Happy Christian Secrets

Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14-4:2) is truly inspiring! In his letter, Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain faithful to what he’s learned in the sacred scriptures. Paul tells us that,

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Daily reading of the scriptures helps us to remain familiar with God’s teachings so that we can be completely prepared to serve and assist others in being fully engaged members of the Body of Christ on earth.

Paul also charges each of us to “proclaim the word with persistence whether it is convenient or inconvenient.”

I think that one of the best ways that we can proclaim the word is to live each moment of our life as walking, talking examples of Christ-like living – at home and at work. The world will know that we are Christians by our love for one another!

In Luke’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus tells his disciples a parable on the necessity of frequent and persistent prayer. In the parable, Jesus uses an unsympathetic judge who has no choice but to respect the wishes of a widow who is relentless in her quest for justice.

If an unjust judge is capable of responding justly to the widow, our faith tells us that our fair and loving God is always listening with a compassionate ear to our prayers. Jesus is asking us to not just pray, but to be persistent with our prayers.. He wants us to pray for our earthly concerns and to stay especially focused on our heavenly pursuits.

Prayer is our continuous lifeline to God. We can endeavor to live every aspect of our faith-filled life connected to God by praying for guidance and strength in every aspect of our day – work, family, exercise, health, interaction with others, etc.

God is always reliably listening to our prayers, but Jesus questions how many of us will be as faithful by asking, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Let today’s readings be a loud and clear call for each of us to remain united with God mentally, spiritually and physically.

God, please make me an instrument of your peace and assist me in remaining faithfully connected to you throughout this day and for every day of my life on earth.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

In this week’s first reading from the second Book of Kings (2 Kings 5:14-17), Naaman, an army commander for a foreign king is miraculously healed from his leprosy after being advised by Elisha to “plunge into the Jordan seven times.” As a result of being healed of his leprosy, Naaman shows tremendous gratitude to Elisha and professes his conversion of faith. Naaman proclaims his conversion of heart by telling Elisha, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

It took a physical miracle for Naaman to believe in the God of Israel. Do you and I believe based upon our faith or are we looking for physical miracles before we believe?

Paul (2 Timothy 2:8-13) tells us of his willingness to suffer like a criminal so that he can continue to remind us of his gospel. He says, “Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David.”  Even shortly after Jesus’ resurrection he still had to devote his life to remind the early believers of what had happened.

Why does Paul do this?  So that each of us can “obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus” and join Paul to be “together with eternal glory.”   Paul goes on to say:

If we have died with him

we shall also live with him;

if we persevere

we shall also reign with him.

But if we deny him

he will deny us.

If we are unfaithful

he remains faithful,

for he cannot deny himself.

The scripture that says, “To whom much is given, much is expected” means many things. For those of us who have received Jesus’ message about how to love and serve God and each other, we’re expected to live that way. We’re no longer living in blindness. We’ve received  light and life directly from God’s only Son.  We also know that Jesus died to atone for the sins that were committed in the past and that we’re still committing today. We’re to connect with Jesus as he instructed.  He is the vine and we are the branches.  He is our source of life and salvation. When disconnected from the vine, we’re separated from our source of life.  As Paul said above, “But if we deny him he will deny us.” Why would we deny him when we know how good he is and how strong and good we can be when connected to him?

Luke’s gospel instructs us and reminds us about gratitude. In this passage (Luke 17: 11-19), Jesus cures 10 lepers from their disease.  Unlike Naaman, these 10 lepers believed in Jesus. They were specifically asking Jesus for assistance by calling out, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”  Once Jesus cures all 10 from their leprosy, nine of them kept on walking away and only one of them returned to Jesus to say “thank you.”

At the heart of Christianity is the belief that Jesus suffered and died for each of us. Through him we’ve received the gift of salvation.  How often do we say “thank you” for this gift? Are we like the Samaritan who returns to fall at the feet of Jesus in gratitude or are we more like the other nine lepers who’ve received a miraculous gift and failed to acknowledge it?

Jesus tells the Samaritan who returned in gratitude, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”  All ten received the cure from their leprosy.  Nine lepers failed to show gratitude and were not assured of the profound healing he promised the Samaritan: salvation.

Stay connected to Jesus the source of our life and salvation on a daily basis in grateful service to others, in prayer and in meditation on how to faithfully live God’s love.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

If you could use some words to assist you in reviving or rekindling your faith, this week’s readings are a great place to start.

