Communicating with Listening Faithfully

It has come to my attention that so many of you want to communicate with me directly and because of technology it is completely plausible for use to communicate in a variety of ways. Therefore I have listed below four ways for you to interact with me and I invite every to keep in touch. I sincerely look forward to hearing from everyone soon and on an ongoing basis.

God Bless,

Brian Keith

1.) Blog: http://listeningfaithfully.org
2.) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003233971458
3.) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Listeninfaith (i AM NEW TO THIS FORMAT)
4.) Email: listeningfaithfullyblog@gmail.com (Be sure to leave your name and I will be sure to get back in touch ASAP)

COMING SOON! YOUTUBE POD CASTS!

Please Donate to Listening Faithfully and help spread he words of God around the world.

You can also visit us at: Listeningfaithfully.org

Please help support Listening Faithfully!Give

Special Posting: Actions, Consequences, and the Truth

“7 Do not be deceived. God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” ~ Galatians 6:7-10, NJKV, P.1124

There are many things in our lives which become confusing and scary. They overwhelm our minds and if allowed shake us right down to our immortal soul. In these moments we often times  seek out advise from friends, relatives, neighbors, and spouses. In some instances these trusted few, (most often those whom we love the most), instruct us what we need to do. There advise can be seen as applying pressure so as the outcome fits more into their frame of reference, or more to their design, (whether intended or not), but the outcome rarely be it intentional or by accident is acceptable as there is always consequences. Parents do this to their children, friends do this to other friends, and classmates do this to their other classmates. This peer-pressure can become scary in-and-of-itself.  But we often times also place a great amount of pressure upon ourselves in difficult, confusing times, as we become all worked up over an issue and before we realize it have over thought the problem, cause it to become three times worse than what it really was in the beginning. Often times we are warned of the outcome, and yet we commit the act anyway. Therefore, we are as Christians have been placed on notice, we have been told of the actions God does not want us to commit, key among then was given to us by Jesus Christ when asked by Pharisees which commandment is to be kept,

“18 He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. 19 You shall honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” ~ Matthew 19:18-19, NJKV, P.954-955.

In direct view of God we must understand how much importance is placed upon the word, “TRUTH”. For truth is our very relationship to God the Father, through Jesus Christ our savior. God and Jesus is found within the Bible placing extraordinary emphasis on telling the truth, most  notably by Jesus before the Roman Governor Pilate;

“37 Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” ~John 18:37, NJKV, P.1047.

Jesus also places truth of his character, which we all as Christians should try to emulate as he states quite clearly;

“6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had known Me you would have known the Father also and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” ~ John 15:6-7, NJKV, P.1042-1043.

Therefore, the consequences are clear, if you commit murder, there will be guilt. If you commit adultery then too will there be guilt, and the same goes for stealing, and thus convicted by truth. However, these crimes against God are forgivable no matter how hanse. For Jesus forgave a murder on the cross, he forgave Mary Magdalene who committed adultery and told her to sin no more, and he forgave those who stole. But there are special crimes against God that if committed God will take his time in making you feel guilty over, and these crimes carry special punishments. Jesus mentions one which is, “You shall not bear false witness.”  It is no accident that this is also found in Exodus 20:16, and is the ninth commandment from God to Moses. According to Jesus to commit this crime against God makes your heart unclean, and thus unfit to claim eternal life. Bearing false witness is a grieves sin, one which is done from selfish motivations. It is a refusal to be obedient to God and often times places those whom you accused falsely into extraordinary circumstances where punishment was dealt unjustly. In this the crime becomes compounded and the sin debt grows ten fold. Punishment extends beyond feelings of guilt, as the emotional sin debt is forever burned into the memory, haunting the sinner as if it where a plague.  Small things can trigger guilt, a passing word from a friend or stranger, a flashback incurred by a picture or by being in the same place as the sin was committed, to the realization of loss when the person whom was hurt no longer responds by phone, letters, and or emails all which have been ignored. It is a sin that cannot be easily forgotten or forgiven, and ironically is the one sin which could have been easily prevented by simply telling the truth.

Jesus continues his list with honoring your parents. This for some children, and even some adults find difficult because the parent was either not ever present, or was pushed away by the dominate parent. In two parent households children often struggle to love and honor both parents as each relationship is both individual and linked to the amount of support provided within the family unit. One parent plays the role of disciplinarian and the other is passive, and children will generally gravitate towards the passive parent. However, in some extraordinary circumstances children will become closer with the disciplinarian if this parent uses fear, force, or threatens to take the love for the child away, thus basing each request upon conditions that at any moment that parents love could be called into question. In these relationships children will say anything not to lose the love of their parent, or parents. Be not deceived, for the sins sowed will be the sins reaped.

