13. (31.05.15) John 16: 7, 13 + John 8: 32 + Luke 11: 13
"The heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him"
Ask and it shall be given? Sure, but not like an ATM! What we get is only what we really need: the Helper, the Truth, the Guide who will set us free!
Helper for what? To be Jesus' witnesses, to be Jesus to our brothers, to create God's kingdom on earth, that's not easy, we need help and that's when the Spirit comes into play.
Truth about what? About us, what we are (loved sons, not slaves), what is God's plan for each one of us; about God's love for us, about our life, what really counts and what doesn't: lots of questions and the Spirit can tell us all the answers, if we only listen!
Free from what? From "the things of the world", from loving ourselves instead of dedicating ourselves to others, from our bad habits or our bad past ("sins"), from wrong perception of God (judge, punisher...), from all which is stopping us from changing completely, from everything which is preventing us from leaving it all and follow Him (wealth, cowardice, fear, public opinion, friends' standards of living...).
12. (Pentecost) - Acts 2, 1-4
"The heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him"
Ask and it shall be given? Sure, but not like an ATM! What we get is only what we really need: the Helper, the Truth, the Guide who will set us free!
Helper for what? To be Jesus' witnesses, to be Jesus to our brothers, to create God's kingdom on earth, that's not easy, we need help and that's when the Spirit comes into play.
Truth about what? About us, what we are (loved sons, not slaves), what is God's plan for each one of us; about God's love for us, about our life, what really counts and what doesn't: lots of questions and the Spirit can tell us all the answers, if we only listen!
Free from what? From "the things of the world", from loving ourselves instead of dedicating ourselves to others, from our bad habits or our bad past ("sins"), from wrong perception of God (judge, punisher...), from all which is stopping us from changing completely, from everything which is preventing us from leaving it all and follow Him (wealth, cowardice, fear, public opinion, friends' standards of living...).
12. (Pentecost) - Acts 2, 1-4
From now on, no excuses...
...if we want to follow Jesus, we can do it!
I'd like to, but I'm not strong enough... NO, we've got the power of the Spirit!
Yes, Jesus said so and so, but we are not Jesus... NO, he gives us "His" Spirit, so we can be like Him.
It's too hard, we're alone against the world... NO, we've got "the Helper"!
It's too complicated, I don't know what to do and how to do it... NO, the Spirit will guide us t
to the truth of the message!
OK, if I really have to do it... NO, we don't have to, we want to, because we haven't got a Spirit of slaves, but the Spirit of Sons, so it's a privilege, a pleasure, our natural call, to do the will of our Father!
11. (17.05.2015) - John 17:14-19 + 1 John 2: 15-17
"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world"
He was different and it really showed! - We are different as well, but... does it show?
Are we strong enough to "not love the things of this world"?
Are we brave enough to say "no" to the common views, to the standards of the world, to think differently, talk differently and, most of all, act differently?
Are we bold enough to live according to the truth of his word and say "no" to the lies of this world?
Are we ready to be "hated" by the world, because we're different and radical, because we "do the will of God"?
10. (Ascension) Acts 1:8
"You will be my witnesses", everywhere!
He goes away: end of it all? On the contrary, for us it's the very start!
"Up I go... up to you, guys!"
So... now it's our turn! He came to show God's love, now WE must show it!
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but
yours,
Yours are the eyes With which he looks: Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet With which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, With which he blesses all the
world.
9. (Easter +4) John 15:1-8
"By THIS my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and SO prove to be my disciples"
No easy way of making him happy! Singing our love and devotion, spending hours in church and moving from one praying night to the next is not proof of discipleship and to give him glory our voices are not enough: Jesus is asking for fruits, fruits, fruits... life, action, dedication... sacrificial love!
Not easy! No, but he gives the recipe for the successful branch: do not go astray, don't think you can do it by yourself, you have not got the answers or the strength; just stay with me, abide in me, live with me, listen to my words!
8. (Easter +3) - John 21:15-19 + 1 John 4:20-21 + John 15:12-13
"Do you love me?"
Big question? Sure, but the answers is easy! Our answer is YES, no doubt: we love God! We are not like Peter, we don't hesitate, we sing that loud and clear every Sunday, don't we?
