The Darkest Hour

And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves; but he [Jesus] was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us; we perish (Mt. 8:24-25).

 

This got me thinking on what we do in our darkest hours.  Would we pray, read the bible, or run away from the situation.  The apostles were very afraid in this situation.  They ran and hid from the storm because they thought they were going to die.  Then they remembered that Jesus could help them, who was sleeping in the boat.  They quickly ran down and aroused him.  Once up Jesus calmed the raging weather easily astounding the Apostles.  This situation can be easily related to our own lives.  When our life starts to get hectic and scary, we abandon all hope and run away and hide.  We lose focus of God who could guide us through our situation, but instead we focus on the problem instead.  And the more we focus on the problem, the worse it gets.  It gets so big that we can't handle them anymore and we lose control.  We tried so hard to maintain the problem, and then we become victims of the problem.  The problem consumes and we are no longer to resist and we completely submit to the problem.  

 

All hope seem lost, right?  Actually no, we can slowly rebuild ourselves by first, focus on other things than the situation.  We can do this by reading the Bible, praying, and get a group of friends that know what you are going through to assist you.  The saying power in numbers is very true, the advice that all of your friends can give and the help can be invaluable.  This may be how God works to help save us.  We can also ask for God's assistance, for there is nothing that is too big for him to help us with.  Finally, if we are honest with ourselves, we can see what we have done wrong and correct it.  We can escape the problem and recover from its oppressiveness.  All this cannot be done with out God, and once we escape our darkest hour, we have no one to thank but God.      

 

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/dore/gustave/bible/chapter64.html

Guard the Key to Your Heart

"The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive" - Irenaeus of Lyons

 God is glorified in us when we live in Him. St. Irenaeus' quote resonates within me and in my life. When we step into the thing that we have been created to do, I believe that we are fully alive. If we are honest with ourselves, our desires, gifts, personalities and dreams all point us to the calling and purposes of God that was planned for us before we were even born. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There is nothing better living our lives everyday with the sense that we were created for God’s glory.

John 10:10

At first, Irenaeus' quote seems to go against some theological ideas. "No," we say, "God's glory doesn't stem from man, God's glory involves Himself." However, this is an erroneous belief. We must examine the statement first. Glory: honor or reverence given to a worthy person. Man: this is humanity - anyone who has ever lived, including you and I. Fully Alive: to be truly capable of the utmost life; truly free, joyful, and walking in close companionship and communion with God. 

We all live in a basic sense: we eat, we breath, we have a physical life. Some are alive in a spiritual sense: we are saved and we have had our spirits renewed; we have companionship with God. However, few of us are fully alive: physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Very few of us are alive in our inner self, our heart of hearts. Why? Because we lack joyfulness in our lives. We don't expect joy and we don't think we're special. We're shackled down by our past wounds, our past deeds; we are trapped by strongholds deep in our minds. This is not what the will of God is for us. This is not what Jesus died to accomplish.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - (John 10:10 NIV)

What does John try to convey in his Gospel? The latter part confirms Irenaeus' quote; Jesus' mission, one that earns God glory, because of His love for us, is to give us life to the fullest,  to make us fully alive, in every sense. So, that brings the question: if Jesus' mission is to make man fully alive, then what does the thief want to steal, kill, and destroy? The answer can be found in the Old Testament: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). The thief represents those opposing Christ's mission. Satan, the Thief, tries to remove all sources for that mission and to destroy the work of God.  He wants to steal your very heart. Then he wants to kill your heart. Finally, he wants to destroy your heart. Because God treasures and acts through your heart Satan has to destroy your heart to succeed in his plan. Your heart is what God lives in, and through Him you are saved. The heart is the key to a man. The human heart, unbroken from defeats, the past, wounds, and strongholds, is made aware of its faded glory; the key to Christ's mission of making us fully alive. 

Glory of God is Man Fully Alive

In our Theology II class a common term is "the glory of God is man fully alive," but what does this really mean.  Well I think that we can all a agree that God created the world and he did it to express his love for us.  St. Bonaventure tells us that "the world was made for the glory of God.  Not to increase his glory," which means that God did not create the world for his personal gain, but share his glory with the world.  God truly expressed his love for us by creating us, an action which he definitely did not have to perform.  So the Glory God is when he manifests himself and his goodness through creation.  God created us, human beings, to be in communion with him.  One problem, when Adam and Eve committed original sin, we had fallen out of communion with God and could no longer fulfill our one true task.  So God sent his only son to redeem us by sacrificing himself on the cross.  Again, this is God showing his enduring and  generous love for us, imperfect beings.  So it is the least we can do to act as responsible Christians and do our best to refrain from sin. 

