Aloha Friday Message – January 20, 2016 – Spread The Light

January 20, 2017

SMLP1703AFC012017 – The Light Spreads

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 9:2 – 2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea. There is certainly a need for more Light, True Light, these days (See 1 John 2:8). My Little Light is very important to me. These posts and messages are one way that I Let My Little Light Shine (↔ Music Link) I hope you, too, have a little light that you do not hide under a basket, but let it shine for all to see. There are many, many references to the Light in scripture. I want to give you just a smattering of what’s available there, and hope that you will – at the very least – use these links to feast on The Word. My greatest hope is that these passages will shed light INTO your heart, mind, and soul and thereby lead us to help spread the light. In this passage, Isaiah had in mind the circumstances for Israel under the very wicked king, Ahaz. He uses the image of light shining in the darkness to illustrate how God will overcome that shadow of evil. We know that, at the dawn, light will flood across our lives. Just as  surely, all who walk in darkness have seen the Great Light which shines brightly on “the valley of the shadow of death.” It is The Light of the World. “The Light of the World is Jesus” (↔ Music Link)

Let us begin with a follow-up to the passage from Isaiah. It’s from Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm.

Psalm 27:1 – 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is my light and my salvation.

That is true for me and for all who live in The Light of Christ. That light has come into the world and many have rejected it, preferring instead to skulk about in the Darkness. Some of those prowlers believe they have the light, but sometimes that is not the case. Reflect on what Paul said in  2 Corinthians 11:12-15. At the end of that passage he says, “ 14 And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.15 So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.“ This is why Paul took the Church in Corinth to task for failing to focus on the One True Light. We see that admonition in the verses before and after 1 Corinthians 1:12-13a – 12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ. Has Christ been divided?” In this passage “Cephas” is Κηφᾶς, (Kēphas) {kay-fas’} – the Aramaic word for “rock” – the name give to Peter by Our Lord Jesus. The divisions that have arisen in our “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church” have the effect of dimming and even extinguishing our Little Lights. It isn’t just the differences between Christian denominations, though, that keep us from sharing and spreading The Light. Our Light is also diminished by failing to “trim the wick” as it were. We are like a candle in that we are “wicked” (pronounced “wickt.”) ← Check it out!

When a candle wick or a lamp wick is not positioned or cared for properly, the light it sheds sputters and wavers. Without a wick, the fuel in the candle or lamp is useless. There’s no way to use it. Trimming the wick on a lamp, for example, is similar to what we need to do in our faith-life. We need to trim off what is no longer useful, that which does not contribute to the light produced. If we think of that as being sin, then we need to trim away the sin. We do that by repentance. After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus immediately began preaching. What was his opening message? We read about that first message here: Mark 1:15 – 15 … saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;  repent, and believe in the good news.” And also here: Matthew 4:17 – 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” What is the initial requirement for approaching the Kingdom of Heaven? Repentance is the entryway to The Kingdom. The Path to follow is to believe in the good news, the Gospel. The Light is in the Kingdom, and The Light is the Kingdom.  We are called to be in and of The Light: Matthew 5:16 – 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. We are called to Discipleship, to Stewardship, and to Community with, in, and through Jesus. We are to become the Servants of Christ. The Servants of Christ are indeed Many and Great (↔ Music Link) because we indeed all have a share in the Life of Christ if we but repent and believe the Good News. You are called; are you chosen?

Matthew 22:14 – 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. And who are those who are called? The lowly, the powerless, those who are abandoned and marginalized. And why are these called? 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 – 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” God calls all that is lowly, all that The World deems worthless, even things and persons that are – in The World’s eyes – so very worthless that they don’t even merit being acknowledged as existing. If we are hated or despised by The World, that is at least an acknowledgement that we exist. If The World, and all the evil in it, will not even acknowledge existence because of indifference, then in the ways of The World, we are less than nothing. By choosing what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, God opens himself to us and pulls us into the embrace of his Wisdom, his Glory, and his Grace. He deliberately calls and chooses what is foolish, weak, low (not righteous), and despised. The world counts such as nothing, but in God through Christ Jesus, all that is valued as “something” is turned to nothing and all that is “nothing” becomes superlative. We have been called because, in God’s view, we are everything he loves the most. How can we, how should we, how will we answer?

We can find a good clue on how to answer in one of the Messianic Psalms – Psalms that make predications about the Messiah. One such prediction is in Psalm 40:6-8. The psalmist’s messianic prophesy is that the Messiah will respond to God’s call thusly: “Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”

We see this kind of response in Isaiah 6:8c – “Here am I; send me!” as well as 1 Samuel 3:8 when Samuel thought Eli was calling him – “Here I am!” It is also in Genesis 22:1 – Abraham’s response when God called him to sacrifice Isaac as well his answer to Isaac when the lad asked him where were the wood and fire for the sacrifice. It was Jacob’s reply to the angel (Genesis 31:11), and later of Moses when God called him from the burning bush. Ananias (Acts 9:10) gave the same answer when God called him to go to Paul and heal his blindness. Remember when we said that “80% of the job is showing up.”? That’s what happens when you say, “Here I am, Send me!” Even better is what Eli told Samuel to say once he realized it was God calling Samuel (Samuel 3:9): “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” That, Belovéd, is when the wick get lit and The Light starts to shine in the darkness; and as The Light spreads, the Darkness recedes. There is a Day, not long off, when The Light will be so intense that it will be impossible to see anything other than Light. We can be so uplifted by saying Here I am Lord. I come to do your will. (↔ Music Link)That Cloud of Unknowing, in which God alone is the center of contemplation, is the destination for that Call to Servanthood which we hear now in our hearts. What will we say? What will we do? How will you, will I, will we spread the light until darkness fades and the Dawn yields to full day (Proverbs 4:18)? Keep looking! Find these: Acts 2:38-39 and John 6:44  Shall we emigrate from “a land of deep darkness” to him “alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16)? Listen, he is calling out to us, Whom shall I send? Answer! Spread the Light!

UnapprochableLight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in closing, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 – 11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us go there together, Belovéd, to that City of Light described in Revelation 21:23 – 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

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

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

 

Aloha Friday Message – January 13, 2017 – I declare!

January 13, 2017

1702AFC011317 – I declare!

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!

John 1:32-34 – 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

 

dove jesusholyspirtdove

 

Good morning, Belovéd! This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice in be glad in it! Today we are going to look at occasions in which Jesus was recognized as Messiah, and specifically at those declarations early on in his ministry. This one may test your patience a bit because there are so many (!) Scripture links. If you use them, though, I promise you that you will not regret it. Let’s get started then.

