Aloha Friday Message – October 27, 2017 – Who was that who called?

October 27, 2017

1743AFC102717 – Who was that who called?

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THROUGH TO THE END SO YOU CAN SEE OUR PRAYER REQUESTS AND MEMORIAL. THANK YOU!

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – 9 For the people of those regions [Macedonia and Achaia] report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – 9 For the people of those regions [Macedonia and Achaia] report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. This is from the second reading for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Let me begin with a little background on this passage and the book of 1 Thessalonians in general.

Thessalonica (alsoThessaloniki) – Θεσσαλονίκη, (Thessaloniké) {thes-sal-on-ee’-kay}, is currently the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Greek Macedonia. Paul went there with Silvanus (Silas) after Paul and Barnabas had a heated disagreement about taking “John called Mark” with them (See Acts 15:36–41). Later, Paul called upon Timothy to travel with him. This was what is usually referred to as Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. They made many converts in Philippi and then began teaching and preaching in Thessalonica. In both locations, they were harassed and assaulted by both Greeks and Jews who opposed their message. Paul moved on to Berea and then Athens while Timothy and Silvanus continued working in Thessalonica. Paul sent word for Timothy to rejoin Paul and to report on the conditions in Thessalonica.

That report prompted Paul’s first letter to that faith community. In this letter, Paul expresses his thankfulness for their perseverance in faith and optimism in their willingness to accept not only the power of the Gospel, but also the responsibilities of living according to the Gospel he preached so patiently to them. He insists that they recall the selfless love shown by the missionaries and to model their behavior after those recollections. At the time, there were numerous roving hucksters of “new” religions – many of them heretical involutions of The Way. Paul therefore reemphasized not only the substance of his gospel but also his gentle approach to teaching it. He asked them to recall and consider the content of his message as well as the form in which it was presented. By considering both, Paul hoped they would come to realize that in and through the Gospel, God’s grace is always generously given and is unequivocally powerful.

Paul did not want any of the early coverts to forget the power of the Gospel. He knew that many of them would find it difficult to remain faithful in the face of vigorous persecution. He emphasized the absolute availability of salvation to all who would accept the gift and the responsibilities of using the gift. We might recall the words of Jesus when he was instituting the Eucharist. When he blessed and offered the chalice, the gospels recount he said the blood he would shed would be “for many: Matthew 26:27-28 – 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Paul expounded on that later in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all – this was attested at the right time. Many (all) are called, but few are chosen. This is stated in the Parable of the King’s Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:1-14. We’ve studied this before and commented on how the family giving the wedding also gave all the guests a special garment to wear at the wedding feast. One guy showed up without the freely-given garment; this was a terrible insult, worse even than those who were the first invited later refused to come to the wedding at all. The point of the lesson is that God give us everything we need, every “good and perfect gift,” to make it easier to answer his call. Many are called; not all accept. Who is calling us, even now? Yes, it’s true, God is still calling us and he’s given us everything – absolutely everything – we need to answer the call; so many gifts, and still we squander them – including his unrelenting love! I know. I, too, have ignored it, refused it, squandered it. Like the foolish steward who did little with the great gift he was given, I have failed to be a good steward of the many gifts he gives me, especially his love.

He has given me so much love that I can’t keep track of it, and I can’t give it away fast enough and deeply enough to reduce the overflow. And even with all those blessings, I can still act like the unfaithful steward and can be a real jerk, someone even I don’t like to be around. I have been entrusted with much; the expectations of my Master, my family, and my friends are high; my performance under those expectations often fails. The recompense for failure is loss – loss of gifts, loss of respect, loss of resources, and usually loss of comfort. This recompense, however, never includes loss of Love. It seems no matter how much I lose anywhere in my life, Love floods in to fill the void, and then the Love nurtures and restores the gifts I have wasted.

It is scary to think that having received much, I must meet higher expectations. All I have to do is choose to be generous with my gifts, and if I can try my hardest to be as generous as my Master is, then all will be well for he more than replaces what I give to him and to others.

If it is scary to realize I have frittered away my gifts, it is just as scary to see gifted people (meaning of course everyone in the world for we all have gifts) ignoring and even abusing their gifts, squandering them on everything that is dissatisfying. “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” is a poignant reality. It is sad, shocking even, to know that all of us are called to Life in the Spirit, but only a few accept that gift. Indeed, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) “The Call” here is perhaps not what we might think. The Gospel is present among us ready to be heard and acted upon. Do you remember what the first requirement of the Gospel is? Yes, you are right: Repent. In the Parable of the King’s Wedding Feast mentioned above in Matthew 22:1-14, The King’s invited guests snubbed him, so he ordered his servants to bring in strangers, stragglers, and seat them for the banquet. Then there is a strange incident of a man who did not wear a wedding garment. How could he? He was drafted as an impromptu guest. Yet the other guests were prepared. What does this mean? How does one prepare for the Wedding Banquet of our King? What is our “wedding garment?” First of all, it is our repentance. The man had not changed his apparel before entering the feast and for that he was kicked out. He was called but not chosen because he dishonored the call. He had not changed before entering the feast; the unrepentant also have not changed and are not prepared for the Wedding Banquet to which all are called.

Who is calling us? Did you know that It’s not just God? Satan has literally flooded our lives with entertaining little examples of what a great guy he is. Through movies, “mediums,” astrologers, cartoon characters, TV series, gurus with meditation tricks, and even right-in-your-face fantasy worlds inhabited and ruled by demons. Demonic possession is made to appear cool. Sin is downplayed as personal choice and it is politically incorrect to even mention sin. Satan has the World telling us religion is poison. (Hence Karl Marx wrote: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.“) The faithful can find contradictions to The Truth everywhere. Even among Christians there are doctrinal divisions so starkly in contrast that an outsider might wonder if Christianity is really any different from Marx’s concept of all religions.

As a Catholic, I often see or hear things that make me wonder how Christian Christians are. Some Catholics don’t understand their faith at all. Many Christian Evangelicals don’t understand that Catholics really are Christians. Growing up I can remember being warned against “those idolaters.” The fact that those divisions and contentions exist is not as important as the source of those positions! Christianity has had some spectacularly bad moments – years, decades, even perhaps centuries – and yet it endures, it spreads, it grows in knowledge and wisdom, and it sustains Life by proclaiming Truth. In this era of Mankind – which many are beginning to believe are indeed “the latter times” – the advancing tide of evil claims billions of innocent lives through abortion, euthanasia, war, genocide, and – sadly – just rampant indifference. Satan wants us to believe it’s hopeless, wants us to believe he’s an OK guy, wants us to believe nothing else matters but our own comfort; and then he works as hard as he can on making us uncomfortable with everything that is Truth.

Matthew 24:10- 12 – 10 Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.

Heed The Call, the Gospel Call. Paul reminded the Thessalonians – and us – that “in and through the Gospel, God’s grace is always generously given and is unequivocally powerful.” There are many voices calling us, but only One is True. We are to turn from our idolatry of Worldly things – power, fame, popularity, money, political jockeying, self-righteousness – and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. You have been called; I have been called; we have been called to repent, be baptized (in water and fire) and to believe the Gospel. What a gift, this Gift of Love! How, then, are we to answer The Call? It’s simple really. The Bible tells us so. Jesus summarized it for us in Matthew 22:37-40 – 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Who’s calling us? Are we listening? I’ll somewhere list’ning for my name. (↔ Music Link) How about you?

