Anyone Who Lives in Christ Is a New Creation (Proper 11B)

     Paul is explaining how things work in the unseen world (2 Cor. 5 6-17) The unseen or spiritual dimension is the theme of all the teachings in Pentecost. The Samuel Reading reminds us we are judged not by appearance but what is in our heart. Jesus’s parables of the seed growing unseen reminds us we are part of God’s order and process of creation, which is unseen, out of our control and is a lost spiritual truth in our time.

Pentecost: The Work of the Holy Spirit (Year B)

  

I had an Epiphany moment as I finished the finished the first draft of Recovering Truth, Freedom, and Democracy. I was explaining how the foundation of Judeo-Christian supernatural truths was deconstructed because they contradicted the false truths of extreme liberalism, feminism, and LGBTQ activists. Holy Spirit showed me what the seven lost truths were. The Seventh was “Holy Spirit as the continuing presence of Jesus”.

John 15.16-16.15 for Pentecost Sunday explains the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us see our sin and understand righteousness and divine judgement.

 

1. The Holy Spirits helps us see our sin (John 16.8)

Witnesses To the Resurrection (Easter 7B)

The Readings begin with the choosing of Matthias as a witness who has been with Jesus from the beginning. The First letter of John explains the importance of the testimony of God as a reliable witness who must be trusted. The Gospel Reading (John 17.6-11) is Jesus’ prayer for the Apostles protection as they go out into the world as witness to the Resurrection.

 

1. Witnesses Know Something Important and Special

Good Shepherd Models Sacrificial Love (Easter 4b)

“You Are Witnesses Of These Things” (Easter 3)

The Disciples are witnesses to an extraordinary event. They physically touch the Risen Jesus and see Him eat food. They are witnesses to the “resurrection of the body” - as we say in the Apostles Creed. You do not choose to be a witness. You are a witness because you were there and saw or experienced something. In our baptism we promised to obey Jesus which includes being a witness. Witnesses who share what they have seen or experienced are essential to evangelism. 

 

1. You are my witnesses of these things (Luke 24.48)

Life Through Death Is the Paradox of Christianity (Lent 5)

 A paradox is when a statement that seems to contradict itself is in fact a profound truth. To understand the profound truth of Jesus teaching we need to examine it in the context of both Biblical Prophecy and the dramatic events preceding the teaching. Jeremiah had prophesied that God would establish a new and different covenant with Israel. The Gospel Reading follows the stories of the Raising of Lazarus from death. This gives us hope that we will also be raised from death if we give up our lives in obeying Jesus and serving our neighbour. 

1. Jeremiah prophesied a New Covenant

Lent Is A Time to Reconnect with God (Lent 4b)

 John 3.16 summarizes the essence of Christianity. God loves us so much He was willing to give up His only son to be in a relationship of love with us. The problem was God is holy and humans are unholy. The Good News is God loved us so much He created a way for us to be reconnected through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus.

1.  The Unholy Can Not Be the Presence of the Holy