We begin of course with the Annunciation in Luke 1:31-32 – 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. The Archangel Gabriel (“God is my strength”) brings this message from God that Mary’s child will be called the Son of the Most High – El Elyon עֶלְיוֹן (elyown) {el-yone’} (El, God; Elyon, Most High). This name for God goes back to Abram’s meeting with the King of Salem and the Priest of God, Melchizedek. (See Genesis 14:19-20). This was before God appeared to Abram (See Genesis 17:1) and identified himself as El Shaddai – God Almighty. Mary probably would have known that story (remember she was just a teenager), and would have recognized that name – El Elyon. Her Son would be the Son of the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. That’s a lot to take in!

Later, we heard a hint of that Sonship from Jesus himself when he stays behind at the Temple to sit among the teachers asking questions. When his parents asked him “Why did you do this to us?” his reply was “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (See Luke 2:49) He declared himself to be the Son of the Father. That’s the last we hear of his early life. We next see him with John who is baptizing on the east bank of the Jordan near Bethabara (House of/at the Ford). Jesus asks John to baptize him as well because “it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” (See Matthew 3:15) You will recall that on that occasion three amazing things took place. [1] Jesus was “baptized unto repentance” (John’s mission), [2] The Holy Spirit descended like a dove onto Jesus, and [3]  “a voice from heaven” – God the Father – said “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (See also Psalm 2:7) God himself named Jesus as his Son.

Somewhat later, John the Baptist testified about Jesus again – which occurred just before the reference verse for today’s post – saying “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This scripture is included in every Eucharistic prayer. John declares that Jesus is the supreme, absolutely perfect sacrificial Lamb to be offered up to God as atonement – both punishment and expiation (reparation or payment – See Hebrews 9:28 and 1 Peter 2:22-26) – for our sins and “for the sins of many.” (See Matthew 26:26 and Mark 14:24). That scriptural reference to The Lamb of God which we hear in the Eucharistic Prayer is followed by a response from the assembly saying, “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.” This prayer, of course, addresses Jesus’ Real Presence at the Altar. In it, we declare that he is The Lamb of God – the Messiah, the Christ of God.

All these declarations of Jesus’ divinity – in both Old and New Testaments – point to his origin (John the Baptist said, “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.”) as God’s only begotten Son. When we declare that truth, we join the eminent company of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Priests, and Saints who have gone before us making the same declaration: “Jesus Christ is LORD.” (See Philippians 2:5-11) The Disciple and Apostle, John, said that Jesus was The Word (Logos) through which and by which Creation was Spoken as the Spirit moved across the face of the deep (See Genesis 1:1-2 and John 1:1-12) The Apostle John also declared that Jesus is “The true light.” Jesus declared that he himself is “The Light of the world.” (See John 8:12 and John 9:5) The purpose of his coming was to give his life as payment for our sins – our sins. We can benefit from that sacrifice every time we give him our sins. How do we – how can we – just give him our sins so that he can take them away?

And why must we give them? He cannot reach into us and pull them out of the depths of our hearts. We have to “repent, and believe in the good news.”  (See Mark 1:14-15) That was Jesus’ first declaration as he began his ministry right after John the Baptist was arrested. This same passage tells us that the Good News – the Gospel – is that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.” The Darkness that blinded all earthlings for millennia was being displaced by The Light; but some still loved the darkness and feared The Light. They preferred the lies of the Prince of the Air to the Truth of The Prince of Peace.

Just as Satan always uses lies to try to convince us that God does not love us and has not forgiven us, and cannot forgive us still, for our sins; so too does Satan lie to us trying to convince us that we have not forgiven and cannot forgive ourselves and others who have wronged us. Satan places in our hearts and minds the appearance of doubt, anger, and resentment which seems like the desire for vengeance. Yet, we know that if we have placed our intention for forgiving in Jesus’ nail-pierced hands, he has made that forgiveness complete. Therefore, after having done this, if we find old hurts resurfacing and disrupting our Peace, we should banish those thoughts by commanding Satan to leave us and then reconfirm the original intention and moment of forgiveness. We need to voluntarily and intentionally step out of the confusion and fear of Darkness and declare our commitment to going into the certainty and Peace of  The Light. We can easily understand why children are afraid of the dark, but as adults we think such fear is foolish. Being afraid of the Darkness, however, is not foolish nor is it hard to understand. What is difficult to understand, though, is that many grown men and women are afraid of being in The Light. They are afraid to repent and believe the Gospel. They are lost in the Darkness.

If you are lost in the woods, the best way out is THROUGH THE WOODS. The same applies to being lost in the desert. If lost at sea, you must go OVER the sea. We must go through or over our troubles, our sense of being lost. Scottie isn’t going to beam us up, and neither is God. We can’t expect some magical teleportation out of the forest or look for the branches to show us an open path. We must rely on God’s Wisdom, declared to us in Scripture, as our guide and, in confidence and peace, walk right through to the OTHER SIDE. Just put “your hand in the hand” (↔ Music Link) of the One whom God himself declared to be his Son. In doing so, you yourself declare that he, Jesus, is the Christ of God, the son of El Elyon, the Mighty One known as El Shaddai. I declare that “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” I lay all my sins and even my temptations at his feet. I surrender all (↔ Music Link) to Jesus and declare “Jesus Christ is Lord!” Please, let’s all do that today; in this present darkness (See Ephesians 6:12), let us declare, proclaim, and posses our place in The Light.

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

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

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – January 6, 2017 – Showing Up

January 6, 2017

1701AFC010817 – Showing Up

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!

Matthew 2:2 – In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

¡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!)

“80% of the job is showing up.”

That’s what we’ve told employees, musicians, teachers, students, and church-goes for years and years. We can’t get the job done, we can’t contribute, and we can’t get the benefits if we don’t show up. Why is that? Because that’s the way God intended it to be. “Oh come on!” you say, “God never said anything like that!” Well, there’s another expression that covers it. “What we do says who we are. Actions speak louder than words.” When God sends people, they show up. When God calls people, they show up. When God blesses people, they show up. When God saves people, they show up – forever! How do we know? We can look at the action God takes when he shows up.

God called Abram from Ur and sent him to Canaan. Abram showed up and became Abraham. God called Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They showed up, and Nebuchadnezzar got shown up. God called Elijah and he showed up; so did Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Joel, Samson, Samuel, Joshua, Moses, Mary and Joseph, Jesus, Peter and Andrew, Phillip and Nathanael, James and John, Paul and Silas and Timothy and Barnabas – they were all called, and they all showed up. They answered the call. And, Brothers and Sisters, did they ever answer the call!! This Sunday we will hear once again the Story of the Magi and the Epiphany of Jesus. The magi were called, and they showed up, too; it was quite a trip for them. Let’s see what we can learn about what God has in mind when he calls us to show up. One of the first things we see is that when we are called, we are sent. HUH?

When God calls us, he has expectations. He doesn’t call us to come and sit by him during lunch. He calls us to do something, usually something important, and he expects us to show up. Just like members of a band, or a team, or an army, there is a purpose to being called. We are called to ACT, to go and do something. We’ve heard this one: Don’t just stand there. DO something! In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us: “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” In this case the “something” we are to do is to “stand firm.” We must definitely show up to do that! God called the Magi, and they heeded the call. So who were they anyway?

The short answer: No one knows. We don’t even know how many showed up; we surmise there were three because there were “three gifts,” but that does not conclusively show us there were three persons. Tradition sometimes refers to them as the Three Kings, but there is no evidence that they were kings, either. The Magi were descendants of a sect in ancient Persia and Babylon. That sect was severely repressed by Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who is credited with ending the Babylonian Captivity. Their religion was very closely related to the ancient Zoroastrian Religion as described in the Avesta. The Magi are sometimes referred to as sorcerers, but in fact sorcery was strictly forbidden in their sect. They had an advanced and detailed knowledge of astrology and divination, but – despite the appearance of the name “MAGI,” they were not users of “magic.” It was through the use of astrology that they took note of the “star, rising in the east.” Did the star rise in the east, or were they in the east when they saw it? Again, we don’t know, but we do know that they were gentiles, i.e., not Jews because they did not say “Where is our newborn king?” They said, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” God’s plan, apparently, was to show the world from the earliest days in the life of Jesus that the Gentiles were also called to Salvation in the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was expected, but his arrival was not in an expected way. The World expected something showier, more grandiose – certainly not a squirming baby born to a poor, young couple from Northern Israel and birthed in a stable. And who was called first to adore him? Shepherds – the lowest of the low in that society.

Jesus&MagiThe arrival of the Magi is recounted only in the Gospel of Matthew. In our “Nativity Scenes,” we often have three sumptuously-dressed men who are obviously foreigners standing near the manger where the infant is “wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” Didn’t happen. Jesus was probably three or four years old when they showed up. The story in Matthew says, “and upon entering the house, ….” No stable, no manger, no shepherds, just Mary and the Baby in the house; Joseph was perhaps at work at the time. We don’t know why he isn’t mentioned. We do know that the Magi, “The Three Wise Men,” showed up when God expected them to show up, did what they were supposed to do, got out of town secretly because God called them to avoid Herod, and later – when Herod realized he’d been duped – he decided to wipe out all the toddlers in and around Bethlehem – the End of Innocents. In Jeremiah 31:15, Jeremiah prophesied those murderous events when the Innocents died to “protect” Herod’s throne. (See also Genesis 30:1)

But there is another idea to grasp here, something more than “showing up,” more like “showing out.” It is the word Epiphany. We use this word when we describe an instance where – without cause or warning – there is a sudden shift, a new paradigm, in understanding which often proceeds from something ordinary happening but which brings new insights. The coming of the Magi is referred to as “an epiphany.” This arises from a Greek word, epiphaneia. It is the sudden appearance of someone or something unexpected. We could think of the visit of the Magi as an epiphany, indeed the Feast of the Epiphany – January 6th, is a day celebrated by Christians around the world. In addition, there was an epiphany when Jesus was baptized by john – God showed us his Son with whom he was well-pleased. In a way, the Transfiguration was an epiphany because the Disciples present realized something about Jesus he had not told them and they had not seen previously. We have “epiphany moments” when suddenly we see or understand that something we took for ordinary is actually extraordinary.

And so it came to pass that the prophecy of Jeremiah had been fulfilled in the actions of Herod. The life of the child Jesus was spared because Herod could be reasonably certain he had “solved” his problem. All the pieces of all the prophecies about the Messiah would eventually fall into place until Jesus showed up for and endured his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Every year, we will remember his Epiphany – the revelation to the world that Jesus is the human Son of God. In the Western churches, that would be the day the Magi (representing the gentiles) visited Jesus. In the Eastern Rite Churches, that would be the day John baptized Jesus in the Jordan at which time God proclaimed him to be his own Son. Whichever event you had in your heart and mind on January 6th, remember that the Messiah has been revealed to you in Scripture, and in your day-to-day life. You have the opportunity to reveal him to others in your own life. All you have to do is show up and tell them what you know; you can bring them an Epiphany. You can be the light that guides them. How? Show them the light that is in you, and ask them to show up for Jesus.

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

PRAISE REPORT:

Thank you for your prayers for RC. He has “turned the corner,” and made progress toward recovery. Family and friends express their gratitude for your prayerful support. Please continue to remember AW, also making progress in his recovery. Please add JE who is dealing with another rampant infection and much pain along with it as well as KT who is hoping for a surgical intervention for her broken vertebrae, soon.

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 – December 30, 2016 – Men, Ministers, and Messengers

December 30, 2016

1653AFC123016 – Men, Ministers, and Messengers

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!  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!)

On this Sixth Day of Christmas, I cannot give to you
Six geese a-laying, nor Five golden rings, nor
Four calling birds, nor three French hens, nor
Two turtle doves, much less a
Partridge in a pear tree.
However, I can give you this – kind of a long (and very familiar) passage, but one that holds some real gems.

Luke 2:8-20 – 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,  praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
5 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

ShepherdsAngels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this passage we have men – shepherds, who are visited by angels – messengers, and men and angels together minister to – watch and serve, “a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” We hear this passage often, and we love the idea of God’s messengers saying, “peace, good will toward men.” Or “peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Or “on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Or, well, just take a look at this link for Luke 2:14, and you will see that there are quite a few ways to look at this idea. Historically, the period in which Jesus was born was indeed a time of World Peace – at least for Rome. It is referred to as the Pax Romana – a time of virtual permanence of peace and tranquility across the Roman Empire that lasted for about 200 years in all, and it began with Caesar Augustus, who had decreed that “that all the world should be registered” (See Luke 2:1-5). However you read the passage about who will be the beneficiaries of God’s Good New of Peace, the gist of it is that Peace would be for humanity – all the earthlings for whom God intended this blessing. And it was in this way that the saga of Emmanuel began to take shape in a tiny town in Judea.

On Sunday, January 1, 2017 millions of people around the world will be remembering that young virgin who gave birth to the Messiah in a stable, wrapped him in comforting layers of cloth, laid him in the straw in a feed trough to keep him warm, and marveled as shepherds journeyed  in from the surrounding countryside exulting and proclaiming the words of a multitude of angels. One of the most famous modern Christmas songs, lyrics written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene, was featured recently in a recording by the Pentatonix (↔ Music Link)  So, let’s try a little “Reader did you know” with this passage.

Reader, did you know that ~~
The Latin word for shepherd is Pastore and is the Latin root word for your term “Pastor?”
The Greek word for shepherd is διακονέω (diakoneó) { dee-ak-on-eh’-o} which means actively serve, is the equivalent of Pastor, and is the root for our term “Deacon?”

The shepherds in the fields were there because the sheep they were watching, called “broad-tail sheep.” These critters often “lambed” in autumn and winter, so the shepherds were keeping watch over them just in case there was trouble with births – or predators! Did you know?

The men who were visited by messengers were also “pastors” in that they cared for the flock (as we Christians often refer to our church members these days).
The group of angles was referred to as “a multitude.” The root word for that Latin word is from Greek plethore and plethein, meaning “full” – there was a plethora of angels; the sky was full of them. Did you know a multitude can be counted, but a myriad cannot?

A multitude is different from a myriad. The word myriad means countless, innumerable, great multitude, host, massive number, a thousand thousands. Here’s an example:

Daniel 7:10 – 10 A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 10,000 X 10,000 – וְרִבּ֥וֹ (wə-rib-bōw) {we-ri-bow’} = Myriads upon myriads – an indefinable number over 100,000,000 i.e., more than can be counted. Do you ever experience myriads?

Revelation 5:11 – 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands … Myriads μυριάδες (myriades) { my-ri-á-des}
The name Bethlehem is literally “The House of Bread.” לָֽחֶם׃ בֵּ֥ית, and the Bread of Life chose there to be born?

The name Mary is the Greek form of the name Miriam? One of the meanings of that name is rebellion or rebellious woman?  Did you realize that Peace on Earth became possible when Rebellion answered Obedience and said “Let it be done unto me according to your will?”

As we approach the beginning of the New Year and simultaneously close the Octave of Christmas, let us all remember that the Angel of the Lord said, ““Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. (↔ Music Link X 2!!)

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

Please continue your prayers for RC who had surgery Wednesday, and for AW recuperating from a painful fall. Also, you have seen Terrific Tuesday posts credited to “MBN member ET in Alamogordo NM.” ET write about his wife, KT: “X-rays of her spine were taken here in Alamogordo a couple weeks ago. The doctor looked at the report and found she has a fractured vertebra – her back is broken — again. This is the ninth fracture she has had in her adult life, and the second time she’s had broken vertebrae. Please keep her in your prayers for the next several weeks as she heals. They had to double her pain medication.”

In this New Year let us love one another even as Christ has loved us. (See John 15:12-14)

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 – December 23, 2016 – 47th Christmas Letter

December 23, 2016

 

The Todd Family 47th Annual Christmas Border Letter

NativityStory(↔ Music Link)

¡Que la bendicion este siempre con ustedes y que Dios los bendiga, Amados! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Beloved!) It’s been quite a year, this 2016. So much has happened, but not much of it happened to us. Crucita and I have been working very hard at continuing our “quietly retired” routine. Except it’s not so quiet and not so retired

Crucita has been busy with two Retired Teachers organizations. She’s been the Vice-President of one and an active participant in another. Best of all, though, she’s been substitute teaching at our Parish’s St. Catherine of Alexandria School. She’s subbed grades 1-12; so far she’s not subbed for the  Kindergarten. Too many really-tiny people! She loves the kids and they sure do love her. If the 4th graders see her, they ask if she’s subbing for their class. If she is subbing for the 2nd graders, the 4th graders are all sad; if one teacher calls her to come in and another teacher has already booked her, the kids and the teacher are all sad.

We both stay busy with our commitments to our Parish. It is a great joy in our lives to be in such a wonderful Parish where we have many friends and plenty to do. The best job in the parish -for both of us -is teaching the Rite of Christian Initiation classes. This year we have eight children enrolled!! Chick is still Chair of the Pastoral Council. That will allegedly end on April 15, 2017. The council has gotten a lot of important work done that has helped put the Parish in a leadership role in the Diocese. He’s still working 16 hours a week, but that, too, is coming to an end 12/31/16. From that point forward, he will work as a consultant on a contractual basis. Even working 16 hours a week has been difficult, so we are both looking forward to a lighter schedule soon. ‘

We’ve thought about moving to the Mainland, but the Lord has work for us to do here. Somehow we’re still making the bills and buying the groceries (as is evidenced by certain physical changes). After the first of the year, we hope to start up an exercise program in the gym -which is in our basement! We are hoping for a big burst of will-power to get that started. (Heh-heh-heh-heh-heeeeeeehhhhh!)

Both of us have some health issues to deal with, and that makes taking care of the house, the yard, and the finances a little more complicated. Nothing hugely serious, but certainly we are noticing that being old is not a heckuva lot of fun. Getting older was OK, but being old … exists at negative pressure to the rest of the universe, For Chick, travel is pretty much out of the question, and that’s rough on Crucita who would enjoy living out our dream of hitting the road and seeing America. Perhaps if the exercise works out well, that will become possible.

Tim is still working in New Orleans and doing pretty well as a street musician. He and his girlfriend, Rhianna, have worked together well to keep their life together a success. Cherie is in Loudon, TN working at a nice seafood restaurant there. Both of them communicate regularly via phone or Facebook. Chick and Crucita both have Facebook accounts. Come look us up.

We also hope you’ve come visit here if you can, and of course we want everyone to go to Chick’s blog – The Moon Beam Network at https://aloha-friday.org.

To sum it up, we’re doing pretty well, and still crazy in love. We’ll close with our traditional

Christmas Blessing:

May Hope and Peace and Joy and Love
Be yours in the coming of the Christ Child!

Hope Peace Love Joy

Hope Peace Love Joy

 

Aloha Friday Message – December 16, 2016 – Here’s yer sign!

December 16, 2016

1651AFC121616 – Here’s yer sign!

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 7:14b – Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~ Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.

Matthew 1:19-23 – 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”

 

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou ʻŌmea! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Belovéd! It’s a little early – I’ll probably tell you that again soon – but it never hurts to start early this time of year. It seems like the hedonists have decided they should get a jump on the competition by having “Black Friday” up to a month in advance and then run all month long. It’s not so important to remember the meaning of Christmas; what’s important is to make the first sale. There is just such an unprecedented, huge, disgusting tidal wave of Worldly distractions this year! There are still those among us who cling tenaciously to the Spirit of Christmas – not to the exclusion of concurrent celebratory events like parties, skits, gift-giving, caroling, alms, and church-going – but really it’s almost as bad as when Ahaz got that prophecy about the Virgin. Do you remember Ahaz? Let me tell you a little about him.

Ahaz was a king of Judah. He was a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied against four Judean Kings – Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Of these, Ahaz was the wickedest one of them all. Sometimes people get him mixed up with AHAB who was a king of Israel and was the husband of Queen Jezebel. Ahab was a corker, that’s to be sure, and he did a lot of evil things. He was active during the time of Elijah – the middle of the 800’s B.C. Ahaz, on the other hand, lived during the time of Isaiah – around the middle of the 700’s B.C., or around 100 years later than Ahab. Here’s the introduction he got in 2nd Kings:

2 Kings 16:1-4 – 1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, King Ahaz son of Jotham of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even made his son pass through fire, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

He reigned for about 16 years. That phrase, “ He even made his son pass through fire.. ” indicates that his male infant was sacrificed to Moloch by being burned alive on a white-hot iron idol of the false God Moloch. He took up the practices of the Peoples surrounding him and forsook the God of Israel. He abused and desecrated the temple and its sacred vessels and candle stands. He erected a profane altar to Syrian and Ammonite gods. Because of the evil he did, his kingdom was subjugated by the Assyrians. And yet, it was to Ahaz that the prophecy of the birth of Jesus was made. He tried to get out of hearing it by protesting “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” It was way too late for that! (See Isaiah 7:10-14)

And so it was that centuries later, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would play a significant role in the birth of the Son of God, Emmanuel.