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

In Memoriam:
Maurice Wayne South
Mentor, leader, Belovéd friend, MBN member
Affectionately known as “Encyclopedia South”
REQUIEM IN PACEM

Today would have been my mother’s 91st birthday.
Rest in Peace Zeta Lorraine Lamke-Todd

Share-A-Prayer

AD – continuing her fight against breast cancer and making progress

AL – one of my godsons. He’s a great kid and I would like to cover him with many blessings of love

ALG – recently diagnoses with breast cancer. Lost insurance. If you can help with Go-Fund-Me, let me know

BC – a fellow coworker in The New Pentecost who needs health, invitations to conduct missions, and who gives all of us much prayerful support

MC – working on getting back to Jesus

EP – MBN brother in faith with multiple chronic illnesses and yet has that tireless love for Jesus

FO – part of our AZ family staying in remission; HOWEVER – she is experiencing failures multiple organ-systems. Please pray for her and for her caregivers and family.

RB – a sister in MT facing multiple surgeries, multiple chronic health issues, and much in need of a new place to live AQAHP with access to better healthcare and better neighbors

DP – cancer survivor, husband with Alzheimer’s. She really needs some respite!

ICD – continuing her very aggressive chemo regimen. We’re praying for sufficient success that surgery will be unnecessary

JR – looking forward to meeting her infant son in a few months. Praying for uneventful pregnancy

KT and hubby ET – K has very fragile bones and history of multiple painful back fractures. Hubby E is an amazing and loving caregiver

KL – the first friend Crucita and I found at St. Catherine’s. Blessings for her generously loving support

M&KW – K has multiple orthopedic problems. M not only provides her with essential care and support but also is an amazing steward in our Parish

NS – also multiple chronic congenital health issues. Got Hep C at about age 10. Now needs liver transplant. Hope, healing, and health, please.

TO – reaching out to know the Lord. Pray for an open heart and mind to hear The Call.

And of course, we pray for everyone in the MBN – everyone who prays for us and everyone who asks for our prayers.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

May our Almighty Everliving God continue to richly bless you in all things and all ways with his Perfect and Generous Love! (You want to get that call, please?)

Aloha Friday Message – October 20, 2017 – Who knew?

October 20, 2017

1742AFC102017 – Whaddya think of that, eh?

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often.

Acts 2:7-11 – 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Isaiah 44:24a, 28-45:1 – 24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, …

28 who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd,
and he shall carry out all my purpose”;
and who says of Jerusalem, “It shall be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”

45 1 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
and the gates shall not be closed!

E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika‘i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Beloved!) This weekend we celebrate the 29th Sunday in Ordinary time. You can find the readings here. Today I am going to be looking into the passage from Isaiah. I believe many churchgoers will hear about the passage from the Gospel where Jesus lays out the basis for his followers to submit to civil authority in Matthew 22:20-21 – […] “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In other gatherings, the faithful may hear about the power of the Gospel and how it was preached to them in the Authority of the Holy Spirit as the Apostle Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 – … our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.

This is an early testimony to the concept of Apostolic Authority; believers know the source of that Authority, and should therefore respect because it is Authority that comes from God through God’s chosen emissaries. The civil authority of Rome and the Divine Authority of the Church were readily seen. They were part of the day-to-day life of the contemporaries of Jesus and later of Paul and the other Apostles.

But what if you were told about a man who would come into civil and divine power simultaneously? That would be pretty amazing! Even more amazing is that this man’s entry into biblical history would be made 150 years before he was born. To top it off, the LORD gave the name of this man to the nation of Israel. Yes, 150 years before this brilliant soldier, politician, ruler, and benefactor of Israel was born, God told his People, that Cyrus would be God’s Anointed, a redeemer who would restore Israel. Wouldn’t that just knock your socks off? Who knew?

Isaiah was actively prophesying from about 740 to about 700 BC. Cyrus was born in Anshan, Persia sometime around 598-600 BC. Isaiah received from God not only the man’s name, but also the ways Cyrus would quell Israel’s enemies and restore Israel – and the temple – to the Israelites. You are aware that several nations had overrun Israel and carried of hundreds-of-thousands of its citizens to Assyria and Babylon. In addition, the city had been sacked and burned and the Temple obliterated. The Temple vessels were carried off and scattered to various nations and cities across the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. Toward the end of Babylonian’s iron rule, God sent Cyrus – the son of Cambyses I,  a.k.a. Cambyses the Elder – to conquer and subdue a huge area of “the known world.” He was the leader of the Persians, conquered the Medes and united the Iranian people under one ruler for the first time. Cyrus became the first king of the Persian Empire; under his remarkable leadership he was able to establish one of the largest and most enduring empires in history. He was very tolerant of other religions (he himself appears to have followed Zoroastrianism), and in short order determined that the violent and dehumanizing repression of Babylonia against the Hebrews must be reversed. He sent several delegations back to Israel with instructions to rebuild the altars, the temple, and the city walls. It was at this time that the Second Temple was built.

At one point the work on the Second Temple was suspended for 18 years but was restarted under the benevolence of Darius II. It’s difficult to assign an exact date to the completion and rededication of the Second Temple, but it would have been around 514-518 BC. It was nowhere near as grand as Solomon’s Temple, nor were they able to return to it the Ark of the Covenant; nonetheless, the Altar of Sacrifice was restored. This is the Temple at which Jesus worshipped. It is the same temple what was utterly destroyed by Rome in about 70 AD. Now, that’s enough history. Let’s go back and see how the history supports the prophecy regarding Cyrus. I ask you to scrutinize these to passages from Isaiah, please. Please use the link to see them properly laid out. I apologize in advance for taking them out of their poetic form:

Isaiah 44:6-8 – 6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. 8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.

Isaiah 45:18-19 – 18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the Lord, and there is no other.19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, “Seek me in chaos.” I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.

This week’s readings all center on authority. Jehovah alone is God; there is no other deity who commands power and truth as he does. Jesus tells his Disciples (and his enemies) that God’s requirements are not the same as Rome’s requirements; we are to respect the authority of both. Paul tells us that through Jesus’ Divine Authority as the Son of God we are given the inspiration, empowerment, and Apostolic Authority to share the Gospel ” … in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

In the Second Chapter of Acts – quoted above – we have a list of locations that include much of Cyrus’ empire. All these nationalities are brought together through the authority and protection of the Holy Spirit as God’s Anointed, the Christ of God, establishes the Authority of God in Heaven and on Earth, over the Divine and the Human. The “Promised of Ages” has come to rule the World, not through the power of might, but through the Authority of the Law of Love – the same Law through Which and by Whom all of Creation was formed. It was, is, and will be through God’s Authority (which includes all the “Omni-” words we have studied) that the universe – including you and me – was created. In God’s Omniscience, he meticulously named Cyrus 150 years in advance to show how the Mercy of God surpasses any human expectation or understanding. There is no greater Authority than Truth, and the LORD declares “I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.” The Truth is what is right.

In the past, I have mentioned Frank Peretti’s explanation about the truthfulness of Truth (You can find the quote here.) He said, “There has to be a truth that is fixed and objective and separate from you. It has to be true whether you believe it or not! (Pthum) It has to be true whether you like it or not! (Pthum) It has to be true whether you ever heard of it or not! (Pthum) It’s just true!” God and God alone is Truly Truth. Remember now, when we say “God,” we mean our El Shaddai-Olam, God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity:

LIGHT ≡ GOD ≡ LOVE ≡ TRUTH ≡ WAY ≡ LIFE ≡ ETERNAL ≡ JUSTICE ≡ OMNIPOTENCE

≡ ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS

Let me reiterate: There is no greater Authority than Truth, and the LORD declares “I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right.” The Truth is what is right. God grant that none of us is foolish enough to say, “Well, what’s true for you may not be true for me, and what’s right for you may not be what is right for me.” Saying that denies God’s Authority over us and all the rest of his Creation. That is the favorite deception of the Father of Lies. Give God what belongs to God (hint: that’s us – you and me). Give God what is Right, not what is left. Submit to Divine and Civil Authority whenever Truth is found in them.

