A Steady Faith

"Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm!"  Isaiah 7:9

What is essential to our faith is our communication with God - our life of prayer.   When we pray, we let go of ego and will and place ourselves in the presence of the divine so that communication can occur between our human spirit and God's Holy Spirit. 
  Prayer holds us firm in that presence, an anchor that keeps our lives steady and securely linked to God, even while the storms of everyday life bear down on us and try to drag us out to sea.

    A life of prayer keeps us aware of the sacred, ordinary moments in our lives and connected to the One who never changes, even as everything around us sways and lurches, tosses and shifts, Prayer helps us know that God is, indeed, close by, alive, moving and working in our lives.

  God, hear my prayer.  Hold me firm in the palm of your hand.

Read:  Isaiah 7:1-9  Psalm 48:2-8  Matthew 11:20-24

Something to Ponder

Hold God Fast as your Good

    This is the first commandment, this is the beginning of our religion and our journey and road - to have our hearts fixed firmly in faith, and by fixing our hearts firmly in faith to live good lives, to abstain from seductive goods, to endure patiently temporal evils, and as long as the enticement of the first and the second persist, to keep our hearts steady and unshaken against each of them.

  In doing so, you shall hold God fast as your good and have no evil to endure.    - Sermon 38, 5

Prayer - You go on carrying me, Lord, until Your work is finished in me.    Psalm 85:7

What is true forgiveness?

What is true forgiveness?

Forgiveness does not come naturally to most of us.

        When we are hurt or injured by another, our natural response is to want to lash out, strike back, hurt the other as we have been hurt.  Yet, Jesus tells us that we are to "forgive those who trespass against us,"  as we say in the very words of the Our Father.

 

        Jesus gives us two very good reasons for forgiving others.  First, that our own sins might be forgiven: "if you forgive others their transgression, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions" (Matthew 6:14 – 15).  Second, we forgive so that our prayers will be heard: "when you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions" (Mark 11:25).

 

        As Christians, Jesus' words are the gold standard for forgiveness.  Moreover, He tells us that we should forgive those who harm us, not just once or twice, but over and over, as many times as necessary: "then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but seventy times seven.""(Matthew 18:22, RSV).

 

        Forgiveness is a choice we make in obedience to the Lord for the good of our own souls.  We are to do it freely, repeatedly and without counting the personal cost.  All that notwithstanding, our modern world has created a few misconceptions about forgiveness to make this essential Christian act more difficult than it already is.

Are we obligated to forgive everything instantly?

        The clearest example of this can be seen in how we expect children to respond when someone hurts them.  Let us say one child deliberately smashes another child’s prized Play-Doh rabbit.  We command Miss Smasher, "say you are sorry."  Miss Smasher mumbles "Sorry" under her breath, and then we expect the offending child to say something like, "that’s OK.  I forgive you."

 

        The problem is that the child whose rabbit is now roadkill doesn't really feel like forgiving at that moment, not to mention Miss Smashers hastily tossed off, "Sorry," with no conviction, doesn't indicate any sort of repentance.

        If we read Jesus’ words to Peter in context, we realize that they come with the parable of the servant who refused to forgive the debt even though he himself had been forgiven an even greater debt.  A careful reading of the passage shows that the master who granted forgiveness didn't forgive the debt the moment it was incurred.  Nor did he call his slave in and immediately say: "Oh, it's all good.  No problem.  You don't owe me a thing."  The servant had to ask for forgiveness before it was extended.

        Somehow we've forgotten that the point of the story was that when someone genuinely asks for forgiveness (not just saying meaningless words), we must give it.  Instead, we've interpreted it to mean no matter what someone does to us, we are obliged to forgive them immediately, if not sooner.  While it's true that Jesus did forgive those who were crucifying Him in the midst of the crucifixion, it's equally true that God does not peremptorily forgive us our sins until we ask for forgiveness.  A "trespass" doesn't carry automatic forgiveness.  God isn't asking us to do something that He himself doesn't do.

        On the other side of the equation, we can't expect to be forgiven all the things we have done to harm others just because they're supposed to forgive.  If we have "sinned against a brother," we have the responsibility to ask for forgiveness, not automatically assume that it is instantly granted, even as we are figuratively smashing their Play-Doh rabbits.

        The unfortunate consequence of this idea is that too many people now believe that they can do anything they want and then they have to be forgiven, genuine repentance or not.  They think a halfhearted "sorry" (if that) is all that is required to be forgiven.  However, forgiveness is a gift from those of us who are doing the forgiving, not a mere exchange of words.  We forgive because bearing grudges is a cancer in our soul.  We forgive because the way we forgive, is the way, God will forgive us.  We forgive because it is good for us, not because it's the automatic response to all offenses.

Does forgiveness make it all better?

        We need to understand that forgiveness doesn't eradicate the law of cause and effect.  Forgiveness doesn't erase consequences.  Take, for example, a husband who has an affair and brings home a sexually transmitted disease to his wife.  His wife may forgive him, but they still have to deal with the medical repercussions of his adultery, and probably with trust issues and other emotional aspects stemming from the affair.

        Just because the sin is forgiven, the effects don't disappear, either for the person doing the forgiving or the one being forgiven.  To understand this better, think of the Cross.  Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, but He still died on the cross.  The mere act of forgiveness didn't change the physical reality of the action.

        We may be forgiven our sins, but that doesn't mean that all the temporal effects are removed.  We still have to live with and work through the cost of our trespasses.  Neither extending or excepting forgiveness can change that reality.  In fact, sometimes we have to live a lifetime with the consequences of our actions, a constant and painful reminder of what we have done.

Does forgiveness trump justice?

        Along with the fact that forgiveness doesn't erase consequences, neither does it preclude justice.  If someone has harmed us or someone we love in a way that breaks a law, we can still demand our right to justice, while simultaneously forgiving the person.

        Politicians and public figures seem particularly prone to overlooking this aspect of forgiveness.  All too often they act as if a public apology is all that is necessary, even when a crime has been committed.  They almost act affronted when they aren't let off the hook just because they said the right words of apology.

        But it isn't just the rich and famous.  All of us face the temptation to believe that asking for forgiveness will somehow erase the price of justice.  Who, for example, hasn't hoped that telling a police officer you are really sorry for having speeded will prevent the issuance of a ticket?

        The interplay between forgiveness and justice is complex, but one of the best modern examples of how the two can coexist stems from Mehmet Ali Agca’s assassination attempt on Pope John II in 1981.  Although shortly after the shooting, Blessed John Paul asked that we "pray for my brother… whom I have sincerely forgiven," and later visited him in prison, the Pope did not intervene to prevent justice from being served.  Agca was convicted by an Italian court and sentenced to life in prison.

 
        What forgiveness does call for with regard to justice, however, is that justice be tempered with mercy.  Eventually, Pope John Paul asked that the Italian government pardon Agca and allow him to be extradited to Turkey - not before he had served 19 years of his sentence, however.  Forgiveness was granted, but justice was also served.

        Forgiveness is tough.  As Reinhold Niebuhr says, "Forgiveness is the final form of love."  As Christians, we are called to forgive, as we have been forgiven.  But we are also called to model God's forgiveness, which incorporates repentance, allows for consequences and demands justice.

        When we try to forgive as the world understands forgiveness, it is an almost impossible undertaking.  But when we forgive as Christ commands us, it is an infusion of grace into a wounded world.

I'm Back!!!

Hey There!!   I know I have been gone for quite awhile but I decided to get back to it.  So,  we will get going with a short message today and then follow up with some news and reviews in the days to come.  If you want to follow my blog you can subscribe or receive the feed in your RSS reader.  I recommend Netvibes,  it works great.  You can set it up any way you like.  

In a later post I will give a short list of sites and blogs that are of interest to me, (and hopefully to you as well).  Please submit your comments, (keep it civil) about what I post and feel free to make suggestions.

BIBLE QUOTE:  God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living.  For He fashioned all things that they might have being.

How reassuring!  God seeks life, not death, for all creation.  Through the Death and Resurrection of Christ, God brings to life all who are dead in sin.
  Let us sing praise!!

He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive. (Lk 20:38

Ok,  that's it for now.  Please continue to follow and we can make the journey together.

May God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.

Book Review

“Radical Together”  by David Platt

     The Church in America has been seduced by the American dream and we have been unfaithful to the Gospel. We have turned inward and think only about our lives and our local churches and we forget about the calling God has given us. This book and its predecessor, Radical, are concerned with correcting this.

   The one big flaw in both this book and the previous one is that, if taken at face value, they induce guilt in the reader.  Not everyone can be a missionary to a far away place or start some type of “radical” apostolate here at home.  Quite a few Christians are leading Christ centered lives and use their talents to fulfill a vocation close to home.

   While it is not necessary to have read Radical before taking on Radical Together, it will be an immense help if you do.  This book is a continuation of the topic found in Radical and makes much more sense when taken in the context of its’ predecessor. I highly recommend purchasing and reading both books back to back.

   Taken together these books will benefit anyone involved in ministry or wanting to live a Christo-centric, Radical life.

"I received this book for free from Waterbrookmultnomah publishing group for this review."

Read Chapter One
http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeek_RadicalTogether.pdf

Book Review - "Awakening"

“Awakening; A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom” by Stovall Weems will do just what the cover says, “Revolutionize your Relationship with God”.

Has your relationship with God come to a stand-still? Have you hit a plateau?  Are you going nowhere fast?  Do you find yourself so busy tending to the cares of this world that you are neglecting to spend time with God? 

Then this book is for you.  Read it, learn it, live it.  Weems shows us a completely new way to look at fasting.  Rather than suffering through a fast,  he shows you how to enjoy fasting.  That’s right I said “enjoy!” fasting.  After learning about “The Awakening Lifestyle”  he takes you on a 21 day journey of fasting in various ways that will bring you closer to God.

After 21 days you will have developed a pattern or habit that you can continue on with indefinitely .  You will experience the “Awakening” that you have always yearned for, but didn’t know how to obtain. 

I would love to put a copy of this book into the hands of every Christian who wants a deeper more meaningful relationship with their Saviour. 

FTC Disclaimer – “I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

Book Review - Radical

Radical by David Platt is one of those rare books that doesn’t just rant about what we as Christians are called to do. It challenges the very way we think about what it means to be a follower of Christ, a true disciple if you will, in modern day America. Have we co-opted the teachings of Christ to fit in our safe, protected, well-financed, non-biblical way of life, i.e. the American dream?

Quite a few books come across my desk each month, it is the rare gem that changes the way I look upon my life and convicts me to make changes. Radical is one of them.
Radical by David Platt (Chapter 1)
I highly recommend this book to anyone who calls themselves a Christian, and even more so to those Christians who seek to live as true disciples of Christ.



FTC Disclaimer - "I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"

To read other reviews of this book go to
  http://waterbrookmultnomah.com

Since reading this book I have decided to purchase several copies and give them to other pastors in my area and to family members.

Book Review "Desiring God" by John Piper

In “Desiring God” Piper shows us that as Christians it isn’t just ‘ok’ to be happy, it is our duty. That to seek pleasure in God actually glorifies Him. Piper uses plenty of scriptures to support his claims, and not all of them are taken out of context.


If you are looking for a book that explains why you should be happy and full of joy as a Christian, then this is for you. If you already know that you are supposed to desire God, then you will want to find something with more depth.

All in all, not a bad read, good for the new Christian, but I won’t be reading it a second time nor will I be putting it in my top 100.

FTC Disclaimer "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"

How to Live and How to Die

The Lord Made Flesh Taught Those Who Believe in Him How To Live and How To Die:
        This Lord and Savior of ours, the Son of God, the Word of God Who became flesh, taught those who believe in Him how to live, taught them how to die: to live without greed, to die without fear.
   He taught us how to live so that we might not die forever; He taught us how to die so that we might live forever.

Speak to me, O my God, within my heart in truth, for You alone speak so.

Something to Meditate on

Think of a tree; it fixes its roots in the lowly soil in order to stretch out its topmost branches to the sky.  You, though, wish to comprehend the heights without charity; you are challenging the winds without roots.  That's the way to come crashing down, not to grow.  With Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith, be rooted and grounded in love that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Sermon 117, 17

Prayer: Come, Lord, stir us and call us back, kindle us and seize us; let us love You and run to You.  Amen

Persistence in Prayer

   The prayer of the just is holy converse in the intimacy of frienship with the God of our hearts, who is closer to us than we are to ourselves.  In prayer, the soul is endowed with power from above; it experiences a strength that is not its own, but Christ's.  In prayer the soul acquires and exercises all the virtues, particularly (besides religion) faith, hope, and charity.  By these virtues, the soul traverses the distance seperating it from God; prayer is an actual participation of the divine Life; it is the child's sharing in the Father's knowledge and love of Himself.
   Prayer takes its origin from the love of God, or at least from the desire to love God; and it is the great means of enkindling this love.  It originates in love: it is the love of God or the desire for this love that leads us to pray - to apply our mind to Him.  It results in an increase of love, that is its final purpose and ultimate effect.
   What are the parts of prayer?  From our definition, we can gather that they are acts of the reason and will.  The intellect, or reason, considers the subject of prayer in the light of faith in order to arouse acts of the heart, that is, of the will and affections.  Considerations - the acts of the reason - without acts of the will would be reflection, but not prayer.  Acts of the will, cannot be habitually elicited without these preliminary considerations.  But it is the acts of the will which unite our soul to God by conforming our will to His in love, and it is in this loving conformity of will that union with God consists.  This conformity extends to fidelity to the duties of one's state in life.
   Since prayer is conversation with God, we should introduce it with a realization of His presence.  We may call to mind who He is, and who we are.  He is all and we are not.  We humble ourselves before Him and adore Him; then we have begun to pray.
II Corinthians 4:6
    "Let light shine out of darkness"

Something to Meditate On

   The Gravity of sin comes from its being an offense against God, but its effect on the soul is to be measured neither by the guilt nor by the temporal punishment inexorably affixed, but by that deep sense of lonliness it brings with it.  Sin makes a man realize as nothing else does the terrible lonliness of life.  It is possible that, after a while, this perception wears off and the soul becomes in this way, as in others, hardened to the sense of sin, but at first, when the conscience is still delicate and refined, after an offense against God human nature feels itself to shrivel up and become cut off from the rest of the world.
   Notice children when they have done wrong - how difficult it is for them to face their fellows again; they seem to have severed themselves from the companionship of those with whom they are wont to play.
   God is the most intimate neighbor of the soul; no other power can creep so close to the heart and tangle itself so cunningly with the roots of our desire.
   Man, in other words, was made for love, the diviner part of him for divine love.  By sin is all this love dried up.  The parched and thirsty soul feels, therfore, the need of the dew of God, and rushes madly as the beasts wander the jungle looking for the water they cannot find.  The soul by sin is thus made solitary.  When I am feeling particularly the lonliness of life, perhaps the cause is that I lean too little upon God; perhaps it is that my sins will not let me feel that inward presence that is the sole real source of peace here below.  I was created by Love for love, and when by sin I act contrary to Love, my heart must necessarily feel His absence. 

I John 2:9 Called to Love

For each of us, the Word becomes flesh.  We know God by traveling the ways of love.  On this path, we are transformed into gift.  We are made by the light and for the light.  This is not a simple assignment.  We carved the old commandments into stone and tried to follow them.  Where do we inscribe the new commandment?  It presses against our flesh and sometimes breaks us open.  The ways of love go deep.
   From our first breath, love called us into existence.  Without care, a child does not survive.  Somehow, through the crowded years, we learned to listen.  To hold another's words quietly and seek to understand.  To take delight in the strange beauty of each person.  To act in hope even when no light glimmers.  To behold our own self with amazement.  To wash the feet of another.
    Some love seems impossible.  How do I seek the good of my enemy?  Saying these words slowly - there stands my brother, my sister - what is impossible begins to change. 

Prepare my soul, O Lord, to hear and act on Your words of eternal life.  Amen

Just some thoughts

It's a common mistake to think that God's "works" and "mighty deeds" are told only in Scripture.  Every person's life is God's work of art, an expression of His creative love, His goodness, His compassion.  We as Christians, should be able to "see" God in all of His creation.  If we are to help our fellow man,  then we must see him/her as Jesus see's them.
  As a unique, precious, eternal soul in search of completion.  That completion can only be found in God. 
  God is the Lord to one who waits for Him,/
to the soul that seeks Him.  Lam 3:25

make a cross with your keyboard

Give to Caesar

"Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God" (Mark 12:17)

When Jesus asked whose image was on the coin, He pointed to the image as a sign of ownership.  Caesar's image and inscription on the coin meant that it belonged to Caesar.  Jesus applied this logic and expression of ownership to humanity, when He added: "Give to God what belongs to God."
    Going by the logic of the comparison, if the coin belonged to Caesar because it bore the image and inscription of Caesar, then humanity created in the "image and likeness of God" (Gen 1:26-27) must belong to God.  If the coin must be given to Caesar because it bore Caesar's sign of ownership, namely his image, then we as human beings, bearing God's sign of ownership in our creation in the image of God, must in justice give ourselves to God. 
    That means that religion and worshiping God are about justice.  Giving ourselves to God is doing what is just: We are giving to God what belongs to God.  The worship of God is a basic act of justice.
    When we don't give to God what belongs to God, we are not able to give to others what belongs to them.  When we are unjust to God, we will be unjust to others.  The less religious we become, the more the world will be filled with unjustice, and the more faithful we become in relationship with God, the more justice there will be in the world.

