Resurrection Validates the New Covenant of Jesus

 Easter is a celebration of Jesus courage and love in overcoming the power of sin and death. It is God’s divine yes to the New Covenant of Jesus, that created a new way for us to be forgiven and made holy so we could be in the presence of God in heaven:

·      Challenges us to have the courage and love to experience and share that grace like Paul

 

 

1.   God Made a New Covenant of Grace

Lent Is a Time o Dig Around the Roots (Lent 3)

The Readings begin with Isaiah’s prophecy (55.1-9) calling people to repent, turn from their evil ways and seek the Lord. God is reaching out to them with the offer of forgiveness and free spiritual food that will satisfy their deepest needs. We all hunger for forgiveness and a right relationship with God and our neighbour that gives meaning and purpose to our lives. The 10 Commandments define our special covenant relationship with God:

• Covenant is like a marriage relationship
• Breaking any one condition ends the relationship
• God promises us love, spiritual protection, and eternal spiritual life - and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (after Jesus)
• We promise love and loyalty to God and our neighbour
• We begin our self-examination by spending at least a half hour asking 10 questions that requires deep thought to find an example, however minor of our in-effect worshiping other gods - i.e. hockey, money, power, sex, popularity (self)

Why Do We Have To Have Faith and Repent? (Lent 1)

Jesus calls on us to have faith and repent. He explains that the Kingdom of God is near. The Kingdom is here in the form of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit is seen descending from Heaven to land on the earthly Jesus at His Baptism, so we all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at our Baptism. God through the Holy Spirit, wants to guide our lives and be in a relationship of holy love. Since the Holy Spirit cannot bear to be around the un-holy, we must repent and seek forgiveness to be in a relationship of holy love with the divine.

1. The challenge of a holy love relationship

God had a challenge when He created us. Love is a choice. In order for us to be able to chose to love God, God had to give us free will and the possibility of not choosing to love Him. The point is that God loves us so much, and wants a holy love relationship with each of us so much that He decided to take a huge risk.

Jesus Gives Us the Spiritual Gifts of Love, Joy and Peace (Christmas)

The Good News of Christmas is that God intervened in history to come and live among His creation as a man and make a New Covenant. Covenant of Moses and the Law had been broken several times by the Hebrew People and they were crying out for a Saviour who would free them from Roman occupation and religious corruption. God did much more. He showed His love and trust by coming as a helpless baby who would grow up and give His life as a ransom to establish a New Covenant of forgiveness. This New Covenant broke the power of Satan and freed believers from the spiritual yoke of human sin-guilt that separated them from God and led to spiritual death. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come and live inside believers  – giving them the spiritual gifts of love, joy and peace as a sign of relationship.

1. Jesus birth shows us God’s love as relationship, community & belonging

The Spiritual Law of Thankfulness and Blessing

The Readings (Deuteronomy 26-1-11; Philippians 4.4-9; John 6.25-35) teach us that when people honor God and keep His Commandments – including the Commandments to give thanks; they will be blessed with a life of love,  joy and peace. This is the Good News we have for the many people we see around us who are obviously unhappy and frustrated in their daily lives. The reason they are unhappy and frustrated is they are focusing on the bad news around them and trying to make it on their own, without any help from the God who created them for a relationship of blessing. Frank Sinatra – as in “I did it my way” probably had no relationship with God, did not really know about forgiveness and had no spiritual life. Thanksgiving Sunday is an opportunity to reflect on how well the Spiritual Law of Thankfulness and Blessing is working in our own lives. The Readings teach us to give thanks.

1. Deuteronomy - thanks-giving is our part of the Baptismal Covenant