“Love your neighbor as yourself”, is also a special commandment as this is linked directly to Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. For in doing this the heart becomes pure, as selfish motivations become less important. Living for God becomes the dominate thoughts and actions and therefore reap the most rewards in heaven.

Challenge Questions: If your feeling guilty for a sin you committed is it wise to admit it, ask for God to forgive you, or should you lie about it and get others into serious trouble?

Amen
If you have been moved by this blog I urge you to continue to come back and become a subscriber. Please do not forget to also visit us at http://listeningfaithfully.org.

May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. Amen

Please Donate to Listening Faithfully and help spread he words of God around the world.

You can also visit us at: Listeningfaithfully.org

Please help support Listening Faithfully!Give

Reflection 2: Jesus As God? Part 2

47 “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’ 49 ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’” ~ Luke 2:48-49.

Children have a spectacular way of looking at the world around them. They say some of the wildest things, all of which in the beginning is by-in-large truthful in a very naive way. They have this ability to sum things up and spit them out without regard to anyone else’s agendas, goals, purpose, feelings, and or wants for the information to be shared. Parents cringe each time their three year old says something on a topic the parent wanted to keep private, or teachers who have given examples on something the children misunderstood. It is all about perception, and Jesus not just silenced his parents even though they had a reason to be upset with him, but also thge 12" src="http://listeningfaithfully.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/jesus-as-boy-temple.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="229" height="220" />e pharisees who would later come to hate him and work for his destruction.  Children and adults alike work off of their own world view, their own varying opinions, and of course wants and desires. Because God gave man free will we have always had conflicts which have riddled our collective human history with wars, death, and disease, all of which has been justified based off of our perception of right and wrong, morality, and immorality, justices and injustices. As children we share freely, but as we grow some of us become secretive and in some cases those secrets manifest themselves in the most inhuman ways. Good can become evil, and evil can be justified if done for good purposes. Our lives the older we get become more complicated because of our learned perceptions soley based off of our collective experiences.  With all this stated and accepted as fact by most educational and child development experts, then the real questions that need to be asked about Jesus as a boy is, “What major world view, or learned experience could Jesus have had at his tender age of twelve? What knowledge base was he drawing off of which amazed the Pharisees so?” To truly answer these questions we must admit, no normal twelve year old would have such insight without formal training. Most normal children of his age group could not exhibit their knowledge in such a manner as to not be confused or fooled by older, wiser,  and  or learned people such as the Pharisees were. In addition there is no other child in history so filled with the correct interpretation on legal issues and matters of religious belief as Jesus proved his understanding within that specific visit to Jerusalem for Passover.

The other unexplainable issue which is presented that must be fully explored is Jesus’s ability to simply know things, to have certainty about the world and his role in it. Few people pocesses such self awareness as to convenience older more scholarly people as adults, let-alone as a child no matter how clever they are. Jesus was working off of a higher intellect, a source of wisdom beyond his years. The idea that a desert dweller who up to this point had no formal education other than working with his hands with Joseph could have possibly gone toe-to-toe with the Pharisees as Jesus did for about three days straight. I would also like to include a comment my daughter made to me as she helped to flesh out this point, “Jesus continuously gave flawless answers with amazing confidence without the help from anyone.” (Des, 2012). I would just like to add to this comment that Jesus’s family was not there to help him, there was no one who could have been giving him the answers as the Pharisees had surrounded him asking him questions. There was no intermediary, it was just God and man, Jesus as a boy and religious scholars. It is also important to note that the Jewish people where a repressed people at this point in history, and formalized education was almost none existent. Most Jewish boys learned a trade or skill to help pay their families taxes, few had time to learn the laws of Moses and or interpret them with such clarity as Jesus. This is not discounting that his father Joseph did not take him to the Synagogue, because he must have as a practicing Jew, but still this does not account for the extent of knowledge Jesus exhibited, nor his confidence in this knowledge. So we must ask again, from were did Jesus get his learned knowledge?

“39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” ~ Luke 2:39-40.

