Seeking God: The Importance of Putting God First

Relationships are so important for Christians. It is so important that God became human. It means God knows what it is to be human, he stooped low, and dwelt among us. This means that God isn't just a distant good idea, but he is their with us and among us, Emanuel.

As followers of Jesus we need to be in right relationship with God, with self, and neighbor. What does this mean one may ask. Well this is what it means. Well it means keeping the main thing the main thing. God should always be first, as he is our all in all. We know that nothing can replace God and when you have him you truly have everything you need and all else will be added on. Also when we are in right relationship with God we realize that all people are made in his image and all people are important to him. Through the resurrection we have been restored into right relationship with God, mending and fixing what was broken relationship between God and humans. We must not set up idols for ourselves as nothing can replace God, we really do NEED him. Following Jesus should be the center of our lives. We need to worship God not lesser things that we put for ourselves! Worship comes from worth meaning that we worship what is worthy of our complete trust, love and dedication. When we worship something we recognize it is of ultimate value. Everywhere we see economics, new political ideologies,and more becoming idols. We need to put God first, and all else will follow. Here are some verses on that.

Matthew 6:31-33 ESV Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:19-21 ESV “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Galatians 2:20 ESV I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Matthew 6:24 ESV “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Proverbs 16:3 ESV Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Matthew 22:37 ESV And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind

Friendships are also important. In the body of Christ we should be brothers and sisters, friends, Friends are important because they are here to support you in your walk and just be their for you when you need someone to talk to. It is important to have someone you can bible study with and talk about important things in your walk with Christ. God has created us as social beings, we are meant to be in community, in particular the body of Christ. We must also take time to invest in those who are not particularly our friends because God values them as well and because God invests in us (we can see this when God became man and when he died on the cross for us at n o fault of his own).Here are verses that talks about the importance of friendship.

*Proverbs 18:24 NLT There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

*Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Finally it is important that we are in relation to creation, that we take care of the animals, plants,and various other wildlife God has given us domain over. We are called to be good stewards, including of this planet. We have responsibility and we need to start and take it. Here are some verses on this.

*Proverbs 12:10 NLT The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

*Psalm 24:1-2 NLT The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.

*Psalm 8: 6- 8 NRSV You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

*Genesis 2:15 NLT The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 

The Way-Jesus has done for us we could not have.

Around the world different cultures make ways to celebrate relationships in different ways, such as in United States (and I'm sure other places) Valentines day marks the love between two people. Nations mark relation with treaties and in several other ways. But what about relations with God you say? God has his own way of setting relation. One of the first ways God showed he will not abandon us despite our fall and continued sin is through the rainbow which is a sign that after the great flood is his sign of restored relations saying that kind of global destruction will ever happen again (at least not by God's hands. God's creation is beautiful as he creates the sun, the moon, all the creatures of the land and water, and more. Then he creates humans and they are very good, however after the fall of man we realize that our relationship with God had been severely damaged. Though God would not leave us this way though because he loves us. God sent his son Jesus Christ into the world so he might save it, and he does save us. Through the Cross-his blood and sacrifice as the perfect Passover lamb he saves us from our sins, saves us from the death meant for us. His love changes the world and changes us and he restores the relation that was broken between God and humans. We see this at our Baptism in a special way after we are baptized into Christ we here you are my beloved, as in we adopted into God's family and through Jesus we are made into children of God. We cant love God unless we really know he loves us, which is made obvious through his sacrifice for us and the Word says We love him because he loved us first. God Bless.

Advent Message II- Let us not be distracted

I love Advent and the seasons of the Church, it is so helpful and it is one of the reasons I left the. I love being in a liturgical church that uses a calend as it emerses us in the seasons of the Church and gives us a chance to take part of the created order, it isnt all about us, and no not everything does revolve around us. While we have free will we are not in control of it all. This allows us and gives us the chance to allow us to remember who we are and who we are for. We should wait and do our best to remember what the real meaning of this season is about. As much as I enjoy the Christmas stories of Frosty, Santa, Rudolph, Jack Frost, and what not, those stories are not nearl as important and they are not central, just entertainment. It isnt even about family or giving to others (though these are good secondary themes and Christian Ideals). Lets try to observe Advent because they help us remember who and who we are. It helps us remember why we do the work we do whether, political, social, church, work, or otherwise-we do it because we are following God and he is leading us to use our talents in these areas to bring Glory to him and his kingdom. Advent is like that, the church's seasons, they are for our benefit not to limit us or chain us to a strict set of rules. Now if you want to forget all about advent season and go home and decorate your house prematurally for Christmas if you want to put a baby Jesus dall in the manger now and set in the stable surrounded by blow up frotsty the snowman and blinking light reindeer you can do that! As far as I can tell God isnt going to be offended or put off or hurt. Your certainly not going to hurt anyone else either. Its your own business and certainly absolutley none of my buisness. None of these events mean you follow Christ less or you shall not have eternal life, but my respeoncibilities is places under my domain such as my house or church remain provide an oasis for those who wish to avoid the superhyped comercialized premature Christmas...You can decorate your house, walk the streets, you cna open a newspaper, turn on your tv and find lots of this version of Christmas. However some places in our lives, some of us want and oasis from all of that, where we remember what this season is really about, the anticapation, waiting, and celabration of the birth of the divine among us. May you have a blessed Advent whatever way you choose to spend it!

