"Why did God choose Salvation through The Crucifixion of His Son?"

Romans 8:31-34
People sometimes wonder why an all loving God would send His Son to die for no sins of His own.
He was crucified. On top of the beatings, scourging, and being crowned with thorns. He was spit on and mocked. If you have watched the movie, "The Passion of The Christ" you have a glimpse at what Jesus suffered to save our lives. We're sinners (redeemed sinners) He never sinned.
So why couldn't God find a peaceful way to save our souls?
Well God sent Jesus to be a human representation of God. The human bridge between us and God.
Jesus came as an infant. He learned as a child. Despite being God he was also man and even though He is all knowing he showed us that we too have to learn as much as we can in our lives.
With his human step father, Joseph he learned a hard work ethic.
Like us He faced temptation.
Even without sin He showed us humility by being baptized. Again a great example of how we are to persue holiness.
He faced the troubles of persecution.
He was betrayed.
He faced the agony of knowing He was about to endure the torment of dying on a cross.
He felt abandoned by God.
He died.
He even decended into Hell. Where He sought souls to save.
But He was raised from the dead.
So in most of those ways we go through the same things. There it is!
How easy would it be to follow someone who knows nothing of the human condition?
I assume for many of us it might be impossible.
He even looked into the depths of Hell. All so we wouldn't have to.
And as He was raised to Heaven after His earthly ministry so shall all of us who trust in Him.
But He didn't leave us with nothing.
He sent The Holy Spirit so His presence could be carried through out all the earth and be poured out on all mankind.
And if God is with us in unity with The Holy Spirit we can continue what He started.
God is truly everywhere.
If God is love than the troubles of the world can be faced with love.
The Holy Spirit was sent as a new comforter. We can comfort those who mourn.
Matthew 5:3-4
"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted."
And as Jesus faced the agony in the garden He sought God's will, not His own.
And with us we will face answers to prayer and the result may seem like a slap in the face. We will go through our darkest hours that are evil and what was meant for evil will be for the greater good.
It hurts that some of our trials may not make sense to us in our life on earth but they are not wasted.
Don't take my word on it.
Take God's Word on it.
It's The Gospel Truth.

"Attitude Adjustment"

Zechariah 8: 20-23
Luke 9: 51-56
In the reading from Zechariah the people are coming together to worship The Lord in joyful harmony with each other.
In the reading from The Gospel of Luke we see a different attitude. One of jealousy. Jesus wasn't welcomed because He was trying to pass through on his way to Jerusalem which was his "ultimate" destination.
Imagine what would have happened if the people in the Samaritan village had allowed Jesus to pass through.
Healing, deliverance, demons cast out, forgiveness, and a great move of God. Many disciples could have sprouted up and even more lives could have been transformed.
Do you ever believe that some people don't deserve the blessings that God has poured out to them?
Do you feel that God has passed you by in order to bless someone who is "A Sunday Only" Christian. Maybe they put on a disguise of being a good Christian at church and yet are open sinners the rest of the week.
Sure you go to church on a regular basis. You pray on a regular basis and with great fervor. You are dedicated to reading The Bible and Biblical devotions. And yet you can't seem to even make ends meet.
It isn't fair right?
Think of this,
God loved us all while we were still yet sinners. We first  loved God  because He first loved us. All have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.
We have been saved. But maybe something will happen to that sinner we feel may be unworthy that will help that person and they'll realize that God had spared them during their lives of sin.
We all have a claim to The Kingdom of God. No matter what we have done or may be doing.
God is unwilling to see anyone perish.
So lets come together right now over Him.

"Modern Day Good Samaritan"

In the time of Jesus there was a group of people known as Samaritans that were "Non- Believers" or even heathens. So when Jesus tells the tale of The Good Samaritan it's a tale of an outsider, a heathen, a sinner coming to the rescue.
Today I learned of a slightly more modern story. A story that fits our own troubled times.
There was a Catholic missionary that was working in Africa. (I forget where exactly) This priest was on his way to celebrate Mass when a tire on his vehicle went flat.
Many people that were going to celebrate Mass, passed the very priest that was going to lead worship. Then out of nowhere came a Muslim man. The Muslim man stopped and helped the priest change the tire and then went along on his business. The priest was a bit late but nonetheless he made it.
So do we love our neighbor as we love "our own kind?" 
Do you judge a book by it's cover?
What assumptions are you making?
What assumptions are people making about us?
Would they know we are Christians by our love?

"So Close Yet So Far Away"

Luke 9:28-43; 45

This is the story of The Transfiguration of Jesus.

Peter, John, and James went up to a mountain to pray with Jesus. While praying Elijah and Moses

visit the trio. (Side note: Elijah is said to represent prophecy Moses is said to represent The Law and Jesus is the representation of Prophecy fulfilled, Fulfillment of The Law and Fulfillment of Salvation)

Anyway: The story continues with Jesus, Peter, John, and James coming back down the mountain.

