"Jump for Joy" (Messages from the pulpit)

Luke 1:39-45

In this passage of scripture Mary who is carrying Jesus in her womb visits her cousin Elizabeth who is carrying John The Baptist in her womb. Mary's voice has quite the effect.

The baby in Elizabeth's womb jumps for joy.

Many people have said that this is a somewhat absurd story. Why? I'm sure it may have happened.

Do you get excited when your best friend is visiting from out of town?

Maybe go the extra mile to tidy up the house?

Perhaps you plan on making your friends favorite meal.

Does your heart rate speeds up when your beloved soul mate come home? 

Maybe during the holidays you get excited to spend the day with your family who truly loves you despite some quarrels here and there.

Think about this:

Even cats and dogs jump for joy when their owners come home. In my own life as soon as I come home the cats I live with jockey for position to get time on my lap.

So why not consider what The Gospel of Luke says about the joy that comes upon Elizabeth and her son sense the presence of the Son of God?

If we are gentle in spirit, joyful, happy, light hearted, friendly, and filled with the spirit of God then perhaps people including strangers will light up when we pass by.

The Holy presence of God can light up the darkest of days, the darkest of hearts, in the darkest corners of the world.

The joy of the Lord has become my strength. 

I get excited when I hear an encouraging word whispered in my ear by the Holy Spirit whether in quiet meditation or while listening to the words of a sermon.

I nearly jump for joy when I wait in glorious anticipation to receive Holy Communion.

So jump for joy. God is always near.

"Career Advice" (Messages from the pulpit)

What will it cost you to fulfill your call in life?
Will you need a degree?
If so how will you pay for college?
Is there financial aid available or will you have to pay out of pocket?
Taking classes takes a toll on your energy levels especially if you go full time and go to work.
Will your school of choice take you out of the area leaving your friends and family behind?
There are so many questions to ask. One of the most important being will the challenges of your choices bring you fulfillment?
What choices and challenges did Mother Mary have to face knowing she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus?
What would Joseph think? Would he really believe that Mary would be a virgin when she gave birth?
Think about it.
Only a man whom truly trusts God and trusts his wife would believe that The Holy Spirit would be responsible for bringing Jesus into her womb. That took strength. How many men today would believe such a thing? I fear most would say she has to be lying. Surely Mary had been with another man. That wasn't the case. The purity of Mary caught God's eye and he chose her as the vessel to bring The Savior of the entire human race into the world.
It could have cost Mary, Joseph, and their unborn son their lives.
What about pressure?
In all of our lives there is and will be pressure.
Working or not.
Healthy or sick.
Alone or surrounded by friends and family.
Imagine being Mary.
She had to think:
Will I be a good mother? Will I be a good wife? Can Joseph and I really do this?
Are we good enough to raise The Son of God?
Can we keep him safe?
Now imagine being Mary as she watches her son die on the cross.
I know wonderful women that have had to deal with the death of a child.
It breaks my heart when I see what they are going through.
What's worse is that in the story of Mary she knew that her son Jesus had been abandoned by his closest friends. Only John stuck it out.
She heard Jesus ask His Father in Heaven why He had forsaken him.
After all Jesus was innocent. He did not commit one single crime.
So the cost of our salvation was paid in full by Jesus.
What is our cost to follow Jesus?
Are we able to face God and admit our sins? It takes courage to face things we are ashamed of.
Are we willing to testify about Jesus before man as Jesus desires to testify on our behalf before The Father?
Are we willing to let go of the sins that so easily ensnare us?
For some it may mean admitting that we are powerless over drugs and or alcohol.
Maybe we must face consequences for our actions which may include jail time.
Maybe our circle of friends need to change. We may even have to start all over. It's tough. I know.
Maybe you'll have to step out in faith knowing that God has a plan. Even when you have no idea whatsoever that plan may be.
You may have to a long lonely road if you feel God calling you to religious life.
Such as becoming a Catholic Priest.
It's 8 years of school. It's adjusting to the life as you wait to take on the full duties of being a parish priest.
It's a 24/7 on call job.
Plus you can't get married.
Obviously I could go on and on about all of life's choices.
My advice:
Lean not on your own understanding. Go to the source of all knowledge.
Seek wise counsel from God.

"Many Promise, Few Follow Through" (Messages from the pulpit)

Matthew 21: 28-32

This passage tells a story of 2 sons. The father asks his first son to go out into the vineyard to work. At first the son thinks about it. His initial re-action is to decline but after some thought the first son changes his mind and decides to work in the vineyard.