Who knew? Anyone who knows the Truth!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Aloha Friday Message – October 13, 2017 – Sí, se puede!

October 13, 2017

1741AFC101317 – ¡Sí, se puede!

¡Que la bendición esté siempre con ustedes y que Dios los bendiga, Amados! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd!) Whew! I don’t know about Lake Woebegone, but I do know it’s been a long week in Kapahi! I want to begin by thanking all of you who so graciously offered your prayerful support during my recent illness. I still have a lo-o-o-o-ng way to go, but I am making incremental steps toward recovery. As new sequellae develop I’ll keep you posted. We also appreciate the prayers for my Dearest Darling Wife, Crucita. She, too, is making progress. That bug that caught us was one vicious little brute! I also want you to know that our son, Timothy – who moved here to take on the role of caregiver – has been a wonderful help to Crucita and me. He got here in the nick of time! So, again, thank you everyone. Now, let’s get into The Word.

Today I’d like to make my launching point from one of the readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time which you can find here.

Philippians 4:19-20 – 19 And my God will fully satisfy [supply] every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

I love these two verses. In fact the letter to the Philippians is one I often turn to when I have questions that need answers or situations where encouragement is needed. Just a few verses above these two (next Sunday’s readings) is the favorite of many a troubled soul: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In the Authorized King James version it reads I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (A little more on that later.) Truly, Beloved, it is in Christ that we find awesome strength, and it is indeed He who gives us that strength we need and in such perfect proportions as to always meet our needs and then still have some strength left over. It is that thought which often comes to mind when I read the KJV version “which strengtheneth me.” Just the knowledge that Jesus gives me strength – in and of itself – gives me strength! I have strength from Jesus, and knowing that makes me – and the effect of Jesus’ strength – even stronger. It’s like forging a sword out of iron and another of bright steel. The one is strong; the other is stronger; yet both are stronger than I alone can be.

It is something like that for Philippians 4:19. We all know to whom Paul is referring when he says “My God.” Paul is consistently reminding us of the Holy Trinity – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13 2 – Cor 13:14 AKJV) – in his Epistles. The Trinity is an indivisible Community comprised of three distinct personages, and all of them act in accord with one another, yet separately. The fact that this is an impenetrable mystery does not faze Paul in the least. In that respect, I think of him in the same way I think of Abram.

God chose Abram over many others and assigned him to a task of God’s choosing. Abram means “exalted father.” He was renamed by God at the beginning of the first covenant – he became Abraham “father of many nations.” Saul of Tarsus was renamed by God at the beginning of the Second Covenant. Saul was the name of Israel’s first king, and the popular meaning of the name was “prayed for.” Saul of Tarsus assumed a task whereby he meant to choose God and exterminate The Way – as Jesus-followers first called their faith. Saul became Paul; Paul is rooted in a Latin word which means “small” or “humble.” You remember Simon was renamed Peter, and sometimes in the Gospels we hear both together – Simon Peter. But you never hear Abram Abraham or Saul Paul in any scripture. That is how total the change was – more than just a name, it was the designation of an entirely new person refashioned by God on the spot.

Abraham went on to do many astounding things, but none was as astounding as his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and we know Paul also did many astounding things including healings and resurrections. Both of them had been prepared by God to do those things; that is why God changed them. He had a plan, and a job, and needed the right person for that job. He did what only God can do. He created a job and then created a person to do that job. Paul and Abraham both had that figured out way before their contemporaries did.

Now, let’s look at “fully supply.” This word “supply” in Greek is an interesting word – `πληρόϖ pleroo {play-ro’-o}. Among other concepts related to completion, it is used as: to make complete in every particular, to render perfect; to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the fullest; to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally. Paul’s meaning here is that God can completely repay – with more left over – all of Paul’s debt to the church in Corinth. There is where our eyes often go first. “God chooses to be generous with me, and I accept his generosity.” Then we pass him a list of what we want from him.

DING-DING-DING-DING! WRONG!! God is ABSOLUTELY – in the most literal sense of that word – ABSOLUTELY-Generous Will DOES fully supply all our needs. And so, while we want to focus on the thought of his generosity, we know “God gives us all we need, not all we want.” This leads to those silly prayers where we tell God, “I really need this | promotion | new house | personal renewal | sense of forgiveness | anything-else-I-usually-want to put in this sentence when I pray | … BUT (we so righteously add) Thy will be done. I don’t want to be greedy.” (Can you get that here before Tuesday, please? Thank you God!)” “Fully supply” in this passage is like we read about in Luke 6:38 – 38 “give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

WHOA! Back UP!! Curve ball!! We were talking about God being generous and giving us what we need, not about giving others what they need. Think again. Read the passage in context. Go ahead. I’ll wait (you really should click on the link you know. It will take less than 60 seconds to read this, and it’s really good information.)

Do you see? The Church in Philippi had gone to extraordinary measures to help Paul in times of great need and great danger. They had given of their own temporal and spiritual riches to support Paul. Paul has absolutely no way to repay their kindness, but he knows God has seen their generosity and will answer it with his own version of GENEROSITY. He is saying, “I cannot repay the debt, but I am confident God will repay you out of his own riches.”

God has already been incredibly generous with us. How are we using the riches of his generosity? Use them well, and there is a better likelihood that he will fully supply all our needs in the way of generosity only he can provide. This cycle of receiving, giving, and receiving more is what enables us to “… do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It doesn’t make me superhuman – if one of the things I want to do is climb a building like Spiderman or lasso a jet like Wonder Woman – but, whatever God asks of me can be done through the strength I have in Christ Jesus. Even my old friend Abraham was able to do extraordinary things because he reasoned that God’s Word is true; if God said Abraham would be the Father of Many Nations, then somehow – no matter what – Isaac would be alive to carry on that Covenant. We can do all needful (requisite, necessary, required) things in the strength of Christ’s Glory, Grace, And Love. ¡Sí, se puede! How and why does that work? OUR “God will fully satisfy [supply] every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

How about a practical example? We have MBN members who are evangelizing, witnessing, preaching, teaching, prophesying, and giving the Devil Hell. Pray that those who want to go to Hell with Satan will instead ask you about going to Heaven with you instead. Go ahead! You can handle it (Philippians 4:13, remember?) Also, please remember Psalm 23:1 – The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. (←New Living Translation). What a GOOD & GENEROUS God we have! Look at what he’s given us:

Jesus loves me. This I know. All Creation tells me so.
It’s so easy to belong. Just believe and sing this song!
(↔ NOT a Music Link, but a decent read from a 2008 post.)

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Share-A-Prayer
IDC – A treasure since we first met her as a child. Got smacked hard by her latest treatment with Adriamycin – a real wrecking ball for cancer but also poisons bone marrow (and everything else), thus putting her capability to fight off infection very low. Please pray for the miracle of remission through combining faith and medicine.

