The Word of God

God comes to us in many ways. God's Word is a favorite way. First and foremost, the Word of God is a Person. Our Lord Jesus Christ is God's Word to us in human form because everything about Him tells us what we most need to know about God. When God began to create the world, God spoke all things into being. That Word is God, too, and the Word was made flesh when Christ was born of Mary. The stories from creation to redemption are told in the Bible, so the Bible, too, is the word of God. Whenever the story is told and remembered, aloud or in the heart of a believer, the word of God is present. By the power of the Holy Spirit God comes to each of us in the Word.

Forgiveness

Day by day we all see and hear new evidence that every human being on earth is in need of forgiveness. If we examine our own hearts and minds, the need for forgiveness will come as no surprise. Friends, family, people we love, temporal and spiritual leaders disappoint us, and we all fall short of the best we know is possible for us. Knowing that God forgives us enables us to cope with the world as it is and move forward. We can even begin to forgive each other.

Judgment on the U.S.A.

During most of my adult life I have wondered when and how the judgment of God would fall upon the U.S.A. In so many ways the land of my birth continually offends the justice
and righteousness of the God of my fathers and mothers. As I have come to study and understand biblical prophecy, I have become increasingly alarmed at the absence of any clear
reference to this nation. Most empires in world history have received commendation and condemnation in the words of the prophets, but this nation seems most notable by its absence.

We can be assured that the absence of the U.S.A. is not a sign that God does not care about us. God cares most profoundly about each one of us, and about every nation in every time and place. Final judgment will be assessed for every individual and for every nation. Judgment of the
nations will be measured by the way we have treated the King of Kings, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He clearly warns us that the way we treat the least of His sisters and brothers is the way we treat Him. As it has been seen on every news broadcast on the planet, we have treated Him very badly indeed.

God's Desert Highway

In the opening verses of second Isaiah (Isaiah 40 and following) we learn how to prepare the Lord's way for His coming among us. Verse 3 calls us to make a straight highway through the desert. In a striking parallel with the Seven Often Repeated Verses with which the Quran opens, we pray that God will "guide us along the straight road."
Right through the wilderness of the unknown, God has a highway. The U.S. Interstate Highway system provides a beautiful metaphor for God's highway. Where the mountains are too high, there are tunnels built under the peaks. Where the waters are too deep and wide, there are bridges to carry us safely across. Through the deserts of North America we have built highways for God's children, so we have built highways for our God.
Trusting God's love for us, we can walk with joy, freedom, and confidence every day of our lives along the path before us, until by grace we arrive at home in our Father's house.

Happy New Year!

Even people from liturgical traditions sometimes think I'm nuts when I wish them Happy New Year on the Saturday before the first Sunday in Advent, but today really is New Year's Eve for the liturgical calendar. Each day on the liturgical calendar begins at sundown on the evening before, so the moment of the new church year's beginning is at sundown tonight wherever we are. Christians borrow sundown as the beginnning of a new day from the Jewish tradition. Hence many of our Jewish sisters and brothers attend Sabbath services on Friday evening. The start of Christmas celebrations is Christmas Eve, so I figure our New Year's celebration can begin tonight.
The Season of Advent on the church calendar is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. He has been coming among us since God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Since He is the Word of God, He is the First Cause of creation. He was made flesh when He was born of Mary to live a human life and die a human death among us and for us. He comes to us any and every time we think of Him, what He has done for us, and what He is teaching us. He makes Himself a part of every human life in ways we cannot understand, whether we like it or not. He will come again to rule the world, and may He come soon! Even those of us who believe in Him will be surprised by the character of His glorious and gentle reign.
In this new Season of a new church year we celebrate all the ways Christ has come, is coming, and will come to us each and all. As we think of Him all the trappings of the season can be signs of His presence, here and now.

Evil Christians

Being Christian is particularly difficult in our time. One of the reasons for the difficulty is the sheer amount of evil being done in the name of Christianity. I can't claim to be thankful for the difficulty, but I am thankful for the enhanced discernment and understanding that comes with our time. We can't judge the souls of any of our sisters or brothers of the human family, but we have to recognize evil in our midst. I propose the following five characteristics of evil Christians to help us recognize evil for what it is:

Characteristics of evil Christians:

1.) They claim exclusive representation of God.

2.) They say, "If you disagree with us, you are on your way to Hell."

3.) They claim that whatever they do is good and right because God is on their side.

4.) They readily sacrifice the well being of people who do things they disapprove of.

5.) They use their faith as a political tool.

Thanksgiving

Giving thanks is a basic act of spitirual development.
When we are grateful our thinking and feeling are turned in a positive direction.
Circumstances may not be everything we would wish, but if we pause to think about the
many things we are thankful for, we experience a spiritual uplift.
Hence St. Paul could say, "In all things, give thanks."
We can't give thanks for all things, but in the midst of all things, we can give thanks.