The second son promises to work the fields for his father but doesn't follow through. 

The passage goes further to say that tax collectors (which in those days were very greedy and dishonest) and prostitutes followed Jesus without hesitation. These people have been seen as the worst

of humanity. But Jesus turns no one away. All one needs to do is come with a humble heart and ask

forgiveness for your sins and then do what it takes to follow after the ways of God. 

Then look at Luke 15: 11-32

This parable tells of 2 sons. Both are given an inheritance one son takes his inheritance and squanders it. Even though he is filled with shame of being penniless to the point eating scraps of food with swine. He doesn't even feel worthy of such. With no other choice the son returns to his father for even the slimmest chance of being the lowliest of servants. Much to the surprise of the prodigal son his father welcomes him back with a wonderful extravagant feast. 

  Do you ever feel so ashamed of mistakes you've made that you couldn't possibly return to the Grace of

God?

Well to be perfectly honest and blunt that is nonsense.

Psalm 136:1 "Praise The Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever."

God will not turn you away. After all John 3:17 says, For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that through him the world would be saved."

Pride not only goes before a fall it seems that pride can prevent us from getting back up, dusting ourselves off and getting back on track.

There is no sin too great that God will not wipe out.
Anyone who has spent time with God knows that when we separate ourselves from the loving presence of God our lives become empty. Eventually we become convinced that we're too far gone. That it doesn't matter.

But speaking out of personal experience I know that when you put your pride aside and get back into the loving arms of God. 

We can do it one on one at home but often going to a place of worship where we can join with people who most likely have gone through the same exact thing. 

As believers we are a community of people that come together for the purpose of serving God. For the benefit of everyone that God has given us to bless in his name.

"Who's To Blame?" (Messages from the pulpit)

When we fail we look to find the root of blame. We've all heard of the saying, "The Devil made me do it."
Well the devil may have shown you one way to go and God has shown us another way to go but ultimately the choice is ours.
We may say, "My parents made me this way." Maybe our parents didn't raise us 'right'. Even mental illness or alcoholism can be passed down or at the very least the odds can be stacked against us but it's up to us to walk away. To put down the drink. To seek help.
In my years growing up my father was verbally, physically, and sexually abusive to me. He was a womanizer. The pain he caused me and my mom drove me to hate him.
Then I realized that hating him wasn't helping. Dealing with the pain he caused and making sure I didn't turn out like him was the answer.
And now as he looks down from Heaven and I'm sure he's proud to see how I turned out.
I'm not a womanizer and have found my soul mate. In fact my attitude concerning women is one of respect.
I could have let the 'I'll never amount to anything' message keep me from my dreams. But I didn't and with the support of my girlfriend and her family I'm on my way to getting my Associates Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling.
It doesn't matter whom we blame. The fact remains that we ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God.
God knew full well that even with our best intentions and our best sacrifices we wouldn't make it to Heaven.
But nonetheless God loves us too much to send us away without help.
God sent his only begotten son as a sacrifice for us. His blood washes away all of our sins. All we have to do to begin our journey to Heaven is to believe in the one sent from Heaven. We can trust in The Lord Jesus Christ. Just call out to him. Ask him into your heart. He won't turn you away.
Maybe your own father has turned you away. But God NEVER will. He sent Jesus to seek and save the lost.
It doesn't end there.
You must be sincere in your willingness to turn from sin.
Saying sorry is meaningless unless you change the actions that caused you to say sorry in the first place.
We might not all have the same religious background. We might not go to church. But God is everywhere. But you have to open the door if you want him in your life.
He won't force himself upon you. You have to invite him in.
Try not to hold painful experiences that people caused you in the name of God keep you away.
God's not to blame for what others do when they twist His words for their purpose.
It's not God's fault.
And you can call upon Jesus who not only died for our sins, he also faced sin when he went into the desert to face Satan while He (Jesus) fasted for 40 days.
Jesus' weapon against Satan was The Word of God. Even when Satan used scripture to try to trip Jesus up it didn't work because Jesus knew the scripture far more than the devil does.
Even if you don't know scripture well or at all when you invite Jesus into your heart you're inviting the one that scripture revolves around.
We all have access to The Holy Spirit.
But you have to work with God against the tempter. Together you can stand against sin.
After all God's desire is that no one faces eternal punishment. The punishment has been paid for. When you accept Jesus you can stand blameless before God.

Then their will be no sin to cast blame upon.