ALG – A much-loved friend, wife, mother of three, coworker, and also – diagnosed last week – with breast cancer. She lost her QUEST healthcare protection not long ago. If you would like the address for her Go-Fund-Me link, please message me back and I’ll email it to you. For all of us in the MBN, especially our other cancer patients or cancer survivors – you know the power of prayer is what is most needed.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

Aloha Friday Message – October 6, 2017 – Aloha Friday Good News

October 6, 2017

1740AFC100617 – Aloha Friday Good News

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! This will be very short. Last week I told you I hadn’t the wherewithal to do the research and writing for a fresh post and referred you to that Sunday’s readings as well as a message from 2013. Today all I can do is update you on what has happened. You won’t find this online anytime soon. This entire post will go to Facebook without any online links.

First, please look at this Scripture passage. From Philippians 4:6-7 – 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So, many of you know Crucita and I have been quite ill for the past couple of weeks. We caught some kind of flu that was very debilitating and is still holding on relentlessly. It involved both an upper respiratory clobbering as well as a lower GI component. Hydration and nutrition became seriously impaired for me. The end result was that my blood plasma got super-concentrated. That caused the concentration of medications I take to also become super-concentrated. The result was that my blood pressure meds made me hypotensive and my anticoagulant medication was about 4 times more concentrated so that it became toxic. I was coughing so much and so hard (because my lung secretions were also concentrated) that I tore muscle and fascia in my abdominal muscles. Blood leaked out through the tears and I ended up with a 6-7″ band of bruises around my tummy and blood also leaked into the organs below that. This happened around 2 AM Sunday, 10/1/17. It was time for action.

I went to the ER. After a thorough exam, I was admitted to get the bleeding under control. My percentage of red blood cells in my veins had decreased from 46% to 33% – despite the dehydration! I was discharged 10/4/17 after receiving 3 units of blood products (FFP – Fresh Frozen Plasma) used to control the bleeding. They also had to treat my coughing as that was still an issue. It addition, I had consistent pain in my left shoulder so upped my pain meds (Tramadol) for that. Today I came back to Wilcox Clinic and was seen by a Physiatrist (use the link). She (and Crucita and I) were hoping it was just a bad bursitis. It turned out to be a tear in the Rotator Cuff Tendon – about halfway through – that will require surgical repair later this year. I was so relieved to know why the pain was so intense and so localized! She went ahead and injected the joint with long-acting cortisone to within 48-72 hours I expect significant release from that pain. I’ll have to be extra-special careful not to tear it any farther; and, no, I have no idea whatsoever I could have done to cause such an injury. If you know me, you know I’m not the sport-and-fitness type! I expect to be in the healing process for the next 6-8 weeks, then the surgery on the shoulder!

Now, look at that Scripture again. Every healthcare professional or paraprofessional I spoke to said, “Well, good thing it wasn’t an intracerebral bleed!” (A hemorrhagic stroke.) And so I choose in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God as my message for you today.

Many of you sent words of encouragement, prayers, and concern; Mahalo nui loa! I continue in my prayers for MBN members who have asked for our prayer, for the folks suffering the terrible tragedies in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, all along the Gulf Coast, and in the Great Northwest as well as everyone with cancer.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Aloha Friday Message – September 29, 2017 – Aloha ʻoe …

September 29, 2017

1739AFC092917 – Aloha ʻoe …

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Peace be with you. Read this online here, please.

Today I’m going to have to do something a little different. I’ve been laid low all week by a vicious virus that’s really knocked me for a loop. I haven’t had the wherewithal to do the research and writing for this coming Sunday, October 1, 2017. Instead I am going to give you two links.

The first is for the readings for this weekend. You can find them here.

The second is for a post back in 2013 that continues in the same vein of last week’s message with a connection to Philippians 2. Please look for the 2013 post here. Near the end, there is a link to Romans 10:1-21. Please do follow that link. That will be my message for this weekend. It’s a rerun, I know, but it’s also about 20% shorter than my usual posts! 😉 All of the passages are in the Bible Hub site, so those will be interesting links for you to follow. Please remember that we now have Reader View available. On iOS and Android devices, use the built in reader view button in the upper left of the screen. On Windows devices look for the button below the post-header and just above the title of the post. Thanks. And please also use the Share this button.

I hope to be fully functional within the coming week. I already have the Terrific Tuesday ready for next week, so that won’t be omitted.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

 

Aloha Friday Message – September 22, 2017 – BHLJ!

September 22, 2017

1738AFC092217 – BHLJ!

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often.

Matthew 20:16 – 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Matthew 22:14 – 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Revelation 3:20 – 20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

This painting was part of my life as a child. I remember seeing it in my Sunday School classroom. I think it was also in the office of our Pastor, Rev. Robert Lutz. It was in one of the Bibles I owned sometime around Jr High. And that Bible verse was part of the Sword Drill. “Sword Drill” was a program of memorizing Bible Verses. Then we’d have contests to see who could recall a verse quickest. Seeing Jesus at the door and knowing why He was there seems to have always been a part of me; it is unforgettable.

In later years I have wondered how many times I have left him standing there while I went on with my life. This passage comes from the letter to the Church at Laodicea. They were enjoying the good life with plenty of worldly things to their credit. But Jesus scolds them for being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. No fervor in their faith, no fire in their prayers. In the verses just before today’s Bible verse, He tells them, 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.  And there it is again: Repent. Will we? Have we? Can we? Shall we? Who’s knocking at your door? Is that Jesus calling you? Isaiah 55:6 – 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. How near is he if he’s knocking at your door?

He stands at the door of your heart and my heart and asks to come in, to share Fellowship with us, to be family with us. He waits patiently to be invited in. “Oh, I don’t need that junk about church! It’s just a bunch of hog-wash!” “Organized religion is just a crutch. I can worship God any way I want and he’ll understand.” “God is me and in me and I am God and in Him. It’s all good.”

Hmmm. Jesus might be able to say that, but it just doesn’t ring true for us to say that. The church a Laodicea was thinking they could live their faith according to their own standards, do their own thing, take the middle road to worldly comfort so as not to bother anyone, to be politically-correct Christians. They were complacent in their self-sufficiency. And they left Jesus standing at the door.

I’m asking you, urging you, even begging you not to do that. Here’s an example of how easy it is to forget the Fellowship of having Christ in your heart:

A Christian and a Quarter

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he took ride on the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, “You’d better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.” Then he thought, “Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a ‘gift from God’ and keep quiet.”

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.”

The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren’t you the new preacher in town?”

 “Yes” he replied.

“Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about finding somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really clear example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard – and remember – you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself “Christian.” How can we avoid making the mistake of forgetting our calling to be Christians?

 Philippians 2:5 – 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. I’ll bet you remember this: “What Would Jesus Do?”

Talk about a loaded question! It seems that in our lives it boils down to something more like, “What would Jesus NOT do?” He probably wouldn’t do a lot of the things that churn up our consciences. Make that things which should churn up our consciences. I envision that idea of conscience as “that little old man in the back-right corner of my brain.” If he is a pest at times, it is only because I am so often a fool at times, and either argue with him or ignore him. That pretty much always turns out to be a mistake. As St. Paul rightly pointed out so often, it comes down to attitude.

That’s a word I’ve always had trouble with in my personal and public life. “Drop the attitude!” I certainly heard that often while growing up in Denver. Think of “attitude” and the outcome of a judgment of someone or something (most noun-forms would fit here – person, place, animal, thing, or idea) a judgment that is rife with emotion. It can be a positive or negative thing. “He’s got a great attitude!” “You’ve got a really bad attitude young man!” A friend who performed comedy often says, “He’s suffering from a bad altitude.” While obviously a punny malaprop, it really gets at the core idea of attitude in a very graphic way.