Books like The Secret  and The Law of Attraction have promoted the use of affirmations in order to manifest our goals. According to God, the identical process works with our long-term heavenly goal. In the reading from the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk (1:2-3;2:2-4), God responds to Habakkuk’s cry for help when his faith is weakening with the following response: “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.” Like many of us today, Habakkuk is challenging God because he can’t understand why there is so much violence and misery in the world and why God just seems to allow all of this suffering.

God asks Habakkuk to write down the vision of the promise of deliverance because even several thousands of years ago, it was believed that putting beliefs into writing helped them to manifest.  The first step is to put beliefs into writing. The second step is to affirm them daily.  I utilize this practice every day. When reading scripture, I’ll write down specific verses on 3 X 5 index cards so that I can easily repeat them several times a day until they’re committed to memory. This practice allows me to solidify God’s words deeply into the recesses of my mind and soul.

In Paul’s Letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14), he’s reminding Timothy and each of us to “stir into flame” the faith that we’ve embraced.  Faith is like every other discipline in that it’s a “use it or lose it” proposition. It’s one thing to profess Christianity. It’s another thing to live it in action and to internalize the words that Jesus left with us.  Paul reminds us that the power of the Holy Spirit within us is not a “spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. It’s this daily building up of our faith which gives us the strength to persevere through each of life’s challenges and obstacles. Exercising our faith  muscles is a daily practice.

Are you fully embracing all of the Holy Spirit’s power, love and self-control?

Luke’s gospel (Luke 17:5-10) gives Jesus’ response to the apostles’ request to “increase our faith”: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”  Do you believe Jesus?  What would happen if we really believed that with the power of faith and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that nothing is impossible?

Jesus goes on to tell the apostles that faith also comes with the responsibility to not just believe but to serve God and each other in action. Faith requires our willingness to love, forgive and repent.

Faith is a tremendous living gift from God. Once we’ve received this gift of life, it’s our responsibility to open it, work with it, nourish it and practice it on a daily basis to keep it fresh and healthy. Faith is the true source of everlasting life that dwells within.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

This weekend’s readings get us focused on our opportunities each and every day to be Christ in our homes, neighborhoods and workplace. In Luke’s Gospel (16: 19-31), Jesus tells a parable to the pharisees of the rich man who is  clothed in fine garments who dines sumptuously every day. The rich man ignores the poor man – Lazarus -  who is lying at his door covered in sores.

Upon the rich man’s death he ended up in the netherworld. In the parable, Lazarus ended up in what appears to be heaven by the side of Abraham.

The rich man who is now on the other side – hot and hungry – asks Abraham to, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.”  Abraham responds by basically saying that you led the life of a rich fat cat on earth and ignored Lazarus and the poor who were in your presence each and every day.  You missed your opportunities  to enter the kingdom of God when you chose to deliberately ignore the needy who were in your presence. Lazarus on the other hand led a very difficult life on earth and is now living a comfortable life with me.

Even after being told by Abraham about his fate, the rich man shows tremendous compassion for others by begging Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house to warn his five brothers of what will happen if they continue leading selfish lives.  Abraham’s response is one that I’ve written down on a 3 X 5 card so that I can memorize the language, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

Remember, that it was Jesus who was telling this story and in the parable her was referring to Lazarus rising from the dead to return to earth.  Jesus did go on to die and rise from the dead and many of us today are not persuaded by his resurrection.

Jesus came to earth. He died to atone for every sin ever committed. He rose from the dead and lived among his disciples.

He gave us a commandment that is easy to remember and implement, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.”

How would Jesus love Lazarus?

There is nothing wrong with money or being rich.  It’s when we’re selfish with our resources and ignore the sick and poor  when we’re off the target that Jesus has set for us.

Show love and compassion to everyone on earth today.  Live for ever in eternity with God.  That sounds like a great plan to me!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

This week’s theme is social responsibility. In the reading from Amos (8:4-7) – the prophet of social justice – we see greedy merchants looking to alter the scales used to measure wheat and grain so that they can cheat the poor and increase their profits. In those days, Amos was observing a growing gap between the rich and the poor that is very similar to what is going on today in most industrialized nations.  Amos tells the merchants (and each of us), that “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!”