Briefly, the Bible mentions an Angel of the Lords coming to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee with Mary and the new born baby Jesus and go into Egypt.  This is found only in Matthew 2:13-23, then in Chapter 3 Matthew starts straight off with John the Baptist. Mark starts straight away with John the Baptist and the temptations of Christ. Then John starts with the creation of man and then dives straight into John the Baptist. It is only Luke who gives us an insight to the boy Jesus. Thus, it is important to state that Luke is was referencing to the accounts found in Matthew 2:13-23 then scripture would read something like this; and so it was from Egypt the family of three was returning from, “39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.” ~ Luke 2:39.

It is also important to note that the Laws of God included Jesus to be circumcised and then to be presented to God in the Temple in Jerusalem to be purified all of which is according to Jewish law handed down from Moses. Luke tells us that Jesus was presented in the temple according to this law, but if King Herod the Great had indeed ordered the deaths of hundreds of babies as it is written in Matthew, then logic would dictate that Joseph and Mary would be playing straight into King Herod’s hands by going to Jerusalem. It would not have been safe for them to have done so. Thus, Luke is most likely referring to the accounts found in Luke 2:21-38 which tells a completely different story than the one found in Matthew. So the Laws of God handed down by Moses according to Luke was fulfilled in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Another interesting point to make is that Jesus would have been  circumcised to fulfill the Law of Moses. This is also done to all male Jews at this period. So it would appear the Bible has a conflict in facts and events. However, because the writers of the Bible were less concerned with exact dates as we are today, there is a Book which does a very fine job at making the Bible come together in a chronological order, that book is called, The Book of Jesus, written by Dennis F. McCorkle, ISBN-13: 9780595258925. I am in no way endorsing this book, but it does do a nice job at sorting out this controversy.

Historical Chronology of Jesus
Fact 1: Jesus was born and fulfilled proficy as the Son of God. (More of this found in future blog posts)
Fact 2: After Jesus was born Shepherds from the hills sides came to see him.
Fact 3: According to Luke Jesus was circumcised and then taken to the temple to be presented. (Luke 2:21-38)
Fact 4: Then King Herod ordered the slaughter of all the boys under 2 years of age and Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-23)
Fact 5: Joseph and Mary came back from Egypt after all the Laws of the Lord had been fulfilled and after the death of Herod. (Jesus would have been about 10 years old)

Therefore, it could also be said that Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to present their new born son in the temple. Then they went back to their home in Nazareth, where by Joseph wanted to return to his ancestral home and place of Jesus’s birth in  Bethlehem in Judea. This is where Matthew begins his story. Upon this second visit to Bethlehem did  the Magi enter into the picture finding the child Jesus, (not the new born) for Jesus was about two years old at this point. Then Joseph received the dream from the Angel of the Lord telling him about Herod’s desire to kill the child. It is then that Joseph left his home and took his family to Egypt until the death of Herod. Instead of returning to Bethlehem for fear that Herod’s son Archelaus would search them out Joseph took his family back to Nazareth and settled there.

No matter the order of events, no matter the amount of traveling to keep Jesus safe, it is clear than God went to great pains to both forewarn and protect Jesus. It is very clear that people in the region saw Jesus as someone special. It is very clear that Jesus had been brought up with the blessings of God upon him. So in the final analysis all these prior events of supernatural interventions which really began at the conception of Jesus within Mary and then the protective hand of Joseph, all leads to one date in time that will serve as the precursor of things to come. That being the Passover celebration where Jesus demonstrates the power of God as a twelve year old boy, without any formal training, without any help form scholars, and without any need of books and intense studying, Jesus as a boy, proves that he alone is God manifest in human form. Interestingly Jesus does not appear again until his baptisum by John the Baptist, which is an indicator that Mary was more than just upset at Jesus for losing track of him, but chose to protect him in a very quiet secluded area of the country in hopes to save him from his own future, as any loving mother would attempt to do.
Amen
If you have been moved by this blog I urge you to continue to come back and become a subscriber. Please do not forget to also visit us at http://listeningfaithfully.org.
May God bless you and keep you all the days of your life. Amen

Donate with WePay

Special Announcement

2 MONTHS TO GO! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

From Listening Faithfully Founder Brian Keith

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest public school system in the United States just behind New York City Unified School District and has an operating budget of about $1.7 million. In comparison the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Schools who operates independently from the Church maintain a fiscal budgets of about $840,000 per year, give or take the schools location and number of students. Short falls in the State Budget in 2011-12 have forced Public Elementary Schools to no longer offer badly needed programs like summer school and Pre-K classes.