After looking at that, what can we deduce or infer about what Paul is recommending to the Philippians and to us? He wants our attitude to be the same as Jesus’ attitude. If I pray, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto your heart,” I am asking to have “the attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” In the verses immediately previous to this passage, Paul is once again sounding a very familiar theme: “Stop being divisive, and be united in love and humility as Christ has commanded and as we have taught you.” (See Philippians 2:1-4)

As an example, as this passage in Philippians continues, Paul asserts that Jesus’ example was to set aside his own (considerable) importance and to take up the “form of a slave.” This was something he did out of obedience to his Father; his obedience was so profound that he voluntarily submitted to death, even the most shameful and horrific death of the cross. He became for the entire World – literally for Heaven and Earth and All Time – the lowest of the low. Because of this, God acclaimed and extolled him, lavishing on him the greatest name and honor. So magnificent was this blessing of God on Jesus that simply at the mention of the name JESUS, every created thing from angels to rocks would truthfully acknowledge his power, dominion, and glory.

Paul understood this, and he also understood how far from that Ideal his own life stood. Think back to the opening of The Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:1 If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Paul consistently tells us that we need to model our lives in the image and form of the life of Christ. There is an interesting preposition in this passage that conveyed that quite clearly to the Philippians – and to us if we are attentive: also in Christ Jesus. The preposition there is έν [en]. The connotation is of something that is permanently and naturally (uncontrived) unchanging in place, time, or condition, something that is an integral part of the location or entity. Jesus’ attitude of love, ἀγάπη, was and is a permanent, natural, integral aspect of Jesus as Lord. That’s the kind of LOVE Paul is reminding us Jesus commanded us to cultivate and share.

To me the verse, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus” now comes out as “Ensure that your disposition toward all things is identical to the predominant and fundamental disposition of Christ: Perfectly modest, humble, and unselfish and utterly consecrated to the service of God and one another. Paul has an uncanny way of packing 10 pounds of meaning into a 3 pound jar!

Going back to the imagery in 1st Corinthians and transposing it here: “You should be a symphony of loving kindness rather than the loud noise of selfish conceits.” My life should ring like a crystal bell; instead it sounds like an empty garbage can kicked down a very long staircase. Dan Seaborn is  credited for coming up with the catchphrase “What Would Jesus Do.” It was a pretty popular motto back in the 90’s and lots of people had bracelets, T-shirts, badges, and bumper stickers reading W.W.J.D.? Finally after a few years the popularity faded, and the world moved on to something else. Paul’s message, however, has been true, reflected upon, preached, analyzed, memorized, and applied to daily living for over 1900 years. It’s not a catchphrase; it’s a formidable challenge.

Paul tells us that Christ Jesus required, and submitted to, humility before all other things. It took humility to obey. It took humility to empty himself and become an earthling. It took humility to direct his life and our hearts to God. It takes Love to be humble. “Be Humble Like Jesus.”B.H.L.J.” I guess if I really want to do that, I should have in me the same attitude as Christ. Maybe it would be wise to just listen to that little old guy in the back of my head, zip my lip, and light up my heart so I can clearly see all the things I do that Jesus wouldn’t do.

He’s inviting me to dinner at my place. That’s where he can be found. I’m invited to dine with him. He’s knocking and calling, and I’m choosing to open that door without letting the Devil sneak in. (Go ahead, check it out!) If I remain in Fellowship with him until the last moment of my life, the first moment of my New Life will be in Fellowship with him. That last will be the first.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

 

Aloha Friday Message – September 15, 2017 – Did you repent yet?

September 15, 2017

1737AFC091517 – Did you repent yet?

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Today we continue with the ministry of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of Matthew. Last week we looked into the responsibility of “fraternal correction.” Jesus told the Apostles that they had the responsibility and the authority to approach their brothers and sisters – fellow Disciples considered members of the church – and help them to understand in what ways their actions had a negative impact on the community. You may recall that we touched on something the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:10 – 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Fraternal correction is to be given lovingly. In today’s readings, we will examine Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness. I’m going to recommend that you consider reviewing a previous post from August 22, 2008 for more information on forgiveness (and you can use the Reader View for that one, too). There are some excerpts from that post in this one. Let’s look at our key verse for today:

Psalm 103:11-12 – 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.

We often recall that God has created us in his image, and that we are to be like him as much as possible. We are called to be holy – that is, wholly whole, complete, and prepared for every good work – as God is Holy. He forgives our sins. He removes them so far from us that we cannot grasp how far; he not only forgives, but he also forgets. (See Isaiah 43:25) Can you forget your sins? I cannot forget mine, and often that’s because I have forgotten they are forgiven by God. Perhaps, though, they have not been forgiven by me or by those against whom I have sinned. That’s not what God intends, and Jesus very carefully explains it to the Apostles.

Immediately following the passage in Matthew on fraternal correction we read in Matthew 18:21-22 – 21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. There is a similar admonition in Luke 17:3-4 – 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” Please note what is being said here; to whom does this command apply? We see in Matthew “ another member of the church,” and in Luke “another disciple .” These passages are continuations of Jesus’ teachings about the formation of the church the community of believers. Are you not a believer or know someone who isn’t? Jesus’ instructions to you are found in Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (See also Acts 2:38)

In the Gospel of Luke, the two verses immediately preceding these (Luke 17:1-2) say 1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. We are held responsible for the ways we may mislead others. If what we show them in our lives leads them to sin, that is charged to us. How can this be? We have enough trouble managing our own holiness and our own sinfulness. How is it we can be held accountable for something someone else does? The “why” of it is simple: That is God’s plan. It is the law of love. If we know love we know God and if we love God we must love one another. If we love one another we must not sin against them – that is also a sin against God – but if they sin against us we must forgive them. That is, as God forgives us, we forgive others. What is the requisite step to forgiveness from God? It is repentance, and repentance includes the intention of reforming one’s life so as to avoid sin and the desire to be tempted. What did Jesus say about forgiving others? He said, “And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

“But s/he made me so angry! I just want to make them suffer for what they did to me! I cannot and will not forgive them, ever!” That is God’s option; it is not our option. In the Old Testament reading this Sunday we hear Sirach 27:30 – 28:1 – 30 Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, yet a sinner holds on to them. 28 1The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance, for he keeps a strict account of their sins. We all know about that Bible verse that says “Vengeance is mine.” (See Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19). God’s vengeance comes only after whopping-long periods of Grace and divine correction. Being forgiven, therefore, is something that we desperately need and hope for; it also causes us to rejoice when it happens: Psalm 32:1 – 1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. That joy comes to us not only when we are forgiven, but also when we forgive generously (as does God) and not begrudgingly.

Leviticus 19:18 – 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. So why do we keep grudges? Is that not what God abhors? We cling to our anger and nurture it. (←Here’s where you want to look at the post from 2008.) Do you really need to carry that burden? How is that grudge helping you? Grudges are heavy, difficult to carry because they have no handles, and dangerous because they can suddenly grow teeth and claws and tear us to shreds. They are the most fearsome and deadly form of self-awareness and the cause of much suffering. Forgiveness is the anti-grudge, the “grudge-icide” if you will, and it is something that all of us have within us because all of us need it. It is part of the Image of God which resides in our souls. When we remember to live as that image, we realize we are not here in the World for our own gratification (which is a surprise to many these days); no, indeed we are here for the sake of others. It’s not so much what we are to receive as we live on, but rather what we are to give.