It feels so good to be generous – especially to those less fortunate.

In Paul’s Letter to TImothy (1 Timothy 2:1-8), Paul is asking the beloved to pray for “kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”   Like the reading from Amos, this message has as much applicability today as it did 2000 years ago.  The political leaders of today have a great deal of influence over laws and services which lead to justice for all.

Paul knows that when a stable social order is in place, it’s much easier for individuals to live a peaceful life with dignity and respect in devotion to God. Our prayers do impact what happens in the world.  We’re not only encouraged to pray for those we love, but for political leaders around the world and especially for people we’re finding it difficult to love.  Paul reassures us that, “This is good and pleasing to God our Savior.”

Our prayers are heard by God and felt by those we’re praying for.  Prayer is uplifting for all involved.

 In Luke’s Gospel (16:1-13), Jesus tells a parable that deals with money, debt and ethics. “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  “Dishonest wealth” is the riches of the world.  Worldly wealth is not a bad thing. We’re encouraged to use it wisely by sharing it with others and to not hold onto it too tightly.

 “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” If we do not share our material wealth (small matters) joyfully and generously, how can we expect to receive “True wealth” – the riches of the kingdom of God?

“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon (material wealth or greed).”

We’re focused on loving and serving God and each other. Generosity with our money and ethics in our business dealings is a way of putting our faith into action each and every day.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Forgiving and merciful is how God the Father is presented in this week’s readings.  Like a loving parent, God is always looking after every one of his sons and daughters and welcoming them back home.

In the first reading from Exodus (32:7-11, 13-14), Moses is negotiating with God to have mercy on the people of Israel who have returned to worshiping idols after having been lead out of slavery and recently receiving the Ten Commandments. How quickly we forget all that’s been done for us!  It was easy for the people of Israel to forget about God now that their problems were over.  They could forget about God and turn their attention to other, more worldly objects of desire.

Don’t we sometimes do the same thing when our life is going well? Is God first in your life or do you occasionally allow other worldly distractions  – money, dating,  movie stars, sporting events, professional sports teams – to be higher priorities than your relationship with God?  Thankfully, we’re told time and time again that our God is a forgiving and merciful God.

Paul positions himself as the foremost of sinners in his Letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Who besides Paul would brag about being the #1 sinner?  In gratitude to God Paul says, “I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry.” Gratitude is one of the most important traits for us to display on a daily basis – to God and to each other. Paul is grateful for Jesus’ grace and patience.  Are you grateful to God for all that you have? Have you said, Thank you lately?

If Jesus could turn the darkness that existed within Paul to light, his love and grace are strong enough to transform any of us no matter how dark our lives were or still are today. Paul tells us that in his life before knowing Jesus he was arrogant,  a blasphemer, a persecutor and acted out of ignorance and unbelief. We all act out of ignorance or unbelief.  Once we learn and believe, our problems are over. By positioning himself as the worst possible sinner, Paul assures us that if he can be forgiven through the grace of God, everyone can be forgiven.  Phew!

Christ chose Paul despite his tremendous sins. Christ chooses you and me too.  He’s always reaching out to us asking us to return to his love. He’s telling us that we will always be forgiven. 

The Gospel from Luke (15: 1-32) contains three parables which all express God’s mercy. The first parable is about the shepherd who has lost 1 of his 100 sheep. The second is about a woman who has lost 1 of her ten coins and the third is the story of the Prodigal Son – the lost son.  In each of the three parables, there is rejoicing when the one who is lost is found.  A good shepherd will leave the 99 sheep to pursue the one that is lost.

Jesus told these parables at this particular time because some of the Pharisees and scribes were complaining about the company that Jesus was keeping saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Bingo!  That’s exactly what Jesus is asking every one of us to do today.  Welcome the lost and forgotten and point them towards the bulls-eye.

Jesus came to save those of us who are lost – the sinners.  To sin means to be “off target.”  Jesus came to direct us toward the target who never fails and always forgives.

A merciful God is always there to welcome us back home. He’s there ready to receive us with a hug and open arms.  When the younger prodigal son is welcomed back home after he “swallowed up his father’s property with prostitutes,” the older brother becomes resentful.  For a very long time, I tended to side with the older brother who was saying, “what about me?”.   He feels as though his loyalty to his father should entitle him to preferential treatment and that his brother’s behavior should have caused him to lose his privileges.

