunt me at the same time. I long to see the kingdom of God. I await the day I can worship him in his prescence, but I often wonder if I am ready for his arrival. If Jesus returned today would he welcome me.  My ego likes to differ. My ego says, "BLAAT, WHATEVER! CRAP! THESE LINES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND THE KINGDOM STILL AINT HERE, COME ON, LETS LIVE IT UP!" Make no mistake though, the wise person knows that Jesus will return. If we choose to participate and see it, his kingdom is at hand. The choice is ours, do we want to acknowledge it? Do we want to accept it? Do we think if we choose to ignore it will prove to not actually exist or be there? We have to choose a side, even by refusing to choose we choose. I ask for God's help daily to help me with my retirement plan.

Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."

I would hate to be a pharisee in these days. I would be at the top of the heap. I would be a man of God. I would think that I was on the top of the heap. I would be looking down my nose at everyone. Reading this now, I'll be honest, I wonder if I act as a pharisee. Okay I'll be honest, yea, sometimes I do. Jesus forgive me. I'm an idiot. Sometimes I'm a down rite jerk. I don't mean to be by ego makes me loose focus and that lets evil to enter my mind. I am thankful that I have Jesus to smack me up back the head on a regular basis. If it weren't Jesus I would be a lost, sorry, pathetic soul. I know, I have been there before and got to look long and hard into the mirror.

Jesus,

I love you so much. You have done so much for me, and I will admit it, I don't deserve it. I don't deserve your grace, without it I would be lost. Help me to notice the evil on my doorstep and help me swat it away. Help me to have compassion for those that are lost. Help me to love those that need compassion, for I once needed tons of random compassion. Help me to have a strong friendship with you. I bow and kiss your feet for I know how awesome you are. Thank you Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

But, But I REALLY WANT IT!

Malachi 3:13-20B

You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?"
You have said, "It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity."
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.

There were days when I would get so mad to see one of my classmates in elementary school get away with something that I thought was totally wrong. As I got older I saw complete jerks get the prettiest girls, and I would just sit there stupefied and stew in my anger. As I got older I would lament as I saw men and women cheat in the world of business and blatantly steal from their customers. Let's face it, the world is full of evil and people looking for the easy way to get ahead. Take notice here, God is watching. He's watching the good and the evil. We live in a culture where we have instant access to so much. Google has completely spoiled us, but God is looking at the long game. Remember this world, this life is a mere journey. You are constantly walking home whether you realize it or not. You arrive on your death, where are you walking to, Heaven or hell?

Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?"

I ain't gonna lie, first time I read this I looked up and said, "Alright Jesus, gimme that million dollars!" I laugh so hard at myself now. Needless to say I didn't get my million dollars. Probably if I had I wouldn't be writing this, and I probably wouldn't be following God. Notice here how Jesus speaks about how a good father gives good gifts, a good father gives GOOD gifts. There have been plenty that my children have asked me for, things that were within my reach that I know are not good for them. I have two boys dying right now to have their Xbox back, but I'm still holding out because I don't believe that they are ready to have it back because of the way their attitude changes towards everyone after they play for a short time. It's not that I don't want them to have it. It's not that I think Xbox's are evil. It's that I know how they will act if they have it, and I want them to be happy, full of love and spreading love like God asks, not angry, rude and deceitful because they can never play enough.

Jesus,

I love you. Your'e totally awesome. Your teachings, when I pay attention to them, same me from so much pain. I don't always like what you have to say but I know that it is truth spoken. Help me to see the long game. Help me to see that my place in Heaven is more important than anything on this earth. Help me to love like you do and make this world a better place.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Can I Hold On or Let Go?

Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah was greatly displeased
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, "I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live."
But the LORD asked, "Have you reason to be angry?"

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah's head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
"I would be better off dead than alive."

But God said to Jonah,
"Have you reason to be angry over the plant?"
"I have reason to be angry," Jonah answered, "angry enough to die."
Then the LORD said,
"You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?"

You ever have one of those moments like Jonah just had here? I have I chuckle to at myself now, but man my biscuits have gotten burnt to see a sinner find redemption and forgiveness with no apparent penance. Then I have to pause cause I hear an alarming whisper in the back of my head saying, "Now Michael remind me, how long did you live the life of a deplorable sinner? And how much did you really have to pay for all of your sins against others let alone God?" I see this all to often in other "Christians" as well. Newer (and sometimes old) Christians get such a fervor for following God's laws that they get over excited and condemn someone(s) when they see others not doing as God wills. If you have been the receiver of such condemnation I apologize deeply for my fellow Christian brothers and sisters. I am truly and dearly sorry. Please know this...

YOU BELONG IN GOD'S HOUSE! PLEASE COME HOME!

Just because we're "Christian" don't mean we will not make mistakes and and sin ourselves. Here Jonah was so big on the fire and brimstone that he preached in Nineveh that he was disappointed when God saw the peoples repentance and decided to give them another chance. After all God loves all of us and is willing to give anyone 2nd, 3rd or millionth chance if one repents with a contrite heart. 

Luke 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

Notice something here, God was praying. Yes Jesus, God come to earth, was praying. Even God prays, on a regular basis, so its a pretty good notion that you, me and everyone else should be praying on a regular basis as well. The line in this prayer that always gets me the most is, "... and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us."

That's a tall order, but God forgives us as we forgive, food for thought. 

God,

I love you. You have forgiven me for so much and have made me whole time and time again. Please this day, help me to not be like Jonah, but to love like you. Help me to make this world a better place. Help me to love unconditionally. Help me to accept all in my path. Help me to share your love and to bring others to your Church and help them feel loved and welcome.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen