Category: Special Posting

“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
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“3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” ~ Proverbs 3:3-4

The words used in the Bible are written in such a manner to invoke an inner locking oneness to God, in much the same way some words are locked together and used in concert painting beautiful portraits and wonderful spectacles. Love is a root word God uses throughout creation, from it he bound the angels to himself with the word loyalty. God saw that Lucifer had been disloyal and cast him from heaven. Lucifer was disloyal because he saw how much closer God had bound the human race to himself with the word faithful. We are Gods children, his faithful flock, and we too are bound by loyalty. Faithfulness and loyalty are two binding words which ripple throughout all time, but find their roots in the word “love”. Therefore, it’s no accident these words be spoke with such reverence to God, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” For God is love, and loyalty and faithfulness is written upon the tablet of your heart.

Enter Job was the apitemy of both loyalty to God and faithfulness to God to the bitter end. God saw the written evidence upon Job’s heart. Thus he had no reservation in suggesting to Satan to test him as found in the first chapters of the Book of Job.

“6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, ‘What have you been doing?’ Satan answered, ‘I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth.’ ‘8 Did you notice my servant Job?’ the Lord asked. ‘There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil.’ ‘9 Satan replied, ‘Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has, he will curse you to your face!’ 12 ‘All right’, the Lord said to Satan, ‘everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself.’ So Satan left.” ~ Job 1:6-12

According to God, Job was loyal. According to Satan Job was loyal and faithful to God. In accordance Satan exclaimed how much God had blessed Job and it was these many blessings which was the source of Jobs loyalty. Take it all away and he will curse you Satan bet. God swift in his faith in Job knew Jobs heart, saw that tablet of love, faithfulness, and of loyalty written upon his heart and bound around his neck, never to leave him

In the time shortly before King David, Prophet Samuel, another faithful and loyal servant of Gods is told by God to go to Bethleham and to anoint with olive oil one of Jesse’s sons. Saul was still King at this time, thus to follow the very words of God would have proven Samuel disloyal to Saul, but written upon Samuels heart was love, loyalty, and faithfulness to God.

“4 Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethleham, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, ‘Is this a peaceful visit seer?’ 5 ‘Yes’ he answered. ‘I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:4-5
When Samuel saw all the sons of Jesse, he did not know what to do, but again he relied on his faith in God to show him his next path, his final acts on Gods behalf.
“7 But the Lord said to him, ‘Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel found great favor in God. It was for this purpose God chose him to speak on hi behalf. God found no favor in King Saul who had disobeyed God, thus God rejected him. David a boy showing great faith in God did the unthinkable, in demonstrating blind faith in God in the face of certain death at the hands of Goliath.

“45 David answered, ‘You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. 46 This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, 47 and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people.    He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.” ~ 1 Samuel 17:45-47

Again God saw what was written in David’s heart, saw his faith, his loyalty, his obedience which was far superior to that of the Philistine giant Goliath, and far superior to the faith of King Saul himself. The least of things David won that day was the victory over his enemy, the Kingship of all of Israel, and the greatest of things was that of the favor of God.

In these two examples, Job suffered greatly at the hands of Satan, but did not lose his faith, his loyalty, his faithfulness to God, neither did King David have an easy life once he became King, but he too suffered and never lost faith in God. Both men where greatly blessed in their time by God, and in His sight won great favor. These two men where but a small sampling of a larger community of people who had written upon theirs hearts and lived a life filled with love, loyalty, and faithfulness to God, the Almighty.

They as did others like Moses, Isaac, Isaiah, Samuel, Ezra, Ruth, Joshua, Esther, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John where human examples of absolute faith, absolute loyalty to God our father in Heaven. It can also be said they accomplished their mission which God ordained by having the proper attitude, which gave them their collective enthusiasm, freedom from fear, increased creativity, exciting joy which engulfed all that interacted with them, and blessed them with the greatest of potential. Jesus, the Son of God embodied the pure, unblemished love and loyalty to His father unto death. It is the reason their names are etched into history, and serried into our hearts for all time. God our father prizes loyalty, faithfulness, and love above all other qualities and it this which he peers into our heart, ignoring the glamor of the outer appearance, and looks so readily  for those words which bid us so closely to him. It is this which He is so moved to show us so much favor, and is so will to give us power over all the evil in our lives.

Amen

May God be with you always, and grant you everlasting peace

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“23 He did not forget us when we were defeated; His love is eternal; 24 He freed us from our enemies; His love is eternal. 25 He gives food to every living creature; His love is eternal. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven his love is eternal”(Psalms 136: 23-26, GNT Bible, Pp.566).

Our selfless and ever vigilant God in heaven is the source of forgiveness and of hope. His most perfect love is wrapped around each and every one of us and when we ask Him for His most perfect grace He bestows upon us His perfect mercy. God is everywhere you look from the many grains of sand beneath your feet to the plants and animals in the wild, to the water that we drink, to the massive oceans he keeps in their place. God is in the air we breathe, He is in the smiles from strangers we meet, to the words you hear from unexpected sources that cheer you on when you need it most. God lives in your heart, mind, and soul, and He alone fills that empty void within us completely. Within these truths we bow down to God, we marvel at His perfect nature, His perfect love, His perfect mercy, and we keep the knowledge that only He is the master of all things explained and unexplained, physical and supernatural. We give him thanks for handing to us his perfect salvation. In its entirety from beginning to end the most spectacular mystery of our one true living God is found within His power over forgiveness and the giving of hope. There is nothing which exudes more perfectly His love than His promise to always be present in our lives and because He loves us all the same we are all saved through His son Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this reflection is centered on God’s forgiveness and His giving of hope.

About Forgiveness;

“Jesus explained to His disciples, ‘If a companion does something wrong to you, go to that person and point this out. But do it privately. If your friend listens and says, “I’m sorry”, forgive and your bond will be strengthened.” ~ Lost Gospel Q, Q77.

The magic secret of forgiveness if there is one can be best expressed by simply saying this; by giving others the opportunity to make amends is both showing them respect and concern for their position and therefore showing them love. Forgiveness cannot be given from any kind of heart other than one which is filled completely with love, because forgiveness is an act of love. Jesus stated that we need to confront those who have wronged us, telling them how we feel about the action they took which brought forth anger. He commanded this to be done in private, keeping this between the two parties that are involved because people have a tendency to judge others without the proper facts and in the end condemning who they happen to side against from a political or person tie. The simple act of private, respectful, confrontation is another sign of respect, and when added up in total there is no real reason the problem cannot be resolved peacefully, leaving everyone with honor.

In my personal life I have known people who when I have confronted them a wall goes up. They become confrontational spouting words that cut like knives. I have also known people who simply refuse to discuss the matter at hand leaving no room for a resolution that is within the best interest of everyone involved. I offer these two examples to show how selfish and immature people can sometimes be, within this we are called by God to be mature in our faith, in our dealings with others, taking the high road less traveled. I realize that sometimes this road is lonely much like a desolate road in the dead of night. A road in the desert where there is no other traveler that you can see for hours and or days at a time. It may also seem as if the other person is getting their way at your expense, which can leave you feeling more hurt, upset, and even angrier than you where originally. The injustice paid to you is a blessing in disguise because God knows your effort, He knows your pain, He alone knows your suffering, and though your mortal heart shouts out to him for vengeance, your Christian soul should be disciplined enough to also know that revenge is not yours to take.

“20 The anger of man or the wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.” ~ James 1:20.

Therefore, be quick to forgive, being fair and equitable with everyone in your life. Remember as a Christian first you are commanded to forgive, even if the other person refuses to hear your case against them, or they refuse to tell you why they are upset at you first. Be quick to apologize for the part you may have played even if they do not forgive you. In this action you are being mature in your faith, and taking the high road, which leads to higher rewards in heaven.

“12 You are the people of God; He loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must cloth yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. 14 And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity”(Colossians 3: 12-14, GNT Bible, Pp.1291).

I know again from personal experience how hard it is to forgive someone who has continuously sins against me. I know how angry the heart can become, but in the act of expressing this anger your heart also becomes hardened. Forgiveness is a practice in humility; it is an act which honors God in heaven. Because when you forgive the unforgivable you first set yourself free of the pain of not forgiving, and second you abide in the greatest of commandments set forth by Jesus in the temple when asked by a Pharisee,

“36 Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus answered “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind. 38 This is the greatest and the most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40 The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments”(Matthew 22:36-40, GNT Bible, Pp.1095).

In the end our journey through this life is one marked by how well you followed God, by the moral lessons you have learned along the way, and how much like God you became as He molded you into a more perfect you. Our endeavor should never be marked by selfishness and greed, rather by asking ourselves this question each and every day, “For as a sinner in this world who am I to condemn another? Who am I to through the first stone?”

“6 If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.”(Matthew 6:14-15, GNT Bible, Pp. 1074).

Thus the spiritual benefits are heavenly, but the earthly ones are awesome too. Remember when you let go of your bitterness and allow yourself to forgive others of their trespasses you will cleanse your heart making room for compassion, kindness, and peace. Forgiveness leads to healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety, less stress, less hostility, which leads to lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, and lower risk of substance abuse. We are made in God’s image, therefore we are built to forgive. That is why it hurts so badly when we don’t.

Amen

May God be with you always, and grant you everlasting peace.

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^“18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.) ~ Matthew 1:18

The birth of Jesus is a miracle because of the many events which led to his birth and all the preceding miracles which followed. The greatest of these miracles was that of love which allowed Mary to say yes to the Arc-Angel Gabriel when she accepted God’s will. It was love which allowed Joseph to finally look past the laws of man and comply with God.

 “¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” ~Matthew 1:19

The story however really begins with the prophet Jeremiah who states;

“5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.” ~ Jeremiah 23: 5-6. 

Jeremiah lived some six centuries before Jesus.  In fact there are more than 300 prophecies which talk about the messiah.

“⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” ~ Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah consequently was even further removed on the timeline living some  700 years before Jesus.

According to the prophet Daniel who provided a chronology of events that included the revelation that the Messiah would be rejected before the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem. His prophetic prophecy was extremely clear  as it relates to the Romans who destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, some 40 years after Jesus was crucified, all of which is found in the Book of Daniel,

“²⁵ Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. ²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” ~ Daniel  9: 25-26.  

Daniel lived some 500 years before Jesus.

This list goes on and on, as it relates to those who talked about the future and for those prophetic prophecies which came true with the birth of Jesus, all leading to the idea that they indeed came come from God. But despite this basic evidence we also have the events of why Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem in the first place. In fact one could argue the taking of a sinus was inspired by God so that the prophecy would be fulfilled. Never the less on the night Jesus was born Angels from God came down to announce his birth to the shepherds in near by fields as found in Luke,

“⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” ~ Luke 2:8-20. 

As all these events where taking place the star shined high in the sky and reportedly grew in intensity as the night wore on. It was this star that led the Three Wise Men to Jesus as found in Luke who writes,

” ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” ~ Luke 2:9-12. 

In researching all these events everything as it is written is inspired from start to finish by God. Each person who was involved was affected in a deep and personal why most of them being touched by Angels in dreams. In the fabric of the birth of Jesus is miracles guiding the way. Miracles are the only way to explain  Jesus from the start of his life to the end, but He at birth fulfilled every major prophecy and it cannot be denied that Jesus is the son of God. It is for these reasons and hundreds of which I did not mention that we celebrate His birth, and celebrate this miracle babe.

Amen,

Merry Christmas 2011

“Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” ~ Mark 3:34-35

What does God really want from us? Why would Jesus deny his own mother and brothers in public and instead elect to keep teaching in the temple? What is Mark really saying to us? Finally what does any of these things have to do with Thanksgiving? Well to be certain Jesus was very much about his father’s work. He was very much about teaching and healing and spreading the word of God. So much so he would be twice found in the temple with his family asking for him to come out and go with them. Once when he was a young boy and then again on this Sabbath day. The miracle he had worked had less to do with the act of healing a man with withered hands and more to do with his message, the meanings found within the symbology of his actions and words. Jesus knew he was surrounded by men with hardened hearts, supposed teachers of the Mosaic Laws. He knew they would be questioning him at every turn, testing, and judging everything he did. In many ways trying their best to trick him and find fault within him. But our Lord and Savior was too clever for them, as his message was about the old versus the new. The Pharisees now have become guardians of the old and outdated and Jesus the fresh and the new, representing the new agreement with mankind. In retrospect Thanksgiving is about this very thing, the old ways of Europe put down and the new ways of living had been found within the cultivation of the pilgrims’ relationship with the Indians.

The first of all new commandments is to love one another. The pilgrims knew this, they taught the Indians this, and on many levels the Indians taught the first pilgrims the meaning of respect and love in their kindness in helping them to survive in a harsh environment, all of which the Indians did not haves to do. Just as Christ Jesus did not have to forsake his place next to God and elect to become a servant and the sacrifice for all mankind.

I think it is very evident to what God wants from us, what he demands from us, and I am very thankful that we have set aside a day in order to celebrate all the things in our life we have to be thankful for. Because when we do this we celebrate God, we celebrate the message, the symbology behind the story of giving to each other freely not expecting anything in return.

So Mark was making the point that even though the law was interpreted as being one way and against common human decency then we need to reach out and find the spirit of the law which is of a higher nature. So in this instance it was believed one does not work on the Sabbath, even if it is to heal the sick, tend to the dying. But in the example Jesus clearly showed the hypocrisy of this and how this directly contradicts his first commandment, of loves one another. Healing the sick on the Sabbath was not work, but an act of kindness and love.

So on this Thanksgiving day I want everyone to look deep down at what you have, the food you are eating, and the warmth that surrounds you, and remember that God is with you, remember that he made all things possible and what you have he granted. Take this day to thank him first, take this moment to ask his blessing on your life and that of your family. Show your mercy through your actions and help those who can not help themselves, love one another as God loves you.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

May God bless you all and keep you safe this holiday season.

Amen

“15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22: 15-17, NKJV, Pg. 958).

I accept you as you are. I love you as you are. For God made you, who am I to quarrel with God. So, I love you and accept you as you are. Shouldn’t this have been the real attitude of the Pharisees? Wouldn’t their faith had been stronger, their hearts more pure if this was how they accepted Jesus? But no, they chose to test the Lord, they chose to plot and plan against him. But I say to you, isn’t this human nature? So what did the Lord do, one might ask?

“18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22: 18-21, NKJV, Pg. 958).

If you are a follower of Listening Faithfully you know I don’t ask for money in return for reading what is posted here on the blog. It is my personal and firm belief that you give to God what belongs to him in your own way, hopefully in church. Thus, from time to time I receive messages asking me why I don’t have a donations page, because if I did, they wrote, readers would donate money. To be truthful I resist this temptation of collecting donations because I want there to be a free spirit of giving and sharing here. I truly enjoy writing this blog and every week I receive over 300 messages from people who tell me they enjoy reading what I post. It’s a fair exchange in my view; it is also in line with the gospel. However, even Jesus accepted the charitable giving of others. So in the spirit of charitable giving I am writing this special posting and I will ask only one thing; that being if you truly feel the calling of God, tugging away at your heart to give or to contribute or to donate, call it what you will then, I suggest for you to read about both our Foreign Giving and Domestic Giving or causes which are near and dear to my heart, and I know after reading about them they will be near and dear to your heart as well.

(Currently we are still collecting all the information necessary to fully bring to light the Foreign Giving which can be found on the Foreign Giving tab. Please read next week’s special posting.)

Before I begin I would like to quote one of my favorite Lutheran Ministers who writes so eloquently about giving in the name of the Lord, to help those who are furthering Gods work here on Earth, Dr. Richard P. Bucher, from Lexington Kentucky writes, “I’m not referring to the laws of tithing which God imposed upon the Old Testament believers. These will be discussed later. I’m referring to the moral law of the Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal. The Seventh Commandment is not merely about stealing–it is about stewardship. The Seventh Commandment reminds us that God is the owner of everything. “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1) is the constant refrain of Scripture. When we steal from our neighbor we are ultimately stealing from Him who gave to our neighbor in the first place (James 1:17). Since God owns everything, it follows that we own nothing: we are merely stewards (managers) of God’s possessions” (Bucher, Richard P. Dr., Sermon: Christian Giving In God’s Word), retrieved: October 23, 2011, from: http://www.orlutheran.com/html/stew.html

