Category: Christian.

Where is my Hope?
Advent · Christian.

Where is my Hope?

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The first candle of Advent represents Hope.

Merriam Webster defines hope as follows:

intransitive verb

1:  to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>

2 archaic:trust

transitive verb

1:  to desire with expectation of obtainment

2:  to expect with confidence :trust

Where is my hope?

People like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:26-38) longed to see the Messiah.  They were rewarded for their faithfulness.  When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, they knew he was the promised one.  Imagine they held in their arms the one they long to see.

Meditation:  Do I long for Christ’s return?  Do I even think about Jesus’s return on a regular basis?  If I daily think about HIs return and have confidence that He will return, would I live my life differently?

Prayer:  Each day during this season, I will pray “Come, Lord Jesus” an echo of John’s words in Revelation 22.

Action: Go out each day and look towards the eastern sky.  And think about Christ’s return and talk with the Lord about helping me to live my life in expectation of his return.  I want to hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  I know I am cleansed of my sins.  I know I will live with Christ forever.  But I want to know He will be pleased with how I lived my life.

Fruit
April · branch and fruit · Branch and fruit · Christian. · Spring --Vine Branch Fruit · Vine · Vine

Fruit

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The vine and the branch produce fruit.  I think sometimes when we think about fruit in regard to Christianity we think of conversions of non believers to believers.  But looking at Jesus words on fruit and Paul’s definition of fruit of the Spirit, I think fruit is about our lives and our actions.  Do we live our lives in Christian righteousness?  Do we live a life that demonstrates the love of Christ?

Matthew 7:

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The Fruit is a direct result of the Spirit in us.  The fruit creates a sweetness in life that others see as pleasant. A Christian filled with the Spirit lives a life different from the world.

Galations 5:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Branch
April · branch and fruit · Branch and fruit · Christian. · Vine · Vine

Branch

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John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The tender growth are the branches that grow from the strong solid vine.  The eventual fruit of these vines will grow from these tender, well tended, branches.  The branch has several purposes, but without the vine, it does not have the nourishment or stability to create fruit.

We are to be one with Christ. God provided the Holy Spirit to be that force inside us which connects us to Jesus and to the Father.

John 14:

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Tomorrow we look at the fruit of the vine; then we can focus on gardening.

April · Branch and fruit · Christian. · Spring --Vine Branch Fruit · Uncategorized · Vine · Vine

The Gardener and the Garden of Pleasure

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15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman

Check out the word husbandman and it is translated the farmer.

Our God gardens.  Look at his first project.

After creating the world; he created a garden.
He chose a place east of Eden.  The word eden means delight or pleasure.  There the Lord planted a garden.  The world was created with plants and animals.  He created a man and then he created a special place for him to live. A place so wonderful it’s name was The Garden of Pleasure.  We treat the word pleasure like it is nasty, but pleasure should be pure.  Pleasure comes from enjoying the delights God has given us in the setting He provides.

So what did God plant in the Garden?

Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Then God brought the living animals He created to Adam so He could name them.

Genesis2:19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Then God created the woman to be in the Garden with Adam.

Our Creator loves to fashion what is beautiful.  And in the evenings, God came and spent time one on one with Adam and Eve.

Genesis3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:

Now Jesus in John 15 tells us God is gardening again.  Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and the Father tends the vine to produce fruit.

The End
Christian. · Ireland · March · March 17 · St. Patrick · St. Patrick's Confession · St. Patty's Day

The End

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Behold over and over again I would briefly set out the words of my confession.

I testify in truthfulness and gladness of heart before God and his holy angels that I never had any reason, except the Gospel and his promises, ever to have returned to that nation from which I had previously escaped with difficulty.

But I entreat those who believe in and fear God, whoever deigns to examine or receive this document composed by the obviously unlearned sinner Patrick in Hibernia, that nobody shall ever ascribe to my ignorance any trivial thing that I achieved or may have expounded that was pleasing to God, but accept and truly believe that it would have been the gift of God. And this is my confession before I die.

The End

Faithful Witness
Christian. · Ireland · March · March 17 · St. Patrick · St. Patrick's Confession · St. Patty's Day

Faithful Witness

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Patrick loved the people of Ireland more than he loved his own life.  He had a passion to witness to them for all of his life even if it resulted in his losing his life.
I suspect there is a mission field for every Christian.  There are people who God places on our heart.  We can choose to live to love those people, sharing Christ with them.  Or we can busy ourselves with work, and pleasure making room for those God has given us only when it is convenient.

. But what should I say, or what should I promise to my Lord, for I, alone, can do nothing unless he himself vouchsafe it to me.

But let him search my heart and nature, for I crave enough for it, even too much, and I am ready for him to grant me that I drink of his chalice, as he has granted to others who love him.

Therefore may it never befall me to be separated by my God from his people whom he has won in this most remote land.

I pray God that he gives me perseverance, and that he will deign that I should be a faithful witness for his sake right up to the time of my passing.

And if at any time I managed anything of good for the sake of my God whom I love, I beg of him that he grant it to me to shed my blood for his name with proselytes and captives, even should I be left unburied, or even were my wretched body to be torn limb from limb by dogs or savage beasts, or were it to be devoured by the birds of the air, I think, most surely, were this to have happened to me, I had saved both my soul and my body.

