Overcoming Temptation Grows Our Spiritual Life (Lent 1C)

The Readings for the First Sunday in Lent are chosen to help us prepare ourselves spiritually for the celebration of Easter through a time of deep self examination, repentance and confession. The goal is not to make us feel guilty but to help us draw nearer to God by overcoming the things – particularly the temptations to sin; that distract us and pollute our personal spirits and separate us from God. 

·       The Deuteronomy Reading (26.1-11) reminds us of our Old Testament Covenant and Baptism obligation to give thanks and acknowledge God as the one who gives us life. 

• Psalm 91 reminds us that God also gives us protection and refuge in a dangerous world.
• Romans reminds us we are justified by the Faith in our heart that God raised Jesus from Death 
• Our Faith is tested and grows by overcoming temptations and proclaiming Jesus as Lord

 

1.     First Test is bread or materialism – our bodily needs and wants (Luke 4.1-13) 

The Gospel story of Jesus being tempted by the Devil teaches us how to see through the deceptions of the Evil One and resist the temptations of our physical, emotional and spiritual needs:

·       First there is an irresistible taunt that questions Jesus’ identity and mission – “if you are the son of God…”

·       Second there is a need that is hard to resist – Jesus is starving to death / Jesus wants to change the world / Jesus wants to show the power and glory of God to the world

·       Third is the price – by giving in to these very attractive temptations Jesus would be diverted from His identity as Son of God and Saviour – Satan would win, we would have no hope of Salvation from the consequences of our sins and spiritual life

·       Jesus quotes Scripture to rebut – we need to know our Bibles so reading the whole Bible yourself is critical to survival

 

 

2.     Second Test is worldly power – all the kingdoms of the world are mine through deception – true but not true

• Materialism, Avarice and Gluttony pollute our Spirit by distracting us from love of God, others and Self – the “Me Generation”
• Loose our purpose, meaning and identity as a Spirit that is in a love relationship with God – and has temporary physical body

 

·       What emotional needs tempt us: Envy, Jealousy, Lust and Coveting?

·       We all want more. The question is are we willing to sacrifice our relationship with God to get that more?  

·       The question for self-examination is – “in what ways have I failed to keep the Commandments to love and honour God above everything else?”

 

3.     Third Test is Spiritual Power and Authority

Jesus realizes that by jumping off the Temple and being rescued, everyone would recognize Him as Messiah, and he could avoid the pain of the Cross.

·       By avoiding the Cross Jesus mission would have been defeated

·       We would have no personal Saviour, no new Spiritual Life

·       Common example is church fights over who is “most spiritual” and right about doctrine, liturgy and worship

·       Clergy fear the Holy Spirit because they feel threatened and know many churches have been divided by jealousy of over who has what gifts of the Spirit and healing ministry

·       As Lucy asks in the Lion (Jesus), the Witch and the Wardrobe “Is he dangerous. Her brother answers “of course He is”

·       There is a good reason for the “hard testing” of Lent – Spiritual life is very dangerous.

 

We are challenged to grow spiritually through these hard temptations by staying focused on God and His purpose and mission.

Witnessing To the Light of Christ in a Dark World (Proper 33b)

As we approach the end of the Church’s teaching Year B we are being sent out to witness to our own experience of being healed, made holy by God and sharing in the love, joy and peace of His Kingdom in our Christian fellowship. People all around us are starving for meaning and fellowship in their lives. Young Muslims of both sexes are so bored and desperate they travel to the horrific violence and danger of the ideal of establishing a new Islamic State. The end of Christendom has left many people without hope or meaning. They have never seen or experienced the spiritual light of hope for healing, forgiveness and an eternal life of love, joy and peace that Jesus taught and modelled on Earth. They have been deceived by false teachers (Mark 13.5, 22) because nobody forcefully proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to them.
 

1. Christians are being “made holy” (Hebrews 10.14)

I Am the Bread of Life (Proper 19 year B)

 There are four weeks of readings all based on this important issue of who Jesus is. John is an eyewitness. His account is different – meant to be read with spiritually opened eyes. We are in Pentecost where the readings for each week teach us about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church.

 

1. The Church has lost its supernatural truths

In writing Recovering Truth, Freedom, and Democracy: Challenging Woke Totalitarianism, I had a word of knowledge. 

·      Writing about the Judeo-Christian foundation of truth all thriving democracies are based on and explaining how these have been lost as they contradicted the false truth of various woke activists.

·      Realized in my research I had identified 7 spiritual truths that have been almost lost as the Church expanded, grew, became intellectualized and politicized and was led by men who had not had the same experiences of Holy Spirit as the first Apostles.

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

“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

Good and Faithful Servants are Light in the Darkness (Proper A33)

     Jesus is continuing His teachings on who is included in the Kingdom on the Day of the Lord or the End Time Judgement. Many people have noticed a frightening new darkness:

·      Gog and Magog -- Russia and Iran (Hamas) were prophesied to attack Israel and are now both in shooting wars

·      China is on the march against Taiwan and killing 70,000 people a year in the U.S. with fentanyl from Mexico

1. Many in our time are like lazy and worthless servant

Our Hope Is in Jesus Christ

The Republican Debate last week was a reminder that many people in our time have lost their hope in Jesus, hope in government, hope of peace and hope of prosperity. This is an End Times scenario with Gog – Iran launching a war against Israel via Hamas,  Magog – Russia in a war with the West; and Russia’s ally China in an economic and  deadly fentanyl war with the US. The good news was two candidates advocating recovering the truth foundation of Christian faith our freedom and democracy were built on. ( my current book topic).