This is where Listening Faithfully Blog steps up to help support a number of the private Christian schools in our inner city communities. We understand that these schools relay heavily on donations that are collected from outside entities like Listening Faithfully. We understand that advertising is not evil but there simply is no place for it on our website. I believe Listening Faithfully Blog is something special and provides free content for the sole purpose of bringing people closer to God while allowing everyone the opportunity to be active in their faith by helping to support God’s children.

When I founded Listening Faithfully Blog I had no idea to the volume of christians who was looking for a none intrusive way of connecting to God while learning more about the bible as well as Gods words and promises. Many of my monthly readers and followers find Listening Faithfully Blog very educational. Ironically, it is through technology Listening Faithfully Blog exists and is able to reach out to the world sharing God’s message, it is also through technology and computer literacy many of our displaced children are finding little to no access to technology and thus falling behind. Therefore, as an educator it is Listening Faithfully Blog’s secondary mission to helping our children achieve a quality education and to become technology literate. Though it takes little to run and upkeep Listening Faithfully Blog; the educational processes of evangelization a long with the many hours of research and lesson planning does cost money, especially while the LAUSD is closing schools and programs our inner city students so badly need, that the private schools are trying to make up for.

With this said, the work I personally do within the private schools allows me the unique understanding of how faith community’s operate as well as their importance and impact on our underprivileged communities. Each year I see the disparity between the rich and poor grow wider and wider and it is our children who are made to suffer for our short falls.

In short, if every one of my readers and followers donated $10.00 we would only have to fundraise for six months each year. But not everyone can or will donate, and that’s fine. Currently we have two causes we are collecting money for and badly need your support, the first being the funding of the Technology Team: (see the following link: http://ascensiontechnews.wordpress.com/ ), and the other goes to help fund Listening Faithfully.com and now Listening Faithfully.org sites to grow and expand as we strive to keep our sites free of charge, (see the link following link: http://listeningfaithfullyblog.com/donations/ ).

This year, please consider making a donation of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can to protect, sustain, and provide for the education of all God’s Children.

Sincerely Yours,

Brian Keith

Listening Faithfully Blog Founder

Reflection 1: Jesus as God?

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” ~ Matthew 27:46

No person willingly marches to their death. No one willingly places themselves in such torture that bodily functions begin to shut down do to the damage. No normal human-being chooses the hour and manner of their death, nor chooses who will betray them. No mortal man nor woman or child would be able to exhibit such faith in an afterlife, let alone accomplishing a self proclaimed resurrection. No man has ever done any of these things to the precision of Christ Jesus. Now if by chance these things where accomplished they would not have been done for the sake of all mankind if a normal human was doing it, rather wouldn’t it be fair to say the reasons would have been far less loving, perhaps a tad more selfish. Why would anyone be so concerned about salvation for others. Especially those who would be strangers, after all the Chief Preists where not so concerned, nor was the Kings and Queens that came before and after the birth and death of Christ. See when we break this down only God would be so concerned, only Satan would be concerned, and only those who do Gods bidding would understand this fact. In fact the Bible tells us only the men and women of God where concerned about salvation, and they understood the function of sacrifice. So in this event of our Lord’s death we must take note that no normal man and woman, clergy, rulers, and or those people who believed in nothing were all blinded by this basic mortal need to be saved, because the separation between God and man was so great that that only illustration which comes close would be to reference the distance between one galaxy to another. The sheer volume of testimony recorded in the Bible not to mention the volume of prophecies which Jesus full filled points to only one thing, that Jesus is the Son of God, and in that statement is God and one third of the full power of God. It is hard to wrap ourselves around this fact but even Jesus proclaimed that His ways are not our ways.

“45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” ~ Matthew 27:45-49.

Even until the last second the Sanhedrin mocked Jesus, their remarks about calling forth a prophet to save a living God was more than just insulting, it was and in and of itself blasphemy. The same act they accused Jesus of they committed within the final seconds of our Lords life. The Romans who executed Jesus would have a far better chance to be saved than those who mocked Jesus in these final moments.

“50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.” ~ Matthew 27:50.