As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14:7-8 – 7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. And if we are the Lord’s, then we forgive, and forgive again, and again, and again. In Jesus’ response to Peter, the quote above says “seventy-seven times.” Other sources translate that as “seventy times seven.” Whether it’s 77 times or 490 times, the point is that if you’re “keeping score” and counting up the times you’ve claimed to give forgiveness, you’re missing the point: Colossians 3:12-15 –  12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

The point most often missed is this: Be forgiving and become forgiven. Ask and offer. Always seek, and expect to receive, the greater gift: The gift of giving. Peace and Joy are the result: John 16:24 – 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. In other words, “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” In fraternal correction we love our fellow Disciples enough to help them meld with the community. In the Love of Christ, we forgive one another as he forgives us – as meaning “in the same way as” not “while.”

This is what Jesus taught to the Apostles on that day in his journey to Jerusalem (and of course to us as well). We know that they learned that lesson because of what the Apostle Peter later wrote in 1 Peter 4:8 – 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. The hardships of forgiveness are minor compared to the blessings we have in Christ Jesus. There is such great happiness in those blessings that we can understand what is meant when we read 2 Corinthians 12:10 – 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. For the sake of Christ, (↔ Music Link) we can bear all things in Love, for indeed, his Grace is enough for us to be forgiving and forgiven. Let’s help one another repent? We should all read and remember the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. (Please use this link. Thank you.)

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Aloha Friday Message – September 8, 2017 – Fully Filling Love

September 8, 2017

Aloha Friday Message – September 8, 2017 – Fully Filling Love

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And guess what! Now we have a READER VIEW AVAILABLE button!

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Today’s post is #600 – this is the six-hundredth post to the Moon Beam Network at aloha-friday.org and it’s time for something new!! Go ahead and click on the link above – the one that says here – and then look in the upper-left corner of the post for this button:

Just click on the READER VIEW button, and you will see a black-&-white-text representation of the page! This super-duper bit of Internet magic was set up by our friends at Kukui Corporation, the premier web-building agent for business-development applications – the All-In-One Success Platform ®. I can tell you I am astonished at their kindness and delighted with their superlative skills. Thank you from the depths of my soul, Ryan and Kate Wilmot, for all the amazing things with which you have helped the MBN.

Let’s take a look at what’s coming up this Sunday. Part of the Gospel is often misunderstood or applied incorrectly, we will look at it in the context of Christ’s message and what God intends overall for us.  Let’s begin with an excerpt from the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel (Yechezqel – “God Strengthens”)

Ezekiel 33:9 – 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

Perhaps you will recall why God chose Israel to be “his people.” I invite you to follow a link to this passage where God is telling Israel what he had in mind when he made them his people. Take a moment to read Deuteronomy 7:7-10. You can see that God chose Israel, not because they were numerous and mighty (indeed they were few and enslaved!). Instead, he chose them so that they would go out to all other nations exemplifying good and destroying evil. Through their example, they were to demonstrate to others God’s mercy, power, and goodness. Israel was anointed to live as a nation of priests, prophets, and kings – a shining light to the entire world. God’s intention was for Israel to be a conspicuous and “peculiar” (special, distinctive) people, showing others the path to God and his promised provision of Redemption through his anointed Messiah, a Savior for all earthlings. For the most part, Israel failed to live up to God’s expectations. Nonetheless, God’s penultimate mission for Israel, the Advent of the Messiah, was made perfectly and fully complete in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ of God.

It is for this reason that God caused Ezekiel to speak out against the sinful persons in Israel. The righteous are held responsible for the unrighteous because they too are to be righteous Israelites who seek to convert their neighbors regardless of nationality. This is demanded of them as an act of Love – Love for God and Love for neighbor. In Sunday’s second reading from the Epistles, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 13:10 – 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Israel had The Law, and the Prophets, and it was their God-given duty to share the precepts of righteousness everywhere and always. There are many instances in the Epistles where Paul warned against living in a “Worldly Way,” that is, living outside Christ’s Law of Love. Paul echoed Christ, Christ echoed God, and God consistently said “all you need is Love.” Most of you will have heard and perhaps still remember the “Chapter of Love,” 1 Corinthians 13. Toward the end of that chapter, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:10 – 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly*, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. Being fully known, and therefore fully filled, is one outcome of Love.

* αἰνίγματι (ainigmati) from αἴνιγμα (ainigma) {ah’-ee-nig-ma} – a riddle, an enigma, a mystery, a puzzle.

Love is the vessel, the vehicle, and the vision through which God reveals himself to us. If we know love, we know God. Let’s take a quick review of three verses from the First Letter of John:

1 John 3:2 – 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

1 John 4:7-8 – 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

How are we to conquer the world’s unrighteousness souls with God’s Righteous Love if we do not know Love? How can we fulfill the mission God has given his chosen people – which, through adoption, includes everyone who believes in Jesus – if we do not live Love? And what are we to do about sharing that love if fellow believers are failing to know and live Love? There are pretty straight-forward instructions in the Gospel for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 10, 2017 – and they go like this: Matthew 18:19 – 9 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Now, this is the verse I mentioned that is often misunderstood or misapplied, so I’m going to dissect it a bit. But first, think of it in the context of what Jesus is saying. He’s talking about the Church. He’s saying that, in keeping with the commandment given by God that we are to live in his paradigm, we are commanded to assist a fellow Christian who does not know or live love – which correction is to be given not judgmentally, but lovingly. First we are to speak to that person one-to-one. If that doesn’t bring conversion, then we get some others, two or three, to “do an intervention.” That 2-3 (or more) might not all be Christians, but they should be people with good moral standards. If that doesn’t work, then we take it to the church for their input; BUT, not necessarily the whole church. Let’s see what we have in the Greek in Matthew 18:19 – 9 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:20 – 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. First we look at the phrase “agree on earth.”

The Greek here is the root work for our idea of “symphony.” It is an instance of harmonious accord. Such harmony is pleasing to God who created all things in harmony. What Paul is talking about is a person who obstinately refuses to know and to live Love. Such folk are to be excluded from the church. He is telling the Apostles, who have the authority to bind or loose on earth and in Heaven, that they are granted the power to include or exclude members as they conduct the organizing of the church under Jesus’ leadership. However, the whole of the church is not required to authorize such a decision because two or three in harmonious accord can make that decision and Christ will honor it. The key is in the Greek work for “agree.” That is the word from which we get “symphony:” συμφωνήσωσιν (symphōnēsōsin) from συμφωνέω (sumphóneó) {soom-fo-neh’-o}. Often this verse is applied to the idea of praying as intercessors for each other – and that is certainly a good thing and something which Christ commends elsewhere. But here, Jesus is telling the Apostles that they have authority to build the church in his name. There is something to be said also about the idea of “gathered together.” The connotation is that of a hospitable gathering with an agreed-upon purpose. That, of course, is the basis for the phrase “agree upon.” To be clear, I am not saying that Jesus did not tell us to come to him in prayer for each other. I am just saying that this passage – in context – is not addressing that. It is addressing how to build the church. For Jesus’ and the Apostles’ commands to pray for others (in order to build the church) see Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28, Acts 7:38-60, Hebrews 7:25, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, and many others.

These passages show us that, in the same way Israel was to be a “light to the nations” (See Isaiah 49:6), we are to be a light set upon a lampstand to give light to all (See Matthew 5:14-15). This is because many within the church as well as outside the church have lives such as the Apostle Paul described in Philippians 3:18-19 – 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. “Earthly things” are things that are not based in God’s Love; they are based in selfishness and unrighteousness, and therefore cannot fully fill. Only Love fulfills God’s command to  be light and salt, goodness and joy, and only Love can give us a life that is fully filling – up to the brim and running over – with all of God’s very best stuff, the stuff of Love.