That is not how God loves.  God loves each of us equally and will invite us back home and into the family whenever we’re ready to return. Those of us who are already home have complete access to all the Father has to offer.

God’s love, mercy and forgiveness are abundant.  If you were waiting for a written invitation to return home, please consider your wait over.  All are welcome in God’s home.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

This week’s gospel from Luke (14:25-33) can seem very confusing when reading the words literally. Jesus says to the great crowds traveling with him, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Is Jesus asking us to hate our families? Absolutely not. When the gospels were translated from the ancient languages into greek, english and others, sometimes the original intent did not translate perfectly. In the english language we have many words and phrases  which allow us to communicate feelings that come between the two extremes of  love and hate such as like, dislike, put-up-with, etc. Jesus is reminding his disciples that we came from God, we’re going to return to God upon the death of our earthly body and God is to come first among all of our priorities while on earth.  Got it?

As Christians, we’re called to love everyone. Within the commandments, we’re specifically told to honor our mothers and fathers.  When insulted, we’re asked to “turn the other cheek.”  When hurt in any way by another person, we’re reminded to forgive. Love is the Christian theme.

Jesus is asking us to decide what we value most and in no uncertain terms he tells his followers that God should be our top priority.

As Jesus continues addressing the crowd he gives us another parable, “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’”

Upon what foundation are you and I building our life?  If we claim that God is our foundation yet we have not constructed the rest of our life in line with the foundation, we may not be able to finish the work to which we’ve been called.   With God as our foundation, our life is constructed one floor at a time in perfect alignment with a solid and immovable foundation. It is the foundation of love which allows us to eliminate our worldly fears.

When asked to choose between anything else – work, money, family, entertainment, fame, property, security – and God,  we know how to choose.

When we place God first, it effects and influences each of our thoughts, words and actions. You and I are Christ to each person we come into contact with. As Christians share our love of God with each other, we unite humanity with each other and with God. We are the body of Christ on earth.

This week’s not-so-subtle reminder: God comes first.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

To act humbly means to be modest, respectful and to be deferential and submissive. It also means to make lower in condition or status.

This weekend’s theme is humility.  The first reading from Sirach ( 3:17-18, 20, 28-29) which was written 200 years before Christ, calls us to humility with a couple of proverbs:

• My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
• Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.

If you’re asking yourself, “why should I show humility?”, Jesus answers that question beautifully for us in Luke’s Gospel (14:1, 7-14).  In this scripture, Jesus is at the home of  one of the leading Pharisees and he’s watching people jockey for position at the dinner table. We’ve all seen this happen at recitals,  buffets, boarding an airplane, at weddings, funerals and parades.  We tend to push, shove and elbow so that we can have the best view, seat or food – even if it’s at the expense of our neighbors or other guests.

After observing the very common behavior, Jesus told the familiar parable where he says that whenever you’re invited by someone to attend a wedding banquet (or any other affair), don’t seat yourself in a position of honor.  Instead of trying to obtain the “best” seat Jesus instructs us to, “go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’”

It’s better to be brought from coach to first class than to be humiliated by being asked to move to the back of the plane!

“For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When we deliberately humble ourselves by taking a seat in “the lowest place”, we’re able to meet new people and understand life from the perspective of a different group of people. It’s an invitation to accept the beautiful gift of being able to learn from every human that we come in contact with. Truly, we have something to learn from every person we’re fortunate enough to meet.

After Jesus had addressed the guests, he turned his attention to the host and gave him some unsolicited advice. He tells us that when we have a party, be sure to invite people who very likely will never be able to reciprocate – the lonely, the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.

God gives to each of us who have nothing to give in return. We’re asked to do the same thing every day of our lives.  You and I are the hosts and hostesses who are inviting all people to God’s banquet. Not just those with the same incomes, skin color and faith.

We know that when we do this, “we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Life is simple: act in a Christ-like fashion by loving everyone.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Death is the one thing that most people fear. Why did I say most people and not everyone? People whose faith is strong know that although the physical body will die, their souls will live forever. In one of today’s readings (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57), Paul is taunting death with unshakable confidence:

Death is swallowed up in victory.

Where, O death, is your victory?

                                                   Where, O death, is your sting?