In Matthew we see the last and final remarks of the Sanhedrin, or the Chief Priest, and those who supported them in the prosecution and then execution of Jesus play an extraordinary role in the human saga of denial, failure to believe, and in the utter lack of faith in God. In no other text can it be found other than in the remaining three Gospels were man so utterly failed to believe in the might of God. For they lived and saw his miracles, they witnessed him speak, preach, raise the dead, heal the sick, and make the blind see, the maimed walk, and the sinners be forgiven. In no other time period had any human being have such access to God, to feel his presence in their lives with such a personal touch as when Jesus walked the Earth, and still they refused to believe. In a way that says something about our man made religious beliefs, our since of justice, and the laws we pass. For these things have something more sinister about them, they serve only a few men’s interests leaving everyone else out in the dark. In comparison to Jesus the men who falsely accused Him, who spat upon Him, who knowingly rejected Him suffered more than Our Lord and Savior because they were influenced and deceived by Satan. The old adage that makes a stab at defending the Sanhedrin and in their disbelief in offering the question, (how were they to really know that Jesus was the Son of God in the face of so many who claimed to be the messiah, most of which lived in the same time period as Christ Jesus), leaves all who dare to ask or believe this question to be true in such an utterly defenceless position in full view of all the facts it would be embarrasing to even ponder. For after reviewing the life of Christ this question can not be properly supported as none of the other fake messiahs accomplished in their lifetime what Jesus did in four years. None of them where as concerned about man’s salvation as Jesus, and none of them went to the lengths to peaceably accomplish man’s salvation as did Jesus.

“44 It was now about the sixth hour , and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shinning. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.‘ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” ~ Luke 23:43-46.

In the Gospel according to Luke, those final words of Jesus was proceeded by darkness, as he clearly states, “the sun stopped shining”. This text makes a reference to the curtain of the temple tearing in two halves, symbolizing the ending of the Old Testament Jewish Laws of Moses, and the starting of a New Convent between man and God. In this moment just prior to Luke’s Gospel accounting in chapter 23:46, and Matthews accounting found in chapter 27:49 The Gospel according to John tells us that when Jesus cried out and then was offered the sponge filled with wine vinegar our Lord made the most awesome proclamation before everyone and for all to hear for Jesus uttered,

“30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” ~ John 19:30

All of these final words from Jesus just prior to his death proves he was sent to accomplish his mission, and part of that mission was for him to die. In all of these words from Jesus we find that he is focused on one task and that is mans salvation. So again I must state, no mortal man would have willingly sacrificed himself for other men’s sins nor to save their immortal souls be we, members of the human race would have never been able to carry out that mission. In this thought our walk with God can become close again because of the sacrifice of Jesus, who had Godly strength, direction, and who is and of himself God.

Amen

May God be with you and bless you all the days of your life.

Donate with WePay

Special Post: Morality Goal #4

In every manner possible give to your family, friends, neighbors, relatives, work mates, and all whom you shall ever meet in this life a true and honest accounting of all things you have felt, said, and have done, and which has been done to you. “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”(Exodus 23:1, NIV). For in living within this moral code God shall honor you, the angels in heaven will sing your praises, and there shall be no blemish upon you that which Satan shall be able to claim, or use you as an instrument of sin. Be truthful in all that you do and no secret shall be raised up when you least expect it to tear you down. Therefore, always live within the spotlight of truth and you shall be free.

Morality Goal # 3:

Who Am I…”not” to forgive others of their transgressions against me, when God himself has commanded it to be so? (Matthew 18:15-17). Even if those same people hold on to their perceived complaints about me. Who Am I…”NOT” TO FORGIVE? (Matthew 18:32-35) For as a christian I am commanded by God to love my enemies, to clothe them if they go naked, to feed them if they are wanting for food, to love them as I love God…for the same God loves them equally as He loves and forgives me. (John 13:34-35) In the light of this truth, Why should I “not” forgive? Who Am I to deny others what God Himself will not withhold?

Reflection 2: Foundational Friendships pt 2

“14 After John was put into prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 ’The time has come.’ he said, ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15, NKJV).

As stated before, there are many kinds of friendships and relationships. As human-beings we are capable of so much love, kindness, gentleness, mercy, and forgiveness but we rarely show it, because of our sinning nature we are repeat offenders to Gods perfect    love. We would rather put into prison such prophets as John the Baptist who God made as a lonely voice in the wilderness calling out for forgiveness, justice, and repentance, a man sent by God, foretold over 700 years before his birth by another prophet we know as Isaiah.

“ 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5, NIV).

We would rather ignore our sins allowing Satan to work his evil within us, leading us into perpetual darkness than to claim the light of God. Where we go so wrong in our lives, in our deeds, in our relationships is our unwillingness to believe the good news.