Belovéd, Love one another. Do no harm to our enemies, but pray for them that they might become our adopted brothers and sisters in Christ. Be witnesses to all the world – especially to those who err when following Jesus; but do so as Christ commanded: Gently, together, with harmony and purpose, bring them back into the Symphony of the Ages. Help the wicked turn from their ways, and you shall live.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Share-A-Prayer
The fully filling life is accessible to everyone who speaks with and about our Triune God. You are invited to share these recommendations for prayer topics. After the short list, there is a video I want you to see. No one speaks, and there are only teenagers holding hand-lettered signs, but the message they have for us is POWERFUL. After you watch the video, come back to these prayer topics and speak to the World about and with God. We desperately need him back. It will take Love, but we have more than enough and some to spare if we but Love God and neighbor.

Watch the video HERE.

  • Pray ceaselessly for the parts of the world – NOT JUST IN America – suffering from humongous fires
  • Pray ceaselessly for the parts of the world suffering from humongous floods – NOT JUST IN America
  • Pray ceaselessly for the people of the world suffering from humongous anger and sin – NOT JUST IN America
  • Pray ceaselessly for the people of the world suffering from humongous hatred and separation – NOT JUST IN America
  • Pray for hope, healing, and health for the chronically ill – EVERYONE EVERYWHERE
  • Pray for all national leaders that they might govern with morality, compassion, integrity, wisdom, and justice – ALL OF THEM
  • Pray for each other. I am praying for you. (Check the link?)

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

Aloha Friday Message – September 1, 2017 – A Transforming Life

September 1, 2017

Let’s begin by asking for prayers, gifts, assistance, whatever you can for all the folks suffering from natural disasters this week. We have HUGE fires in Montana, Utah, Washington,  Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California. See below. Huge areas area affected. Smoke is terrible. Livestock and wild critters suffering greatly. Many structures and vehicles destroyed.

Then there’s the South and Harvey’s path of destruction. My brother in Lake Charles had plenty of damage and my nephews – his sons – in Orange lost everything except their lives. My niece Amanda led rescuers from “The Cajun Navy” to get her brothers out of danger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flooding in:

WHARTON, Alvin, Liverpool, Friendswood, Pearland, Danbury, League City, Dickinson, Rosharon, Angleton, Santa Fe, Lumberton, Beaumont, Vidor, Hull, Daisetta, Raywood, Dayton, Batson, Saratoga, Rye, Thicket, Votaw, Cleveland, New Caney, Porter, Splendora, Humble, Huffman, Livingston, Tarkington, Beaumont, Lafayette, Galveston, Cypress, Woodlands, Conroe, Liberty, Hardin, Shepherd, Crosby, Baytown, Mauriceville, Nederland, Port Arthur, Port Neches, Port Acres, Fannett, Labelle, Hampshire, ORANGE, Bridge City, Orangefield, Groves, Colmesneil, Woodville, Warren, Chester, HOUSTON, Spurger, Fred, Lake Charles, Cameron, Sulphur, Hackberry, Grand Lake, Big Lake, Longville, Ragley, Gillis, Moss Bluff, Westlake, Iowa, Le Bleu Settlement AND MANY, MANY, MANY MORE. More than 43,000 structures were destroyed or damaged in Harris County alone.

Please pray for, and offer, help in any and every way you can. Recovery will take months. And praise God for all the wonderful people who have headed into danger to help the persons in these terrible disasters! And now, our message for today.

1735AFC090117 – A Transforming Life

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you!

Romans 12:1-2 – 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Today we are looking at one of my favorite passages in Romans 12. It is so important that we understand how dangerous it is to be “conformed to this world.” There’s a lot to understand about being “ a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” as well. And then there is that admonition to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” More on that later. Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul might have meant in instructing us not to be conformed to this world. That’s really pretty easily understood in the general context of being a Christian. A careful reading of John 17:14-19 gives us the background for the oft-quoted (but “not-in-the-Bible”) phrase, Be in the world but not of the world. Jesus is telling his Father that he’s sending his Disciples into the world but they are not going to belong to the world because Jesus does not belong to the world; Jesus and his Disciples belong to the Kingdom. Jesus ask that they be protected from the Evil One as they do the work of the Kingdom. Paul amplifies that a bit by drawing the distinction that Disciples should not be confo9rmed to the world. There’s another level of seeing this as well.

Recall, please, that the word translated as “transformed” is metamorphosis, not metanoia. Paul is talking about changing our bodies from vessels of carnality to offerings of service to God; that’s a tall order in these days of instant gratification for just about anything and everything imaginable (and thankfully some of it is unimaginable!) Metanoia is a word Jesus used – and appears over 20 times in the New Testament – that means “repent.” It is a change of mind, a switch in direction – we stop going away from God in sin and start going toward God in service. You can see how Jesus used it in places like Luke 5:32, Luke 15:7, and Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:10 (this is an important one to read!). The idea, then, in Roman 1:12 is that we are changed by transformation; that transformation leads us closer to God.

In the preceding context in Romans in chapters 6-11, Paul is talking about the history of Israel and blood-sacrifice; animals and grain were at least partially destroyed as ritual sacrifices for atonement. He is showing the Church that God has a better way – the Way of Love. It is a new approach to loving and serving God. Instead of giving way to our personal cravings as humans, we are to remember that our body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit, and we must live accordingly. There is also the historical fact that many Christians were killed – even in the earliest days of the church – and they were quite literally living sacrifices for the Faith. But what Paul is driving at is that the interior live of a Christian steadily changes our lives from the inside – our hearts, our habits, our hopes, our happiness – and we are transformed into believers who are citizens of the Kingdom of God. There is no longer any need for external sacrifices of bulls and sheep and grain and libations; we are no longer slaves to sin but friends of Jesus. We can make every moment of every day an offering of adoration, thanksgiving, and praise to God as we live in, for, and through Jesus. That is truly living a transformed life. But not like the Transformers in the movies. There’s a different process involved, and it’s helpful to look at the science in electricity to understand it better.

When I was in the eighth grade, I had to take some “shop” classes. I was not very handy with tools and my shop projects were usually pretty shabby. I did learn a lot about tools and using tools way back then, but I’m still no prize-winner when it comes to building things and making things. I find it interesting, though, that I can remember some of the details of what was taught back in 1959. One of the things I can remember building was a small, hand-wound, step-up transformer. The image you see above is a transformer. It is the kind that is found in gas-discharge lighting – fluorescent lights and neon lights for example. The image comes from an on-line electrician’s course at http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/AC/AC_9.html

Transformers are pretty amazing things. If you try reading the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer you’ll get a lot of really technical information, mathematical formulas, the information about Faraday and electric induction theory. Great stuff. Hard to read and understand, but great stuff. Way more than I needed to know to make my little shop project, that’s for sure, so maybe it was good that we didn’t have the Internet back then!

To make the transformer we took a piece of flat iron bar and bent it into a square, then we wrapped a whole bunch of varnish-coated, really thin copper wire around one side. Next we wrapped an even BIGGER bunch of the same wire on the other side. Finally we attached a 6 Volt dry cell battery to the input side and a Voltmeter to the output side. The voltage coming out the output side was higher than the voltage going in; hence, the voltage was “transformed” by something called mutual induction. So what?

So, that’s an electrical transformer, and it work by something called “mutual induction.” One thing changes another. I used to have a nice transformer on my Lionel train set, and it also had a rheostat (don’t even bother to look that one up!). Cranking the lever to the right made the train go faster. So, transformers take an input and step it up or down so that the output is different from the input. What makes it work even better is that, instead of a single layer of iron, you have multiple, equally-sized plated that are laminated. The combined layers reduce the magnetic fluctuation and increase the stability of the currents produced. You can see an example of a laminated iron core in the photo above. This helps transform the current from lower to higher (in a “step-up transformer).