Our Readings remind us:

• Joshua publicly put his hope in the God of his ancestors
• Believers have the hope and security of eternal life
• Relationship with Jesus is how to be included in the Heavenly Banquet or Kingdom

1.   Who or What you put your Hope in is important

Ten Tests of Our Spiritual Life in God's Kingdom (Proper 27 Year A)

Baptism, like tenancy has obligations. The Parable is a warning that we are sometimes tempted to rebel against God and refuse to ‘pay the rent’. What is this ‘rent’? In our Baptism we promise ‘to continue in the Apostles teaching, in the fellowship and in the breaking of bread’ – to love and honour God. Moses explains the Ten Commandments by telling the people “God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Ex. 20.20) The ten tests of our love of God are:

 

1. Have you recognized or given honour to other gods?

Holy Spirit is the continuing presence of Jesus (Easter 6A)

 Jesus is preparing His Disciples for His Death, Resurrection, Ascension and the Coming of Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They are frightened and are going to feel abandoned in a world that is very hostile and dangerous. He comforts them by saying He is going away to prepare a place for them where they can all be together. He will send “another advocate” to continue His work of guiding them and helping them prepare for their own death, resurrection into eternal spiritual life of joy. The advocate will be like a modern lawyer who prepares people for a trial and judgement. The advocate will come to those who love Jesus and keep His Command to love one another.

 

1.   Holy Spirit Comes to Those Who Love Jesus

Jesus, like Father God[ must respect human free will. He cannot force people to love Him. That would not be real love. 

·     Jesus defines this love of Jesus as those who Keep my Commandments.

·     This is a continuation of the Covenant of Moses where the 10 Commandments were tests of our love of God (1-5); and our love of neighbour (6-10)

·     Continuation of Moses telling the Hebrews that God would send another prophet like him.

·      Covenant of Jesus clarified the Command to love God and our neighbour with self-sacrificial love – as Jesus modelled on the Cross

·      Covenant of Jesus added the forgiveness of sins(that had been taken to the Cross by repentant believers)

·      Covenant of Jesus added eternal spiritual life for believers

·      Holy Spirit would help believers examine their lives, repent sins, become healed and holy enough to be in God’s presence

 

2.   Holy Spirit Will Live in Us

The Resurrection Validated the Covenant of Jesus (Easter)

Easter is the celebration of one of the most important events in human history. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was God’s cosmic yes to all the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that God was making a new Covenant of forgiveness that fulfilled and expanded the Covenant of Moses to all believers. This Covenant offered believers forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in Jesus sacrificial death. Believers connect themselves spiritually to Jesus and die with Him on the Cross before being raised to a new Holy-Spirit filed life of joy.

 

1.    How Can We Believe This?

Called Out of Darkness into the Light (Lent 4)

The Readings continue the Lenten challenge to self-examination and being born again. We see the contrast between the Pharisees who were supposed to be understand spiritual things spiritual – but remained in spiritual darkness; and man born blind, a presumed sinner – who comes out of darkness into the light of Christ. The Pharisees were stuck in the darkness of the world and the blind man become the light of Christ and a sign of God’s Glory in the world.

1.    We are all born Spiritually Blind

Holy Spirit of Truth Gives Light and Salt (Epiphany 5a)

 

      We live in a time of social and moral chaos where absolute truth, specifically the absolute truths of divine revelation in the Bible, have been historically deconstructed by extreme liberals and woke activists. We are losing our freedom of speech to the politically correct speech of minority political activists. I am working on a book that explains how this loss of real truth caused our social chaos by confusing men and women about their sexual identities and spiritual life. This social chaos is destroying social order and the nourishing families we need to raise thriving future citizens. Francis Schaeffer warned that social chaos historically leads to the rise of strong leaders (Napoleon and Hitler) and the end of freedom and democracy. The origin of the social chaos is the loss of the authority of the Judeo-Christian divine truth that defines and maintains trust, co-operation and social order.

 

1.     Light Illuminates and Helps People See

Baptisms of Repentance & Holy Spirit Fire Give Us Hope (Baptism of Jesus)

 John the Baptist teaches us how to become serious Christians with joy and hope. Hope frees people from fear of sin-guilt and death and enables us to love God, ourselves and others. The first step is the baptism of repentance which prepares us for the second Baptism of the Holy Spirit Fire. As the Holy Spirit comes into us and exposes our hidden sins, we experience the baptism of the holy fire of God’s love. The file of God’s love burns up our sins and brings us into an eternal spiritual life of joy in His Kingdom.

1. The First Baptism is Repentance

What Are You Looking For? (Advent 3)

 The word "Advent" is from the Latin verb "veno" to come and the prefix "ad" which means before. We are focusing on how to be ready for Jesus whenever comes. In the Gospel Reading (Matthew 11.2-11) Jesus is explaining what people were looking for in John the Baptist. You can not prepare to meet Jesus or Holy Spirit if you do not know what or who you are looking for.

1. Jesus asks if they were looking for a reed blowing in the wind?

Jesus is teaching about John and Himself by explaining what John was not: 

Our Strength is In Our Weakness (Lent 3c)

 The Readings (Isaiah 55.1-9; 1 Cor. 10.1-13; Luke 13.1-9) remind us that our strength is in our weakness. On our own we can do nothing to help ourselves. We may become discouraged, prideful, get distracted, rebel against Father God and lose our Baptismal Covenant promise of eternal spiritual life. Lent is a time to dig around and loosen our roots, repent our sins, “Come to Jesus” for forgiveness and go deeper in our spiritual life.

 

1.   Jesus Begins His Teaching with the Problem of Evil

When bad things happen to people, we might wonder if God is punishing them. Jesus uses the examples of persecution, a wall falling and a tower collapsing and killing people. He asks were they more guilty than others?