Wait a minute. The prophecy says “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” So why did she name him Jesus? Ah, the key to that riddle is in this little word call. (See Matthew 1:19-25) This verb is קָרָא (qara) { kaw-raw’} and it does not mean the same as the verb name. In this case, and in many other places in the Bible, “call” does not mean to name but rather to proclaim. It names a characteristic or characteristics of a person, place, or thing. Adam “called her woman because she came from man.” Her name was not “woman;” that was what she was proclaimed to be. “God called the dry land earth;” that was its nature and eventually became its name. “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve because she was mother of all the living.” We can see, then, that Jesus was called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel (also spelled Immanuel), the Messiah, the Christ, and the Anointed of God – but his name was Jesus – YEHOSHUA. He got that name from Joseph: Matthew 1:25b – and he named him Jesus.

Despite all of the wickedness Ahaz did in his life, it was he to whom the prophet Isaiah gave the news of a Savior of whom the Herald Angels would sing, “which is Christ the LORD.” That can be a source of hope and solace for us in these evil times when Satan has such a grip on the whole world. God can go into the dark and dismal hearts and minds around us and make everything bright and joyful. How can God to that? Because he is called Emmanuel, the Promised of Ages, the King of Glory, the Morning Star, God of Peace, Author of Life, Our Refuge, Our Strength, Our Rock, Our Salvation, The Good Shepherd, The Holy Infant, The King of kings and the Lord of lords, The Eternal, The Everlasting, The Almighty, The Dawn of Justice, The Branch from the Root of Jesse, Son of the Virgin Mary and The Only Begotten Son of God, Lover of All Mankind, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and his name is Jesus, the Christ of God. And he is here. Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ – Come Lord! Our Lord has come! Just look for his sign in your heart. It’s the bright and joyful area right over there.

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

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

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – December 9, 2016 – Advent 3

December 9, 2016

1650AFC120916 – Rejoice already!

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!

Philippians 4:4-6 – 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Isaiah 35:1-2 – The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

Psalm 118:22-24 – 22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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!) ʻO kēia nō ka lā a Iēhova i hana ai, E hauʻoli kākou, a e leʻaleʻa i laila. HALELŪ CXVIII.XXIV BAIBALA HEMOLELE

This is the day!!  (↔ Music Link)!!

This is advent, four weeks of preparation for the Coming of The Christ Child. The liturgical color is violet, a color connoting reflection, penance, waiting, a period of preparation. On what should we reflect? What need is there for penance? For what or for whom are we waiting? What is the point of all this preparation? The answers to all these questions is a single word: Emmanuel – אֵֽל׃עִמָּ֥נוּ – ‘im-mā-nū ’êl – “With us is God.”

Remember we recently looked into why the roads were made straight, the mountains leveled, and the valleys filled? That’s because Emmanuel is coming, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. (See 1 Timothy 6:12-15 and Revelation 19:16 – seriously, look them up) Isn’t that something? God is coming to us. Talk about A-MAZ-ING!! What if your Pastor started your church service Sunday morning by saying, “I want everyone here to be on your best behavior today because we are expecting a Very Special Guest. In just a few minutes, this person will be right here with us; in fact, he is already among us, but you may not have recognized him. He looks and sounds just like us, but he’s not from around here. No, he’s from someplace far, far away and more splendorous than the most beautiful places on Earth. Brothers and Sisters, lift up your hearts and hands and voices to welcome ….. (drum roll and trumpet fanfare) ….

Well, who do you think is coming? The corner stone the builders rejected. Yes,! So, don’t worry about anything because even the deserts and the mountains and the seas and all the People of the Earth are going to be glad. We don’t want to miss out on that!

Jesus! Yes, that is the Very Special Guest coming – not just this Christmas, but every single day – every hour, every minute, every second, every MOMENT – of every day. He is coming to bring us God’s LOVE. He is coming to bring us redemption. He is coming to bring us forgiveness. He is coming to give us salvation. He is coming to be one of us so that we can learn to live as God created us to live. He is coming to be our friend, or brother, our personal Savior – not just this Christmas, but every single day – every hour, every minute, every second, every MOMENT – of every day. So, let’s lift up our hearts, our hands, and our voices to welcome The King of Glory and let us do so REJOICING.

That is such a great word – REJOICE. When I hear it I hear it as re-joys as in joys again, and again, and again. One of the best JOY words around is Halleluiah and it’s alternative Alleluia. We are to be an Alleluia People! What does that word mean? It means GOD BE PRAISED. We used to sing a song about that. (↔ Music Link) We’d be divided into two groups – boys and girls, left-side and right-side, children and adults – and on the Halleluiah phrases one group would stand. When Praise ye the Lord came up the Halleluiah group sat down and the second group stood up. There was a lot of “jumping up and down.” Rejoicing is like that. It’s just being so happy that we simply can’t sit still. (↔ Music Link)

Yes, we are called to be an Alleluia People – a people always rejoicing. We can live like that in the Spirit. The Spirit in us helps prepare our hearts for his gifts- and there are way more than seven! In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he described what it is like to be constantly rejoicing in God. He said, “… be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It’s that attitude of gratitude that is the foundation of the stewardship of all of God’s gifts – including the gift of rejoicing. There are quite a number of words in the scriptures that are translated a joy or rejoice (-ing). Here are just a few of them:

Samah – שָׂמַ֖ח – Jubilant, spontaneous dancing, signing (simhach) – 1 Chronicles 29:9
Alaz – עָלַז – Exult – Burst into leaping with joy – Habakkuk 3:17-18
Nagilah – נָגִ֖ילָה – Let us rejoice – Psalm 118:4
Euphraino – εὐφραίνω – To gladden the mind – Revelation 12:12
Kauchaomai – καυχάομαι – Glory in success and boast against – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Sunchairo – a συγχαίρω – Rejoicing together, with others – Luke 15:6
Agalliao – ἀγαλλιάω – Rejoice Greatly, to exult; jump for joy – Revelation 19:6-8
Chairo – χαίρω – Rejoicing over experiencing God’s Grace; be glad in the Lord – Luke 15:32

There is so much JOY to be found in The Holy Spirit! We know about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. All of the things mentioned as the fruit of the spirit are things that make us happy. We can find them in Galatians 5:22-23 – The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Love is service and sacrifice.
Joy is balance at the center of the soul.
Peace is good order.
Patience is the ability to endure whatever comes.
Kindness is attentive regard for the other.
Generosity is the habitual disposition to share.
Gentleness is courageous respect for other.
Self-Control is a voluntary check on the appetite for success.