“16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 ‘Come, follow me’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.”(Mark 1:16-18, NKJV,)

Foundational friendships are relationships built upon honesty, sincerity, and devoid of doubt. We must always be ready for them when they appear, and when they do we must act upon them without delay. Admittedly, in some instances it takes an act of God to make us comply and to obey without question, but for those who are ready it only takes the gentle voice of our savior. For when Jesus came upon Simon and Andrew they recognized his honesty and they saw his sincerity, which erased all their doubt for they hesitated not; but rather acted upon there belief with blind ferver.

“19 When he had gone a little father, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with hired men and followed him.” (Mark 1:19-20).

Our needs are met when like little children we come running to the Lord, leaving everything behind, dropping our yokes given to us by life and simply following him. The call is so simple, but yet so hard for many of us. The rewards are so profound if only we submit and believe. Through this act of contrition we drop the world and our sins of the world at the door step of our savior. We allow God to mold us into a more perfect version of ourselves, thus teaching each of us how to connect with others in a way that will inspire them to come to God much like the prophets, the angels in heaven, and much like Jesus who died for us. We open our hearts and mind; we become the cornerstone that which many foundational relationships can stand the test of time. Like watchmen we become ever vigilant, unyielding, and uncompromising as the sands that are carried by the wind howl about us, yet we stand never to be chipped or blown away, but rather rooted in the foundations of the Lord. The characteristic of being like the prophets, speaking the truth given to us by God, sharing the good news is the best kept secret of being a foundational friend, because in stark reality we are preparing ourselves and others to be  part of a magnificent eternal family.

“13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.” (Mark 2:13-14, NJKV).

So simple, so gentle, so powerful, and so perfect are the words, “Follow Me!” For the disciples did not come to Christ because they heard his message first, analyzed it, and then synthesized it before making the life changing decision to follow him. Rather they heard his voice, accepted their calling from God and did not look back. To be called by God is the greatest of all earthly pursuits that carries with it huge responsibilities and ramifications. To accept Gods holy appointment upon your life to become a foundational friend, teacher, and apostle one must recognize God, believe with absolute blind faith, and practice his mercy in all you do and with everyone you meet.

“13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve designating them apostles that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which mean Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Mark 3:13-19, NKJV).

The unspoken words of Christ Jesus as he looking into each of his disciples eyes struck a cord with each of them; as if he had said, “Look at me, what do you see? For I know you, and have always known you. Know me now, follow me, follow me, follow me.” His eyes touched there souls, they saw and believed, but the rewards are greater for those who have not seen but still believe. Some could see clearly their calling, still at least one doubted;

“28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 21: 28-29, NKJV).

At least one knew him and accepted him but still betrayed him,

“41 Returning the third time, he said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” 43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.  44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”  45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.” (Mark 14:41-46, NKJV).

Still others denied knowing him. But Jesus never left them without peace, love, and the promise of eternal life. His friendship is foundational in every way, in all measures, and is absolute. It is Our Lord and Saviors example that we must cling too as we are molded and grow in faith, as we become foundational people, befriending everyone, helping those who respond. Like a fisher of men pulling many from unlikely places we become foundational and teach others to become the same, in the end becoming more like God.

Amen

May God be with you always, and grant you everlasting peace. If you have been moved by this reflection please feel free to leave a comment and press the “Like” under the “Like This” heading found underneath the posting

Also please visit our Face Book page located at:http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003233971458&sk=wal

In addition please visit the newly constructed donations page in order to directly support this blog please DONATE NOW!

Donate with WePay

Morality Goal 2

It should be woven into the fabric of your life, so as all your deeds reflect it, and that all your words proclaim it, that you should love and forgive everyone whom is your enemy as you do your friends. For grievances are earthly and have no place in your heart as all earthly things shall pass away, so too shall your grievance. But your love and forgiveness is forever as is God, from which your love comes.

Morality Goal 1

IT has been a few long weeks since my last posting and for that I do apologize but I have been working hard on a few projects. For more information please visit the Donations page.

So I offer this instead of a long post…

Morality Goal 1: It should be placed deep into your heart that each day that you awake you find a way to impact another human-being in a positive manner, either in your words or actions, or be it in a silence gesture, or in a simple huge. It could be a letter, email, note, card, present, or in a hand shack. But let your positive impact be done with immense love so as it completely fills both your heart and theirs from top to bottom.