The next step we must take to understanding the glory od God is man full alive now that we know what the Glory of God is.  Man fully alive is a person doing what God would want us to do.  Making the morale Christian decision and helping others.  An easy way to do this is when you are presented with a difficult situation, ask yourself "What would Jesus do?"  This ill usually get you going on the right track and you will often make the right decision. Now that we have an understanding what man fully alive is, we can begin to piece the phrase together.  So if the glory of God is creation and man fully alive is someone a good morale decision, when we put them together it takes on a new meaning.  The glory of God is man fully alive means that when a Christian is acting as God wants him to, then he is emanation the Glory of God.  I hope that this helps explain the concept of "The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive."

http://tracyboyd.org/blog/?p=390

Answering the Call

The call to be a priest is an extraordinary one.  Society today draws us away from God and focus us on material things.  Even if one tried to devote his life to God, all of the distractions like internet and our pace of life can often prohibit us from nearing the Lord.  To give up a girlfriend and possibly a wife for the call to chastity is often the hardest call that young people considering the priesthood face.  Those who do accept the call are greatly revered by all who see them.  They are trained to teach about the Lord and serve as our role models.  Brett Metzler expresses how he felt like he should give up being a priest and get married.  But when he prays to God, He reinforces the message to Ben that he should carry on and become a priest. 

http://www.ncdserraclub.com/images/heavencantwait.jpg

Fishers of Men

The priesthood is Christ's call for us to live closer to him by serving his people. In this calling, many are asked to sacrifice their lives to draw closer in a relationship with and through Christ. In essence, the priesthood is a unique way of life through which God invites a man to enter more deeply in relationship with him. Overtime, many have answered the call given to them by God. Their call brings them fulfillment. 

We are all searching for meaning in our lives. What has God called me to do? What will bring me happiness and help me grow in relationship with the One above? We cry out for understanding in the world around us - from our purpose, meaning and love found in our lives. We forget that God has never left our side. He hears our cries for justice, goodness, and for truth. He loved us so much he has became man in flesh and dwelt among us. He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to teach us how we may draw closer to himself. From Christ arose the priesthood. Through the priest, Christ is present in every aspect of the daily Church. Through the priest, Christ leads men and women to God. The world needs priests, because ultimately the world needs Christ.

But to be chosen to live in Christ requires sacrifice. Celibacy, poverty - being a priest is hardwork and needs determination. But somehow, the number of men wanting to become priests have steadily risen over the years. They are ordinary men who want to grow in their relationship with God. However, many attack God's institution. They say the Church is filled with pedophiles and homosexuals, but they forget to look at the world in which we live in; our society is broken. All around us lie similar dysfunctional people. Why? We have forgotten who we are; we are fallen, broken people, and unless we take courage and strength in our Lord we will not find our way back into the fold of God. We all feed on this brokenness. The good news is that we are seeing young men called by Christ to show us how the love of God can make us joyful and happy. May God continue to raise up fine priests who will continue to show us how to love.

What's Your Excuse?

And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:6

God wants to become closer to us to use us in his divine plan. However, it is hard to grow with God because of the frantic pace we view the world. Caught up with the business in our lives, maybe we are subconsciously running away from God. If we sit still and take a look at the world around us, God may fill our lives..

God came to Moses in the desert. Running from his past, Moses had ended up as a shepherd in the middle of nowhere. Little did he know that by running from his destiny it prepared him to fulfill God's call.

When God appeared, Moses hid his face from God, because he was afraid. This is common human reaction. God, being infinitely pure, counters our own imperfectness. Fortunately, God looks past our faults and sees our potential. He allows everyone to participate in his mission and uses us all.

But like us, Moses tries to makeup excuses to why God could not use him:

1. "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11). Moses was in fact the best suited for his role. For 40 years, a Hebrew, he was raised as a son of Pharaoh. He was heard by both Egyptians and the People of God. 
2. "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?" (Exodus 3:13). God told Moses, tell them I AM Who I Am sent you. Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world. God gives us his ultimate authority.
3. "They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee" (Exodus 4:1). Moses needed a sign that God was with him. God gave him a staff and the ability to work signs and wonders with it. God too will provide us with signs that he is with you. He will ensure you can accomplish his will.
4. "Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" (Exodus 4:10). God told him. " I will be with your mouth and I will give you what to say." Jesus told the disciples that when they are tested  to not worry, for we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and it will act through us and inspire us.
5. "Moses said, Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13). God became angry with Moses at this point. After all the assurance that God had given him Moses still makes excuses. But God relented and promised to send Moses his brother, Aaron, to help him on his mission. Before Jesus ascended into heaven he told us that he will send us the Holy Spirit, the helper, who will give us power and bring back to remembrance everything I have spoken or taught us. We are never alone.

Stop making excuses, follow God's lead, and watch God deliver you and your people.

Walk the Talk

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. --James 2:14-18 (NIV)

The world around us is surrounded with strife, but everyday we are either too busy to do any good or look the other way. Our culture has told us it is alright to only care for ourselves, to be inwardly focused to not care about those nearby. We are not striving to become more like Christ. This is something that we can change today. All we need to do is open our eyes and our hearts. Today I challenge you to make a difference in someone's life. Ask God to tug on your heart; allow him to build up compassion within you and feel the joy God fills in you by helping others and let him become an instrument of love to touch those in need.