Books of the Bible

Some of you have e-mailed me asking why you can't find certain books listed in the readings in your Bible.  This is because some Bibles do not have all of the books of the Old Testament (OT).  Typically there are seven (7) books missing from the OT in most protestant Bibles.  They are known as the Deuterocanonical (DTC) books.  For centuries they were part of all Bibles,  until they were removed by protestant reformers.  I personally believe that no part of the Bible should ever be removed by anyone for any reason.  If your Bible doesn't have them you should be able to find them online.  Check out http://www.e-sword.net/  this is a great web-site!  You can download numerous versions of the Bible,  look for KJVA or KJV 1611,  these contain all 73 books of the OT.  Also,  you can d-load  commentaries, dictionaries, images, maps, etc.. and a host of other items that are very useful.   As to the question of which translation is best.  I say the best translation to have is the one you will read. For in depth Bible study I prefer the Revised Standard Version (RSV) by Ignatius Press and the English Standard Version (ESV) by Crossway publisher.   Although I must confess for general reading and memorizing I still use the King James Version (KJV).

A Lack of Silver

If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
- Psalm 90:8

  A lot of families have taken a serious financial blow in recent years.  If at one point they had that "bountiful harvest" Jesus talks about in Luke, it's disappeared.  And the need for building bigger barns is long gone.  In some cases, the family home is gone.
    If every cloud has a silver lining, maybe a lack of silver - gold, savings, stocks, steady employment - offers something valuable, too.  Yes, these families mourn what they've lost and they worry about what will be but....Whether they've wanted it or not, they've taken a large step toward a simpler lifestyle.  Toward one that focuses on "treasures in heaven".  It's a lesson, and a lifestyle, we all need, no matter what our financial status may be.

  Dear Lord, help me find ways to assist families who are hurting financially.  Amen

August 1st -

Hello All,  I know it's been several weeks since my last post.  I've been working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day.  Even though that is still my schedule I'm going to be more diligent about posting at least every couple of days.  So today I thought I would give you the readings for the 1st week of August.

8/01 Sunday - Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
                      Psalm 90
                      Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
                      Luke 12:13-21
                      Wisdom 16:20
                      John 6:35

8/02 Monday - Jeremiah 28:1-17
                      Psalm 119:1-8
                      Matthew 14:13-21
                      John 10:10

8/03 Tuesday- Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22
                      Psalm 102
                      Matthew 14:22-36
                      Wisdom 16:20

8/04 Wednesday - Luke 4:18
                           Jeremiah 31:1-7
                           Psalm 8
                           Matthew 15:21-28
                           Matthew 28:20

8/05 Thursday - Jeremiah 31:-34
                        Psalm 51
                        Matthew 16:13-23
                        Hebrews 13:14

8/06 Friday - Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
                    Psalm 97
                    II Peter 1:16-19
                    Luke 9:28b-36

8/07 Saturday - Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
                        Psalm 9
                        Matthew 17:14-20

Prayers

Prayer  -  Everyone I have ever met says that prayer is the best thing to do in any/every situation.  And yet everyone I have ever met also says that they don't pray enough!  What is the deal with prayer?  We all say we do it, need it, want it,  but I wonder sometimes if anyone other than little 80 year old women are doing any real prayer time.
 
If you want more prayer you have to make it part of your daily routine,  i.e. habit.
This in no way takes away from the meaning of prayer.  Just like a friend who gives you a call just to chat instead of only calling when he/she needs something,  God wants to hear from you on a regular basis.  Pray before meals (say grace), pray before you go to sleep, pray in the morning (before work or school).

You can start with short simple prayers until you get comfortable with doing it in a deeper more meaningful way. 

There are 2 different kinds of prayer that I use, both of which are effective (especially when inspired/led by the Holy Spirit).  Pre-written and "Free-style".
The 1st are just like they sound - these are prayers written ahead of time by you, or more often by someone else.  The Lord's Prayer is a good example of a pre-written prayer.   Also, you can purchase whole books of prayers.  These are great for those times when you don't know how to put into words what you want to say.  I mean no disrespect when I say, just like picking out the perfect greeting card for someone on their birthday,  pre-written prayers come in handy.  You can even memorize a few of them,  especially ones based on sacred scripture.

The 2nd kind - "free-style" - tend to be more spontaneous.  They can be short, or long, full of big words,  or little words.  They can quote from scripture or other writings.  They can ramble, or hammer the same point over and over in different ways.  They can be for our selves or for others.  The list goes on and on.

Remember though,  not all prayer time involves you doing all of the "talking".  Sometimes the best prayer time is spent simply listening.  No matter which type of prayer you like best,  I encourage you to try them all.  Also,  prayer works best when it is from the heart.  Take the time to put away your ego,  remove the "walls" that we all use to keep people at a distance,  and offer up your most inner self,  that part of you that God wants to know and love.

Here is the prayer I mentioned in my last post:
SURRENDER
    Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.  All that I am and all that I possess You have given me:  I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will.  Give me only Your love and Your grace;  with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more. 

May the Grace and Blessings of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever. Amen

Your humble servant,  pastor-jonathan