“Transform” is also a word that is synonymous with the kinds of change we call metamorphosis, and that’s what got me thinking about transformers. The word Paul used here was μεταμφοώ metamorpho’o {met-am-or-fo’-o} to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. He’s talking about changing our bodies from vessels of carnality to earthen vessels for offerings of service to God. I used to think Paul used the work Metanoia there (that one you should look up), but he did not. So when I heard that passage in Sunday’s readings, my mind locked onto the idea of transformer, transformation, transforming – not the silly toys or goofy movie about machines changing into “living” things – and about the whole mutual induction thing.

This could go on for pages and pages, but let me just shorten it all up by saying that it dawned on me that Christ is part of my transformer, my transformation, my transforming. How well a transformer works depends on the content of the core, the number of windings on each side of the core, how tightly the windings are wound, how much current is on the input side, and a whole bunch of other things that also apply to living The Transformed Life.

So, beloved, how tightly are you wound? And are you a step-up or step-down transformer? Christ is the input. How much resistance do you put up against the inbound current? Is your core solid so that the current of the Gospel eddies around and leaks away, or is your core laminated – made of hundreds of faith experiences – so that nothing is lost as the power of Christ’s love courses through you and into the output junction to which you’re attached? Are you transformed? Are you transforming others? Think about that for me, will you?

Oh dear! I almost forgot! Living with Jesus is another form of mutual induction – very transforming indeed! See the information at this link.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Step-Up Transformer

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

 

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

 

Aloha Friday Message – August 25, 2017 – Solid!

August 25, 2017

1734AFC082517 – Solid!

Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you!

 

 

Isaiah 9:6 – 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV))

Isaiah 22:22-23 – 22 I will place on his* shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house.

*=Eliakim (God has raised up) son of Hilkiah (My Portion is Jehovah) and he alone has power to open and shut which is historically symbolic of his absolute authority as the king’s representative called by such titles as Chamberlain, or Steward, or Treasurer.  (Isaiah 22:22).

Revelation 3:7 – 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens:

Matthew 16:18-19 – 18 And I tell you, you are Peter [Petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! I pray that those of you who have seen violent weather in the past week pulled through with minimal side-effects. It is patently apparent here on our tiny little rock in the middle of the Big Pacific that our weather patterns are shifting. What used to be a remarkably stable pattern has gotten to be remarkably unstable. We know that that’s the way it is with most of the temporal things that make up our lives. That is why it is useful and important to ensure that our lives are well-connected to the stable things in life. And what are those stable things? They are the things that are Eternal, the things that are established by, in, and for God. They are the persons, places, and things that endure because they are fixed solid like a nail, established on a solid foundation, or protected as a bird in the cleft of the rock.

In this passage from Isaiah, the prophet declares that the Head Steward of King Hezekiah, a man named Shebna, will be replaced because his is a self-seeking corrupt official whose corruption betrays the purpose of his office. Isaiah tells Shebna that he will be “hurled away violently” and whirled round and round, and then thrown like a ball into a wide, empty space. His fancy chariots will be wrecked, and – stripped of the official powers of his office – he will die disgraced. God tells the prophet Isaiah to establish Eliakim, the person he has chosen to replace Shebna, and to place on Eliakim’s shoulder the badge of office: The Key of David. Eliakim’s authority – which comes from God – will be placed firmly in the kingdom so that Eliakim’s actions all carry the authority of Hezekiah. If Eliakim speaks, it is as if the King himself is speaking. Whatever he opens, no one can shut; whatever he prohibits, no one can permit; whatever he permits, no one can disallow. As declared by God, he has full authority in the Kingdom.

This image would have resonated with the Israelites. In their houses, rows of large, thick nails were placed into the walls and used to hang various household necessities. In the messianic prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 9, Jesus is described as having “the government upon his shoulder.” The Hebrew word used here is misrah {mis-raw’} and it means rule, dominion, government. We see this concept similarly in Isaiah 22:20-21 – 20 On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, 21 and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority* to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. * memshalah {mem-shaw-law’}

Jesus is also “a peg in a secure place.” All things, all souls, all prayers hung on that secure peg of Christ in sincere faith cannot be lost or fall to destruction. Whatever door is opened by Christ is the door in which the believer can place unquestionable trust, and a door through which the believer can pass safely. Whatever door is closed by Christ cannot be opened by any other for any reason. Jesus opens to us the door of eternal salvation for soul and body, but to those who refuse to enter by that door, the door will be shut as surely as God closed the door on the Ark (See Genesis 7:16) Christ has this authority from God. It is his to use, or to share, as pleases him. He himself stated this unequivocally.

You can see several passages such as these that show how he described his own authority: Matthew 11:27, Matthew 28:18-20, John 3:35, John 17, Daniel 7:13-14. I want to give you the text of Matthew 28:18 as it represents the other passages well. It says, 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is part of “The Great Commission”  where Jesus gave his authority to all Disciples (including us) to spread the Gospel. It is Scripture that is the framework for the Church, and the foundation of the Church is the teaching of the Apostles, especially Peter.

Why do we say, “especially Peter?” We say that because Peter who received the “badge of authority,” the Keys of the Kingdom, the very Kingdom that God promised through David. Only Jesus had the authority to elevate Peter to this position of authority, and that designation was made “in accordance with the Scriptures.” Just as Eliakim was give authority over the post vacated by Shebna, in the same way that Isaiah prophesied that the government would be on the shoulders of the coming Messiah, in the same way that Christ himself addresses the church in Philadelphia and in the same way as in Daniel 7, the Kingdom of the Son of Man, the Messiah, is an everlasting kingdom with authority over all of creation because he is the “God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great God mighty and awesome,” (See Deuteronomy 10:17-18) who reigns forever and ever (See Exodus 15:18). That is our God! He is indeed an Awesome God In Three Persons who reign from Heaven above (↔ Music Link sung by the composer Rich Mullins!) and it is that Awesome God that gives us the Rock of Ages called The Church which is built upon the Rock of the Apostle Peter. Our Holy Triune God – who is the Rock of our Salvation – has used his authority to commission a sure and safe place in the tradition of the Psalms. You perhaps will recall this gem in Psalm 18:2 – 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. That is such an inspiring image!

When we think of inspirations, we often think of images like this one. For those of us who have music constantly playing in our heads, we might hear certain tunes going off: Here’s a great tune by Stewart Townend and Keith Getty and performed by Mercy Me: .In Christ Alone (↔ Music Link) And here is an old Gospel standard called On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.

Belovéd, in every aspect of life we have a safe place to stand and be sheltered from everything that can harm us. We stand in the cleft of the rock, and as God passes by, we feel the Glory of the Lord around us and know that our foundation is solid! Christ has passed the badge of authority to The Church, and through that foundation, all who live in Christ are standing on solid ground.

 Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

  • Share-A-Prayer
    Pray for our nation and its citizens
  • Pray for leaders throughout the world and all of those in authority that they might govern with compassion, morality, integrity, wisdom, and justice so that we can all live together in peace.
  • Pray for the sick
  • Pray for the dying
  • Pray for the suffering souls in Yemen and all other places of oppression, disease, and famine
  • Pray for the souls tormented by addiction
  • Pray for those suffering religious or social persecution
  • Pray for each other
  • Pray for me as I pray for you

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

 

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