As they touch ground a man brings his son who is possessed by a demon to Jesus. The man tells Jesus

that His disciples were not able to drive the demon out of the boy.

Jesus drives the demon out but we see that Jesus in a sense is in as much awe that his disciples couldn't

do the job.

I think that there is a good reason for Jesus to be perplexed. You might think that anyone who had been

spending so much time with The Son of God would be able to drive out a demon tormenting the soul of a little boy. At this point their eyes were still blind to the power that Jesus hands out to those nearest to Him. Eventually the disciples do learn of the power of God and how to use it. Not by any power that they had in themselves but by the gifts bestowed upon them by God.

Even after Jesus returns to Heaven the power of healing and deliverance stays with them but only if the use those gifts in The Name of Jesus. Being obedient to God through the wisdom of The Word of God and The Holy Spirit. The main reason for the ascension of Jesus into Heaven is so that His Spirit may be poured out upon All Flesh. Upon all the children of God.

So as modern disciples we too can be given the power over evil. But we ourselves don't have the power. It is obtained by spending time with Jesus and The Holy Spirit via The Word of God.

Are you too busy to spend time with God? Too busy to pray? Can you take time to pull away from Facebook or other internet sites? Sit in quiet time with God instead of taking much needed energy to learn healing spells in a virtual fantasy land?

Why not spend time learning healing from the source of all healing (Jesus) and heal people in the real world?

"The Son That Sheds The Light"

God created the light and seperated it from the darkness.
God is the light of the world in him there is no darkness.
Would you hide your light under a bushel and in doing so keep the light for yourself?
We are called to be children of the light. God is the light of the world. God has chosen us to be bearers of his light. Those of us with the light of God within us need to shine the light in this present darkness. But sharing the light comes with responsibility.
Do you tend to filter The Word of God? Or maybe you make the light so intense that you end up blinding anyone you try to share it with.
Light from the sun nourishes life on the planet.
Just as light from The Son of God brings nourishment to the soul.
If you are in constant contact with this dark world you need light and warmth to melt cold hearts that have been hurt by friends, family, co-workers ect.
You need not burn people with the truth that resides within you.
Truth and gentleness go hand in hand.

"From Evil to Good"

Genesis 3:1-5; 11-13; 22-24

Numbers 21:4-9

Philippians 2: 6-11

John 3: 13-16

This first reading establishes that the devil took the form of a snake to tempt and destroy humankind.

The second reading shows us the progression of snakes continued affiliation with evil. 

Here's the miracle. The serpents that are sent to the Hebrews in their time of grumbling against God. The serpents strike many and many are killed. The result is the repentance of those wandering through the desert. God directs Moses to fashion a bronze serpent on a pole. That then becomes a sign of healing for those afflicted with snake bites. To this day many doctors offices and hospitals weave the snake on a pole into the "logo" of their office or hospital where they work.

The passage from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians he tells us that Jesus emptied himself and came to us as a man. Not only that but Jesus made himself obedient to death. And death on The Cross. One of mankind's most horrible forms of execution. Add to that, Jesus was dying for sins He never committed.

Last but not least in one of the most famous Bible passages of all time as like the bronze serpent being lifted as a symbol of healing, Jesus is raised up on The Cross not as a mere symbol of healing but as the ultimate image of healing and eternal life. The Cross was meant to be the greatest tool of the devil to triumph over good but instead became the most important tool of defeat over death and hell. 

So what evil are you facing?

Death? Disease, Famine? Poverty? Unfaithfulness? Desolation? Depression? Betrayal? Divorce? Failure? Fear?

Addictions to drugs? alcohol? gambling? pornography?

I've seen people without limbs living a sucessful and meaningful lives. They challenge adversity. And put life into prespective. Sometimes sweating the small stuff (for example failing an exam, being grounded, internet and texting privleges being taken away ect.)

Most times our worst disability is our attitude. So look at life. Your miracle may be right around the corner. It may come from the most unlikely source.

"A Servants Heart"

St. Peter Claver was a man who met slave ships to minister to the unfortanate souls being brought here jam packed, in chains only to face a hellish "existance".
He would come and gave Last Rites to those who didn't make it all the way over.
He also prayed for those whom faced a lifetime of degredation. He fed them, gave them something to drink, and tended their wounds.
It seems that St. Peter Claver was following the example of Christ. He came as a servant to seek and save the lost.
We too could make this a better world if we became selfless instead of selfish.
Sometimes all we can do is pray for people caught in slavery.
Slaves to drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and hundreds of other self destructive ways.
Sometimes we may have an opportunity to take action.
Maybe your actions will save a life.
Maybe you set people free from slavery and help direct them on the course that awaits them.
From slaves to workers. Working for a purpose.