MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
As we continue with our Journey of Faith
and explore our relationship with Jesus Christ it is unavoidable that we will
experience a fundamental change in the way we act, think, and live our lives.
Living with Jesus Christ and striving to understand our relationship with Him
is a transformative experience and one that will not leave us the same. Every
day brings about new experiences and new revelations. When we live our lives
with Christ and through Jesus Christ it is impossible for us to remain the
same. Everything becomes different from the way we witness God’s wonderful
creation around us to the way we interact with people.
This change that we go through will be
witnessed by everyone we come into contact with. There will be those who
welcome this change and celebrate it while there will be those who will refuse
to accept it. We as Christians will be insulted and judged ruthlessly
throughout our lives. Some of the most important people we have known as
friends will reject us. This rejection centers around a rejection of Christ and
not necessarily one of ourselves. When we accepted Jesus Christ into our lives
we surrendered everything over to him. His light shines through us into the
world. There are those who are not ready to embrace this light and thus shy
away from it out of fear. The Light of Christ has the power to expose
everything that is wrong with the universe, including what is wrong with God’s
Children, showing them their own wounds caused by sin. This can cause
embarrassment and shame; even anger when one struggles with something they are
not ready to let go of. The easiest way to deal with this is to ignore the exposure
of one’s shortcomings and focus on the bearer of the light, the vehicle from
which it comes forth from, with the intent on making it go away or to bring
about its destruction.
When Jesus Christ returned to Nazareth,
he was rejected by the people there. They could not accept that Jesus, the son
of Joseph, was proclaiming to be the messiah. He was driven out of the town and
he was almost killed. Through these events, we are shown that we should expect
the same treatment from many of those who are closest to us. In reaction to
this, we must pray for them and love them the same. Also, we must walk away
from them. Each person has the free will either to accept Jesus Christ or
reject Him. Rejecting Christ means an acceptance of everything he does not
represent: evil, sin, and utter destruction. Embracing Jesus brings about an
acceptance and eventual understanding of everything that is good and perfect.
We no longer live for ourselves but for God. The chains of materialism are
broken and we become free.
There is no revolution here. There is no
need to fight for what we believe. The battle is already won. It is more of a
convincing that victory belongs to Christ. Disillusionment and acceptance of
the material aspects of the world seduces one into believing that fulfillment
dwells in the partaking of that which will soon faded away. Anything from this
world and society is not forever. We are already victorious. We just need to
focus on the responsibility that comes with such a tremendous victory. One of
the most difficult things in a war is not the fighting but the clean-up that
come afterwards. There are many victims in this conflict of light and darkness;
they are scattered throughout eternity.
As Christian, we need to focus on
healing and loving. This will set us apart in the world. We are the bearers of
God’s Love. From us, it is supposed to pour forth like a fountain. From God’s
Spirit, which is His love, all of our
talents and capabilities will be revealed through the Spirit and by the Spirit.
Then all will know that were Christian and victorious.
Deacon Tom
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