We’ve also explored the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Faith
The Gift of Healing
The Working of Miracles
The Discerning of Spirits
Different Kinds of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues

We have this fruit and these gifts to help us learn to be happy – to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS! It’s important to remember what it takes to be happy, to be always ready to rejoice. We just have to remember the six simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred.     2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less. 6. Share the Joy as you pass The Word along. Joy isn’t completely fulfilled until it is shared. We can rejoice alone – and this often happens when rejoicing in the Spirit – but when there is someone to rejoice with us … that is really REJOICING. Now, imagine rejoicing with Jesus – in our houses, in our churches, in our cars, in our hearts – ALL THE TIME!!!

What if we don’t feel like rejoicing? What if life is just so hard that all  can do is shout in pain and not shout for joy? How can we change that? How do we start over? No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. There’s three things to rejoice about right there that we already have. The cool thing about rejoicing is that one we start rejoicing, more rejoicing comes. It’s almost kinda like getting the giggles – it’s hard to stop once we get started.

Why all this carrying-on about rejoicing? This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday in Advent. It is often called “Gaudete Sunday” (gow-DEH-teh). The Introit (the Entrance Verse) for Gaudete Sunday is taken from Philippians 4:4,5: “Gaudete in Domino semper” (“Rejoice in the Lord always”). On this Sunday, the Vestments can be rose-colored (not “pink”) rather than purple as is usual during a penitential season (Lent and Advent). The rose color reminds us that we have passed the midpoint of the season and things are brightening up  as is indicated by the entrance (Introit) verse which begins with, “REJOICE!” Rejoice with one another, Beloved. Pray for, with, and about one another. Remember what He said: “Whatever you do to the least of these…” and “I AM coming tomorrow.” I want him to find us REJOICING! Now, get up and shout HALLELUIAH!! ALLELUIA!!

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

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

Aloha Friday Message – December 2, 2016 – 2nd Advent 2016

December 2, 2016

1649AFC120216 – 2nd Advent

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 11:1 – A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

Matthew 3:7-10 – 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor;’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Advent is progressing. The stores and online shopping sites are bulging with stuff, enticing us to be indulgent and buy it for family, friends, coworkers, and – of course – for ourselves. We want what we want when we want it which is now. So much is going on! Amid the Holiday Rush we also have catastrophes in nature, unspeakable acts of violence and hate, corruption in every high and low place, and somehow – in all the ruckus and racket – a voice is heard saying Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ – Come Lord! Our Lord has come! That, as we like to say, is “the reason for the season.” Some folks – including the President-Elect – announce, “It’s OK to say to me, ‘Merry Christmas.'” Some grouse about the commercialization of a religious holiday. Some of the same people brave the surging tides of shoppers on Black Friday which has now become a weeks-long event. There are 75-foot tall Christmas trees decorated with thousands of lights and ornaments. Some neighborhoods are lit up like a Las Vegas Casino with all kinds of colorful, often noisy and expensive displays of elves and reindeer, snowmen and candy canes, and even a laser projector tracing patterns on the wall of the house. Department store windows are filled with animatronics and “once-in-a-lifetime bargains.” Underneath and above and woven all through that in threads as thin as fine silk, we catch snatches of tunes about Bethlehem, angels, shepherds, and a young Jewish couple sleeping in a cave full of livestock where The Reason for the Season was born.

Where is the voice that cries out in the wilderness? What can or should we do to better hear that voice? And where do we need to be or go so that we, too, can see the Infant who is the Prince of Peace? Come to think of it, that all happened 2,000 or so years ago. Why are we waiting for his coming and celebrating his birthday? If “Advent” means the coming of someone or something important, what in the world are we waiting for anyway? To answer that, we need to go back about 700 years to the prophet Isaiah. You may remember hearing our opening topic-verse:

Isaiah 11:1 – A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

If you follow the link there, you’ll be whisked away to March 14, 2014 where there are additional details about this verse. In part, you will learn that olive trees can live to be hundreds of years old. As they age they become more gnarled and even hollow, but they still produce fruit – good fruit! Eventually, though, a tree stops producing fruit, and is cut down. The stump is left. The extensive root system that formerly feed the ancient tree is still in the earth. It continues to feed the wood in the stump. With careful attention, the stump can send forth a shoot that grows to be a new olive tree. It is tender and fragile like any sapling, but it has a tremendous advantage – an extensive, well-established, efficient root system! The sapling can be easily broken off or munched by an animal, but if the one who tends the grove takes care of the shoot – it grows and produces excellent fruit often in greater quantity than before. That is Isaiah’s message. God is saying, “I’m going to cultivate a new tree from the roots of the old, and the new tree will give you everything the old one did and even more.

olivetree_nazvillage_fjenkins_043010_140tThis image used by Isaiah was something the people of Israel understood clearly. Isaiah’s poetry was largely a commentary on the historical changes in the nation during his life – the wars, the intrigue, the failures of leadership, and the eventual defeat of Israel’s enemies. A significant feature of that victory for Israel would be a victory for the whole world – even for the gentiles who had been their enemies. It would be the fulfillment of the covenant-prophesy of salvation: The Messiah. Isaiah’s message kept coming back to the coming of the Messiah. We hear much from his beautiful prophecies during Advent Season. Another very familiar passage is in chapter 40.

A Voice Cries out in the Wilderness (↔ Music Link)

Isaiah 40:3-5 – 3 A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Once again, Isaiah is using figurative language that would resonate with the Israelites years later when Babylonia’s armies swept in and carried of tens-of-thousands away from Jerusalem and Judea as the beginning of The Babylonian Captivity. Why would he talk about leveling mountains and filling in valleys? Is that what the Israelites had to do to get back home? In a way, yes, they needed to prepare the way, but not in a physical sense. Here’s the “back story.”

Whenever Kings and Princes in the “Fertile Crescent” and even farther eastward would march into new territories, they would send messengers and soldiers ahead to “iron things out.” Obstacles that would hinder travel or complicate the conquest were removed to make it easier for that ruler and his retinue to travel. People, places, and things were torn down or built up so that movement across the territory and its politics would be easier. Sometimes these were enormous engineering projects and were very impressive displays of power and wealth. Isaiah is telling the people that they need to prepare their hearts to welcome back the Lord. They have abandoned him, and he will allow Babylon to take them away from what he has provided for them. They must humble the proud and build up the lowly so that in every place and every heart, the Lord alone stands on level ground in their hearts and minds. Only he is above all else and all others. That is the message John the Baptist brought.

