Monthly Archives: December 2018

Dear Pastor Ben Jones

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I enjoyed your service today and thank you for the flashlight. Both the worship program and the flashlight will make its way to the trophy wall at work, where I keep things which inspire me and remind me; first is God, then family, next community and finally career.

Several things come to mind. I think the children’s sermon is fantastic. It’s a wonderful tribute to the kids and to the parents. Just as the seeds need fertile ground to grow; as parents and grandparents, we are the soil where our children grow. To give them their place at the service and for the parents to take a moment as a church to reflect on scripture from a child’s point of view is an exceptional experience.

Thank you for your reading today. As much as I came to worship, I also came to learn. This passage from Corinthians points to an ever-troubling state of affairs where our communities, our schools, our government at all levels finds themselves burdened by division. One group against another; someone offended; some angered when their expectations or preferences are not met; many confused by their perception; many disappointed in their reality. I question how it can be, we as Christians, can bicker about the 20% we differ on and ignore the 80% which binds us together. Your comment on tolerance of other religions was well stated. Isn’t it enough to trust in the One True God, believe in the one True Faith, does each of us really have to be part of the one True Religion? Doesn’t 100% of being a Christian mean, as you said, happening on the other side of the church doors. It’s not the Church sanctifying us; it is the Lord sanctifying the Church. Walking in His light and being the people, He made us to be is the challenge we all face. God shows Himself to us in ways we can understand; isn’t the answer to our differences; “this is true for you, follow Jesus”. For me, it is a timeless message; righteousness is always beyond scripture; it’s not what we think or say, it’s what we do. Your sermon warmed my heart. I am like a 7-year-old at the candy store, I can’t take it all home, but the piece I got was wonderful. Regards,

Three Steps

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Nothing is more important than the mission of the Church, which is to further the work of Christ in this world, to spread His word, His glory and goodness. The Church in its work is about collaboration not about empire building, it’s about the salvation of souls. So naturally a lot of focus has been on evangelization.

Simply put, evangelization is spreading the “good news”. The victory is ours; liberation from captivity, victory over death, sin, defeat and victory over the trappings of this world.

Now let’s travel from transcendental to practical. From theology to practice without co-opting, compromising and corrupting what is beautiful, good, and true. Three easy steps:  put God first, maintaining a high meditative state of mind, living in the presence of the Lord. Second, be a saint. Realize your life is not your own. Our purpose is to draw faithfulness out of everyone, not pump religion into them. And thirdly, be intuitive. We are all hard wired for God.

The love, grace and mercy of the Lord are given by Him to us in their fullness, as it is with Faith, a gift. In this life there will never be any more or any less of Him or His timeless truths in us. So, what is innate in us is inherited as intuition. We know what we know. If this is true, then one conclusion is this:

Intuition leads to cognition

Cognition leads to information

Information leads to knowledge

Knowledge leads to wisdom

Wisdom leads to understanding

Understanding leads to consciousness

Consciousness leads to enlightenment

Enlightenment leads to self-realization

Self-realization leads to revelation

Revelation leads to God

It’s all Intuition

So, it’s not His mercy and grace which grows, or His love; what deepens are our appreciation, gratitude, comprehension, trust and adoration of Him and for His gifts

What I Am Willing to Do

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What I would be “willing” to do is a question for serious consideration. I think when we pray the Our Father, we ask not to be tested, which is my first choice. Secondly, in a time of true trial, I pray that what I “must” do takes over, and what I am “willing” to do won’t matter. My deepest prayer is that I don’t realize the power, strength and courage the Presence of the Lord truly is, but I will when the time comes.

Consider This, What If

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What if instead of saying, “Lord I am not worthy that you enter under my roof” or “Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ”; we would have spent 65 years saying this: Lord, You have gifted us with the goodness of life in the kingdom of your creation. You, Lord, bestowed your blessings on us through Your Son Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. We are Yours and You are our God. We are Your worthy sons and daughters, created in Love and from Love. In Your good Graces we shall live in paradise for ever and ever.  Amen

The question becomes, would this prompt us to be joyful, healthy people striving to maintain the gifts of harmony and joyfulness which we received, forever living in gratitude and thankfulness. I offer you this; if Christ Jesus reconciled the world by His life, death and resurrection, then pray we freely receive His gift of glory and bathe in His brilliance.