For beyond any doubt on that day we shall rise again in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, as children of the living God and co-heirs of Christ, made in his image; for we shall reign through him and for him and in him.

For the sun we see rises each day for us at [his] command, but it will never reign, neither will its splendor last, but all who worship it will come wretchedly to punishment. We, on the other hand, shall not die, who believe in and worship the true sun, Christ, who will never die, no more shall he die who has done Christ’s will, but will abide for ever just as Christ abides for ever, who reigns with God the Father Almighty and with the Holy Spirit before the beginning of time and now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Fear Nothing
Christian. · Ireland · March · March 17 · St. Patrick · St. Patrick's Confession · St. Patty's Day

Fear Nothing

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Patrick discusses his situation.  He is a poor man who is constantly in danger of death or slavery.

But Patrick does not fear.   Patrick trusted God and and that faith pushed aside any fears.

 

He who made the promise is faithful; he never lies.

But I see that even here and now, I have been exalted beyond measure by the Lord, and I was not worthy that he should grant me this, while I know most certainly that poverty and failure suit me better than wealth and delight (but Christ the Lord was poor for our sakes; I certainly am wretched and unfortunate; even if I wanted wealth I have no resources, nor is it my own estimation of myself, for daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises.

But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere. As the prophet says: “Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you [Psalm 55:22].”

Behold now I commend my soul to God who is most faithful and for whom I perform my mission in obscurity, but he is no respecter of persons and he chose me for this service that I might be one of the least of his ministers.

For which reason I should make return for all that he returns me

Patrick Discusses His Work in Ireland.
Christian. · March · March 17 · St. Patrick · St. Patrick's Confession · St. Patty's Day

Patrick Discusses His Work in Ireland.

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.

Also you know from experience how much I was paying to those who were administering justice in all the regions, which I visited often. I estimate truly that I distributed to them not less than the price of fifteen men, in order that you should enjoy my company and I enjoy yours, always, in God.

I do not regret this nor do I regard it as enough. I am paying out still and I shall pay out more. The Lord has the power to grant me that I may soon spend my own self, for your souls.

Behold, I call on God as my witness upon my soul that I am not lying; nor would I write to you for it to be an occasion for flattery or selfishness, nor hoping for honour from any one of you. Sufficient is the honour which is not yet seen, but in which the heart has confidence.

Indispensable Friends
Christian. · Ireland · March · March 17 · St. Patrick · St. Patrick's Confession · St. Patty's Day

Indispensable Friends

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We may not be called to face prison.  Our service to God may not call on us to go to far away countries, to suffer torments, or to venture where people do not routinely go.  But we can be the indispensable friend who aids those who serve  in dangerous places.  I some how think we are all called to aid those who serve in mission fields even if we have not heard his voice telling us to go.

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And I went about among you, and everywhere for your sake, in danger, and as far as the outermost regions beyond which no one lived, and where no one had ever penetrated before, to baptize or to ordain clergy or to confirm people.

Conscientiously and gladly I did all this work by God’s gift for your salvation.

From time to time I gave rewards to the kings, as well as making payments to their sons who travel with me; notwithstanding which, they seized me with my companions, and that day most avidly desired to kill me. But my time had not yet come.

They plundered everything they found on us anyway, and fettered me in irons; and on the fourteenth day the Lord freed me from their power, and whatever they had of ours was given back to us for the sake of God on account of the indispensable friends whom we had made before.

Answer To A Question
Christian.

Answer To A Question

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Received a comment today asking a question.  I thought I would post the answer here and beneath the comment.

I will  post the question and what I personally believe the answer is.

Out of curiosity: What exactly is it that we need saving from?

 

Let me explain why I blog first.  It is a three part answer.  I use the blogging experience as a method to push myself to write daily.  It is a method of bible study and refection on God.  And I post because I hope fellow Christians might gain something from the things I am looking at and thinking about.

I assume most people reading the blog are Christian so I don’t go into great detail regarding certain concepts like “saved”.

What do we need to be saved from?
I believe we were made to be one with God.  As Christ is one with God we were designed to be in perfect relationship with God.  Our spirits suffer when we are separated from God.
I believe sin separates us from God.  Sin occurs when we choose to not believe God or when we rebel against God.  Look at Genesis story of Adam and Eve.  Eve chose to believe Satan out of a desire to be a god.  Adam rebelled against God.  When the Lord came looking for them in the garden,  sin caused Adam and Eve to hide from God.

I believe our sins cause us to separate from God.  It puts an obstacle between us and our creator.  We draw away and then spin farther and farther away.  Sin results in a separation which leads to sin and more separation.

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross covers our sins and provides a path for us to be one with Christ through the Holy Spirit.  Our spirits are healed in this life.  We are saved from a life of feeling incomplete.  We no longer need to seek things, people, activities that we hope will fill the God void in our souls.  God through the Holy Spirit fills that spot perfectly.

The second thing we need saving from is the second death.

Revelation 20 discusses the second death.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small,standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire..

We are righteous not by our own actions but through faith that Christ has and can save us.  Our faith in Christ and His sacrifice results in our names being written in the Book of Life.