We read about John’s mission in Matthew 3:1-3. He is sent to help prepare the way for the King of kings and Lord of lords. The proud will be humbled and brought low, the meek and marginalized will be lifted up, wrong-thinking will be made right, and the violent will be gentled. In Matthew’s Gospel, we see how the “Keepers of The Law” reacted to this. They didn’t like it, not one bit. They didn’t realize that their misplaced self-confidence, nationalism and pride, and – worst of all – their hypocrisy were obstacles that had to be removed to “make straight the way of The Lord.” John told them that they would be cut down (like an old olive tree) if they didn’t start producing the good fruits of repentance. (Matthew 3:7-10)

Those fruits of repentance would lead them to their citizenship in the Kingdom of God. It would become for them the difference bringing holiness and happiness. They would be twice-born and constantly-borne. Belovéd, we have the same choice. Like them, we are pulled two ways; secular and sacred, commercialized and consecrated, pleasantness and prayerfulness, busy or blissful. Our hearts, minds, and spirits need to be evened out so that when The King of Glory Comes (↔ Music Link), there is no person, place, or thing that stands in the way of our rejoicing. We are waiting for The King to come to hearts humble and free; we are also waiting for his promised return when The Glory of The Lord will be revealed. We are waiting for the New Shoot to bear good and abundant fruit. Then, as or faith is deepened by knowledge and understanding of his Word, Wisdom will grow like a new shoot sprouting up from the ancient roots of the Faith God alone inspires, sustains, and blesses. Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ – Come Lord! Our Lord has come! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

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

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

 

Aloha Friday Message – November 25, 2016 – First Sunday of Advent

November 25, 2016

1648AFC112516 – 1st Advent 2016

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!

Matthew 24:42 – 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

GOOD MORNING! IT’S TIME TO RISE AND SHINE! (↔ Music Link)

¡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!) I begin today with a thank you to all the people who sent me birthday-greetings. I am finally as old as I have been feeling and behaving for 20+ years. Instead of “act your age,” I’m caught up to the point where my actions are “age appropriate.” As I told one well-wisher, “If you’re only as old as you feel, I just passed 107!” Next thing you know it will be my eleventy-first birthday. It brought to mind this moment so many years ago when actually being 70 seemed eons away: Old Friends (↔ Music Link).

You recall that I “retired” 12/31/13 and started working just 16 or so hours a week. This year on 12/31/16, I will cease that schedule and only occasionally get called up for consultations on this-n-that from my current employers who are also family in that Crucita and I are godparents to their two amazing daughters. All-in-all, it’s been a very good year. (↔ Music Link). I think the best part, so far, about being “retired” is being able to sleep. I can easily put in 10 hours. Time was that I was on call, working in the lab, going to school, raising kids, and active in our Parish and somehow got by on way less rest. I suppose that’s caught up with me now; but, I also recall learning to wake up almost instantly to take a call from the hospital, or comfort a crying child, or investigate an unfamiliar noise. I would be truly awake and ready with only a moment’s notice. Now it is not like that at all. It is so much easier to fall asleep – and sometimes even stay asleep. Falling asleep is something we just kind of slip into. One minute you’re watching TV or listening to the neighbor’s dog bark and next thing you know it’s the middle of the night the next time your open your eyes. There are situations in life, of course, where that kind of trusting abandonment of the activities of daily living is unwise.

When you are on sentry duty in the military, or driving cross-country, or waiting for the boarding call for a bus or plane, it’s bad form to fall asleep. Your obligation is to stay awake and be prepared, watchful, and ready to take action. It is precisely the same stance of readiness Jesus is admonishing us to take in our spiritual lives. There is a war going on all around us, and we are the objective of that war. As the Apostle Paul stated “12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Please use this link to see that in context:

Ephesians 6:10-20. One might be surprised by how many times Jesus told his Disciples – and us of course – to “stay awake.” Here are a few samples.

Matthew 24:42-44 – 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Mark 13:33-37 – 33 Beware, keep alert [and pray]; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Matthew 26:41 – 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 13:33 – 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.

Mark 14:38 – 38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Most of these apply to times of crisis. You probably recognize some of them as being excerpts from The Agony in the Garden. (See Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46, and Mark 14:32-42.) Some of them are “eschatological” in nature – they are statements about the “end time” when The World is approaching Judgment Day and the end of life as we know it. Is Jesus’ warning us that we should watch the signs, the times, and the seasons so that we will know when “the end is near?” Actually no, he is not. He’s quite clear about the End of Everything. I recall some guy named Rev. Harold Camping loudly and widely predicted that Jesus was coming back on May 21, 2011. That was when The Rapture was to occur. We now know, of course, that he was incorrect (he was incorrect several times) because we are still here. Either Jesus did not return and take (as in gather up or being caught up) believers with him, or there are no worthy Christians to be raptured. We also know why he was incorrect:

Matthew 24:36 – 36 But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mark 13:32 – 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

We can watch for the signs Jesus told us about in the following verses – Matthew 24:3-8 – 3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” But why should we bother? First, we don’t know when any of that will be the beginning of the end because all of those things have been going on for literally tens of thousands of years. They get worse from time to time, and people proclaim “the end is near,” but (you’ve heard this recently) “it’s always good in the end so if it’s not good yet, it’s not the end.” We need to be awake for something else, something far more practical and immediate. We need to be on the watch for slipping away into sin in much the same way as we slip into sleep. We can just slide back into sin without even knowing it.

We know that term, “backslider.” Every one of us sinners knows that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of times (especially for we who are older) we have gone from an upright Christian posture as an active Christian, living an effective life in accordance with the Gospel to being face-down on the ground pleading for God’s mercy because we’ve slipped once again into those besetting sins that always are standing just outside the door, waiting to reclaim us. We are to be watchful, then, because Satan and his demons are always on the prowl, lurking about for the opportunity to ambush us and drag us back into sin. It seems that no matter how many times we repent, we are still easily tricked so very often that being watchful feels like a complete futility. If you, if I, if we feel like that, we are missing an important connection about why we must “stay awake.”

That connection is the connection between sin and eternal death. It is also the connection between holiness and eternal life. If the moment of Jesus’ return is – as he consistently tells us – so completely unknown, then we need to be prepared always for it to happen. There’s an old parenting question which Pastors often use: “If Jesus came back right this minute would you be happy or embarrassed about how you are living in this very moment?” Well, would I, would you be pleased for Jesus to see you and me after the way we’ve acted this week; this day; in the past hour; right this minute? Hmmm. If that makes you a little uncomfortable, good! You might just realize you’re not ready yet. You might just have just enough time to get to a couple of good deeds you have been postponing. You might have a few moments left to repent of the way you treat your neighbor or honor your Creator and Saviour. THAT is why you need to stay awake, to be vigilant, to be responsible for your spiritual state of being. It’s a pretty cool word in Greek: γρηγορεῖτε (grēgoreite) {gre-gor-ei‘-te} from γρηγορέω (grégoreó) {gray-gor-yoo’-o}  to be alert, awake, keep watch (4), keep watching, keeping alert, stay on the alert.

awakeIn Mark 13:33, we have another take on this idea of preparedness. He says Βλέπετε, ἀγρυπνεῖτε (Blepete, agrypneite). The first word has connotations meaning it carries what is seen  physically into the non-physical (immaterial) realm so a person can take the needed action (respond, beware, be alert). The second word is construed as no sleeping; (figuratively) staying vigilant (alert, attentive), i.e. without any unnecessary “down time.” You might remember the alleged catchphrase of Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody: “Constant Vigilance.” (It was never actually spoken by him in the series.) That is what Jesus expects of us – CONSTANT VIGILANCE with regard to our sinfulness as it relates to his return. Let us pray that at the moment of his return he will find us vigilant, prepared, our lamps full and lit, our hearts clean, and our souls eager and ready to be gathered up into Glory with him.