I can hear Paul taunting death like a child singing on a playground, “Na, na, na, na, na, you CAN’T hurt me. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!”  Why is Paul so confident and fearless?

Paul lives with confidence in the knowledge that Jesus overcame sin, the poison that causes death.  “When that which is mortal clothes itself with immortality….”, DEATH NO LONGER HAS ANY POWER OVER US!  Mortal Christians clothe themselves in the Word of God and are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  .Although our physical bodies are still capable of pain and will ultimately die, no one and no thing has power over our everlasting souls  That invisible piece of our being which we treasure most – our soul – is eternally linked with the Source of all life.

Jesus confirms this in the Gospel of Luke: “Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.

Christians have long-term goals and our ultimate goal is to join Jesus in life everlasting. “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”, we say with confidence in the belief that the death of our body will result in the resurrection of our immortal soul.

At that point our journey will be complete and successful. We will have arrived home and will stay there – forever! 

Clothe yourself with immortality and live a fearless, faith-filled life in Christ.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

This week’s themes are faith and preparedness.  Each of the 3 readings cause us to question and affirm our belief and faith in God and use that faith as the focal point of our life.

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested”, is a line from one of Paul’s Letters to the Hebrews (11:1-2, 8-19).  Paul goes on to talk about the tremendous faith shown by Abraham. Abraham believed that he and Sarah would have a child even though they were very old and Sarah was sterile. Abraham believed in God. He had faith in God’s word.

Abraham’s faith was so strong that he was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, upon God’s request. Abraham knew that God was so powerful that he could bring Isaac back from the dead to fulfill God’s promise that, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”  Thankfully, it was only a test of Abraham’s faith.  How is God testing your faith?

Is our faith that strong? Do I have faith or do I have FAITH?

In Luke’s gospel (Luke 12: 32-48) Jesus tells us to “not be afraid” and to have faith in what really matters. If we believe Jesus, we should be afraid of nothing. We know that He is the Shepherd who loves and takes care of each of his sheep.

Jesus goes on to say, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” That one line causes us to ponder, “who or what do I treasure?”

Clothing wears out. Cars get old and rusty. We get laid-off and fired from jobs. Real Estate values fluctuate.  High technology becomes obsolete within a few years. People frequently disappoint.  Jesus says, “Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”  He’s clearly telling us who and what to treasure – God.  What is the ultimate long-term goal?  Heaven.  Our security lies in the goodness of God.  We can not find security anywhere else or in anyone else. The investment that we make in God can be stolen by no one and only appreciates in value!

Jesus is also reminding us this week to be prepared.  As humans, do we tend to be proactive or reactive?  When do we decide to exercise?  After the heart attack. When do we decide to repair a marriage? For too many of us, it’s when the other person leaves or threatens to do so. When do we decide to step-up our performance at work?  After we’ve been let-go. Too many of us tend to be reactive in almost every aspect of our life.

When are we going to make God a priority in our life?  When will we be 100% prepared to welcome our guest?

You know that excited feeling of preparedness when a child is returning from college or a loved family member or close friend is coming to visit?  We prepare their guest rooms.  We buy special foods. We spend lots of time cooking and cleaning. Why?  We’re looking forward to the return of someone we love.

Someone else that we know and love is coming to visit, but has chosen not to be real specific on the arrival date or time. Can you think of a better guest?  If that guest were coming tonight, what would you be doing today?  Are you prepared?

Jesus has told us that he’s coming back and he’s giving us notice that he’ll be in our neighborhood soon so, please prepare a room in your mind, heart and soul.

Many of us are waiting to become better people – better Christians. 

I’ll be more loving tomorrow.

I’ll begin serving others soon.

I’ll talk to, listen to and give God attention in the very near future.

I’ll begin treating people in a Christ-like manner starting next week.

Many of us are surprised and unprepared by the announcement of an organizational change that results in the elimination of our job, or the word from a doctor that our lifestyle has to change, or the notice from a spouse that the relationship is damaged. With Jesus there are no surprises. He’s told us that He’s  coming back and asked us to be prepared.   It’s hard for us to say, “I was unaware that you were coming!” 

Today is the day to love, to be patient, to pray, to serve.

Today is the day to be excited and  prepared to welcome the invited guest who is the focal point of our life.

Have faith, love each other and be ready for His return.  Life is simple.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.