Intro to Advent: Advent Series Part 1

 2 Peter paraphrase: Therefore I intend to keep reminding you of these things, even though you know them already. One of the blessings of a church that goes by calendar is it constantly is reminding us of things. Were we come from, were all hope stems from, knowing who we are and who we are for, who we belong too. At this time of year it is getting colder and darker, often dreary in setting. The days grow shorter and shorter, and at least where I live the nights get longer and colder. Even so we have well heated and lighted buildings we can rely on, but God's people of the past hadn't had these modern advantages, imagine how frightening life was around the early church with the persecution, martyrdom, and so much more. Imagine how much they longed for deliverance the saving Grace of God and their need for a savior. Our need is just as great especially because of all the modern idols that steal our thoughts and time. Our need is every bit as great, its just has become easier to ignore because of modern conveniences (which is truly sad)-we are just as much in the face of tragedy, despair, remorse, sin. Our need is every bit as great, Advent is the celebrating the  upcoming birth of Christ among us/is a time to slow down and notice. Notice what you may be asking, to notice how much we need God and nothing can replace him, no amount of technology or anything at all can replace him- We need God who is far bigger than our appetites or our inadequacies, a God who expects much of us and gives much to us, and saves us who turn away --saving us even from our selves. May we have the Grace and discipline to enter this season to prepare us for anything and everything our redeemer has in store for us. God Bless

 

Part II of Prayer Series: God Hears our Prayers

 Does GOD hear and or answer prayers? What do you think? He most certainly does!!!! Remember when God's people were wandering in the dessert for years and years and years and years!  God heard those  people and Moses now didnt he.  When God hears us Cry out, what does he do you may be asking yourself.  God is with us even as Jesus and God the Father preside in Heaven the third part of the trinity the Holy Spirit is here with us and when two or more gather in God's name, Jesus is in the midst. Jesus is always in our hearts. We are the hands and feet, the body of Christ until Jesus returns. God often answers using us, his people!  That is part or one way God answers, but that isnt all. God motivates us to respond to those who cry out, the poor who need us, the sick, and the lowest among us. As followers of Christ it is our job to answer God's call for us to help those people. God can hear us, for God is love! God hears us through many ways-through our worries, our prayers or conversations with him, through the suffering of the world, through the love in the world, he hears us when we are gathered as his body for sure, God is beyond humanity. God is mroe than the human part of creation!!! God created all that is and it all reflects his awesome glory and power and love in some way. This shows his ability to create and heal all that is and bring life out of nothing and death. We need to listen to God in our lives, he speaks to us through nature, God is also in the scilence. It is often a subtle and quiet, yet quite obvious feeling in your heart were you here God answer your prayers and suddenly you know what God is telling you.  Encouraging video  below for the short hymn Here our Pray O' Lord

Prayer Series Part 1 : Making and taking time to Pray

Sometimes life becomes just one thing after another, it piles on and becomes unbearable. We jump out of bed not nearly getting enough sleep, slam that snooze button a few times, and wake up as zombies. After that we are constantly on the run worry about anything and everything. We are either taking care of our families (Im not to the that point yet), finishing a project for work that is past the deadline, or having one of those cram study sessions. The day becomes a complete blur, it all is lost. Life becomes meaningless. We need regular prayer!!! Those who are Anglican know in the Prayer book their are morning and evening (and even midday) prayer time in the prayer book. However for those who are reading this blog and are not Anglicans but Christians none the less can set up prayer times as well. Christ tells us to pray unceasingly through our every though word and deed. Not many people practice prayer as a spiritual discipline anymore. It is good sometimes to pray about what is on your mind as a conversation, but it is also good at times to say set prayers as the way we worship helps to form us. Prayer as a routine and life,  something we stop and do at a regular basis, gradually we begin to grow in understanding and fellowship with God the more we pray. We don't pray to God at regular times to win him over or to be holier than someone else. but to grow in our relationship with God, our trust in him, and in fellowship with him. You cant have a relationship if you never talk to them.

A Deeper look in John 19: 10-11 (Give Cesar what belongs to him and God what belongs to Him)

Jesus always taught that what is the property of Men such as should given to them, however heavenly should be given to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or put as treasuers in heaven. Futher in this passage he tells Pilate that his authority is that of which is given by God himself. This has been a crystal clear Christian teaching throughout the Church's history. The rulers have been appointed by God check evil doing and to promote and reward the good and the 1st letter of ST.Peter also agrees. This means Christians are bound by their rulers. Except in such cases of course where these rulers have proclaimed and enforced what God has forbidden or on the other hand forbid what God has commanded. Then apostles we must reply by saying we God's authority which is in heaven over the authority of men. Christians should aby by law of the land if at all possible and be good citezens. We should desire to good and love all people regardless of race, background, or sociological economic status. As far as possible we shall respect to obey the rulers of the land. But at the same time we must what is right and help the poorest among us Just as Jesus himself did. Stand those who are oppressed, set the captives free, and spread love of God everywhere. We must try our best to make sure the society we live in to the best of our capabilities is going according to the plan of God and is community of Goodwill and love towards all, for God is love.

John 19:10-11 NLT 10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you
realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” 11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no
power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who
handed me over to you has the greater sin.”