We close with this quote from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 – 1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.

Therefore Belovéd, live in the light and STAY AWAKE.

 

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

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

PS: Thank you for your prayers for MNK. Things seem to be better now!

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – November 18, 2016 – JESUS SAVES

November 18, 2016

1647AFC111816 – Jesus Saves

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!

JesusSaves

Luke 23:36-37 – 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

Colossians 1:13-14 – 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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!) We’ve all seen a sign like this one in the circle at the top of the page – at least something similar. Maybe it was a neon sign, even a flashing sign. Maybe it was a huge black and white sign by the side of the road, or a billboard. Perhaps you’ve seen it as a piece of jewelry, or even seen such a sign defaced by adding some other object – string, Green Stamps, or some other silliness. There is a hymn by that name – Jesus Saves. What does that mean, anyway? From whom or what or where does Jesus save? Who does Jesus save? Why does Jesus save? How does Jesus save?

We are so familiar with Bible passages like John 3:16-17. The key word in the passage is probably “whosoever” in John 3:16 which connects directly with “the whole world” in John 3:17. (Click on the link if you’re having difficulty visualizing or hearing that passage.) Sometimes our heads and even our hearts say, “Yeah, yeah, I know that part, but what else are you talking about? Doesn’t everyone know the answers to your questions?” We will see.

That passage in Luke – very familiar, yes? Jesus is dying on the cross. The Good Thief is promised passage into Paradise. Jesus is mocked by the crowd. They want to see him exercise his miraculous powers or witness His Father’s intervention. Jesus just keeps on doing what he’s doing (age quod agis) – dying a horrible death in absolute agony. He chooses – through an incredible act of will and faith – to allow God’s Love to hold him fastened to that cross. He will not let his Divine Power interfere with the Divine Plan. He will not save himself. Let’s dissect that word for “save” in this passage.

This word in Greek is σῶσον (sōson) {so’-zon} from σώζω (sózó) {sode’-zo}. It is to preserve, to rescue, to deliver someone in danger of destruction or from suffering. It is to keep safe or to bring to safety, to heal, to make whole, to sustain life. Jesus willingly gave up his life so that he and all of us – through adoption – could have everlasting life. Remember that he said in Matthew 16:25 – 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (See also Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, and Luke 17:33) Jesus knew what he was talking about because he was in the process of losing his life. Isn’t that what we are doing? “Life is our greatest treasure because it is given to us expressly for the purpose of losing it; and how we do that is what makes all the difference.”

Jesus knew exactly what he was doing – he had even told his Disciples at least three times what would happen to him in Jerusalem – and he went through with it anyway. “Greater love …” Even the people mocking him knew the claims Jesus made about his mission: Matthew 27:43 – 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”

In this verse from Matthew, there is a word which is sometimes considered synonymous with “save;” it is “deliver.” Here the background of the word is also interesting. It is ῥυσάσθω (rhysasthō) {roo’sas-tho} from ῥύομαι rhuomai rhoo’-om-ahee which means to rescue, to remove someone who is trapped in presence of danger or oppression, to be liberated entirely out of that danger and oppression and be delivered directly to the rescuer. It was let God deliver him now, if he wants to; that is a direct challenge to God’s authority.

The people who were torturing Jesus to death challenged him to save himself. We believe he chose not to do that because he was there to save us. He allowed Love to hold him on that Cross because he was committed to God’s Divine Plan to die for whosever in the whole world. Look around you right now, before you read another word. Is there any earthling within your view either in the place where you are reading this or on some form of mass media? Can you see or remember or envision other earthlings – good, bad, rich, poor, powerful, marginalized, widowed, orphaned, angry, evil, pious, saintly, political, humble, holy, self-righteous, laughing, crying, singing, dying – are any of those things happening to the people around you and even across the whole world?

Jesus came to die for you, for them, for us. That is who he came to save – the whole world. Are all saved? No. Only whosoever believes in him can be saved. But why would he do such a thing? You might as well ask, “Who created you?” Would you reply “God did?” Or would you reply, “Some unknown Force or Greater Power?” Either way, God or Force, the next question is “Why? Why did he create you?” It was because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

From whom or from what does Jesus save us? From sin and death for the wages of sin is death and whosoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life. Who wants that, anyway?!? If it means just going on like things are now … nobody. If it means living with God – El Shaddai-Olam – forever and ever … then it is all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. (See John 1:12)

Just so you don’t have to go back to the top of the previous page, remember this: Colossians 1:13-14 – 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Here is another save word in a different context – He has rescued us. Here we have a new twist on this idea. It comes from the Greek ἐξαιρούμενός (exaireo) {ex-ahee-reh’-o} from ἐξαιρέω (exaireó) {ex-ahee-reh’-o}. It is to selectively choose out one; to deliver, to remove, to rescue, to pluck from danger or destruction. We also have transferred. This is μετέστησεν metestēsen {metest-e’-sen} from μεθίστημι (methistémi) {meth-is’-tay-mee} and this is an amazing concept. This is to transpose, swap out; to remove from one place to another; of change of situation or place; it is even to depart from life, to die, move something or someone out of its/her/his place, to transfer, cause to change its place, move out of its place – this place of death under the power of darkness. Where do those who are saved go?

They go to unapproachable light: 1 Timothy 6:16 – 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. They go to Paradise. They go to be with God. That’s the place for which I’m charting my course. God has made his Salvation known, and it is not difficult to find.

Take a look at Acts 4:12 – 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. Here the word salvation is σωτηρία (soteria) {so-tay-ree’-ah}. You will recognize some of the synonyms: It is deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation; deliverance from the molestation of enemies (like Old Scratch himself!); it is everlasting life. We can all receive it, but there’s just one place to find it: John 14:6 – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So “who ya gonna call?” Not Ghost Busters. And none of these heroes either:

Heroes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is only one who has the power to save. Matthew 28:18 – 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me… “Would you like to know what that really means, what it really, really means?

Follow this link!

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

Please say prayers for hope, healing, and health for MNK whose life is in the hands of the Lord this week.

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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