Domestic Giving:

So with this in mind and the proper mood set, here are the two suggestions. As an educator in the inner city schools of Los Angeles there are many children who are raised in absolute poverty. After eight years of working in these communities I am still struck with awe to how many people there are in need in what most would consider being the wealthiest nation on earth. But, nevertheless I see this poverty, I see the destructive nature of this poverty and I often wonder how I can have the biggest impact? In reading the scripture I find that Jesus helped people, curried them of their illnesses and he even raised the dead, one person at a time. God loves all of us and he is interested in us in detail. So from these two truths I conclude that God helps those who he has established a personal relationship with. So I am writing to you so you may know the personal relationships to the community to which I serve so lovingly.

Each Year at Ascension Catholic School, in association with STARK NET, and other contributors a special summer program known as the Technology Team is hosted. Students from grades 5-8 are welcome to join and learn during four weeks of their summer break all the inner most workings of the computer. They do wonderful projects like taking computers apart, cleaning them, and then putting everything back as they found it. Reformatting hard drives and reinstalling the operating system. The students learn skills of problem solving, how to conduct proper internet research as they find the prices of new computer components. They write the Tech Team News Letter and at the end of the four weeks give a PowerPoint presentation before their parents showing off everything they have done during the four weeks they attended. The course emphasizes computer literacy in the highest order. It is fully in line with the ISTE Standards, and is taught by a teacher who is really passionate about the subject matter and the student’s future success. Unfortunately, each year there are students who are turned away because they cannot afford the meager $150.00 it costs to attend during the summer. This tuition is imposed upon the families of the students who want to join because the Tech Team T-Shirts, Flash-Drives, material, computer components, and the teacher’s salary are all elements which need to be compensated for. Normally the salary component would not be an issue, but teachers are not paid during the long summer months. The school has done fundraisers and has managed to secure minimal support for scholarships for a few of the students who are in the worst need lowering the $150.00 tuition down to just $100.00. Ironically each year the course material becomes more complex and more activities are added to make the program more robust and in this it is truly Gods hand being shown as children from all over the community come to sign up and participate in this extraordinary summer program. What ways so heavy on my heart in the mist of such awesome work being done for the Lord at Ascension is that each year the Technology Team teeters on the cusp of not happening due to the lack of funds as our economy becomes worse and worse. Like my mother use to say, “You cannot drawl blood from a turnip.”

So it is with a heavy heart I see this valuable program being sidelined due to no funds, and the hope is that with just the support of 105 people donating just $100.00 not only will the students in the inner city of Los Angeles be able to enjoy another year of the technology team, but they will be able to receive this program free of charge. For the first time with only 105 generous people the members of the Technology Team will receive the funds to not just take the computers apart, but also research, plan, budget for the purchasing of the components for their very own computers that at the end of the course will they be able to take home and use for school work. As a teacher of technology I cannot conceive of a better gift we can give to our children, that of a tool they can use to succeed, one that will benefit them for many years to come as they move through life as lifelong learners and become computer literate. All it takes is just 105 generous people to make this dream come true for children who are raised in absolute poverty.

So I say this to you in my appeal, “I accept you as you are. I love you as you are. For who am I to argue with God who created you as you are. For I say to you it was the Lord thy God who has given you everything, all your money, your worldly belongings, your career or calling, your wife or husband, and your children, and your family all of which our Lord has so richly blessed. For it was the Lord who asked you to give unto God what belongs to God, whom commanded you to love your neighbor as you love yourself.(Matthew 22:34-40)”

If you would like to sponsor this program then please click on this link:

I thank you on behalf of Listening Faithfully Blog and promise to update everyone on the progress once this program is funded completely. For a list of all the costs associated with running this program please write me personally at: listeningfaithfullyblog@gmail.com.

Challenge Question: If giving of one’s self, time, money, belongings, and food is the will of God, then why aren’t more people doing it? For more scripture on Giving please see: http://listeningfaithfullyblog.com/2011/07/24/814/

Amen

If you have been moved by this blog I humbly invite you to leave a message telling me your thoughts and how this reflection has touched you. May peace and love be with you all the days of your life.  May God keep you and bless you.