But "who loves God must also love his brother", so if we really want to answer YES to those 3 questions, we must be ready to love people every day. Sure, no probs, we don't hate anyone, we're nice and good, aren't we?
But we must "love one another AS he loved us", which means to "lay down our lives for our friends", so that answer is not a simple word, but a whole life of dedication (to the very end!) to our brothers and sisters.
7. (Easter +2) - John 21:1-14
"Cast the net on the other (the right!) side"
Just like the Apostles, even as "People of the Resurrection" we don't seem to get it and we cannot succeed (in creating the Kingdom). Does he get angry at our failure? No, he just comes with the solution: change your ways, try another way, which is His way, the Right way! And the outcome will be surprisingly good: first of all we'll get good results, we'll build the kingdom here on earth, as with him we can make great things, but most of all we'll then rejoice in his company, like a good breakfast with our best friend; but remember, if we really want to enjoy that, we must bring in the good results, the little portion of the kingdom we've created in our lives!
6. (Easter +1) - John 20:21 + John 14:27
He gives us peace, but HIS peace: not a moment of rest in front of the TV or relaxing with family and friends, but the peace which comes from knowing we're following him, though that might lead to suffering and sacrifice for others, because now, thanks to the resurrection, we've got the "blessed assurance" that when we're doing that we're going to win, anyway, whatever happens now, just like he won, even against death!
5. Easter - John 20:16
"Maria!"
The Risen Lord wants to meet each one of us; only when we realise he's risen for each one of us, for you personally, resurrection starts having real value: YOU're saved, all YOUR sins are forgiven, YOUR new life can start now, to lead you to eternal life, which is awaiting YOU!
4.(11.03.2015) - Luke 19:1-10
"hurry, change, salvation happens today!"
Zaccheus: rich, tax collector (which meant dishonest), therefore powerful... why did he need to meet Jesus? Wasn't he more than OK? Surely his friends, other rich, dishonest, powerful people didn't encourage him to go: he must have realised he was "lost" (v.10). Are we honest enough with ourselves to do the same?
To meet Jesus, he had to overcome some obstacles (crowd, being small) and he had to go beyond conventions, appearing silly (tree-climbing): are we ready to do that?
Once he's seeking, Jesus calls him, by name: once we seek Him, He's ready to meet us and He knows us, completely (name!), as in Psalm 139.
Zaccheus accepted the invitation "joyfully": he was feeling lost, guilty, but there's no fear, because when we're ready to change, forgiveness is at hand, so we can rejoice!
What's the outcome of the meeting? CHANGE! A radical (give 50%, not the 10% requested by Jewish law / "fourfold"), immediate ("from now"), from-me-to-others CHANGE. And that's all Jesus asks of us: look inside, see you're lost, seek Him, meet Him, change! No rebuking, no condemnation, no threats, no punishment: just an invitation to meet him and change!
But there's no time to lose and no need to wait for the last day: Jesus asks him to "hurry" (v.5) and salvation can happen "today" (v.9)!
3. (12 Feb 2015) - Revelation 2:2-5
"Your first love...
remember"
One thing is sure: we're
getting older... but are we getting better or worse? The answer seems to
be: "never better enough"!
God knows we're trying
("I know your works") and he appreciates the effort ("you have
laboured, you've not fainted") but he also knows there's always space for
improvement: even if we think we're on the right track (and maybe we really
are), whatever good works we're doing, however involved we are in the church,
creating his kingdom, he gives us credit for that (isn't it nice to hear that
first?) but still, as a good trainer, an inspiring tutor, he pushes us further,
he encourages to do more, to correct what's not right; and the nice thing is
that he’s telling us we know how to do it, because he’s pretty sure that in our
lives, each one of us, even for a short span, there was a period, a moment, a
stretch on our journey when we really met him, when we really found him, and loved him with all our soul and that's
where he wants to bring us back to... to our first love!
Don't be complacent: we're
good, but we must get better and we very well know how ("do the first works")!
"Turning to a different Gospel"
First of all, is the Gospel our main source of spiritual life? Sure,
it’s part of the Bible, but, as Christians, shouldn’t Christ’s books be above
all others? Are they really what our faith is based on?
Are we Gospel People?
If so, what Gospel? Of course, not which of the 4, but, what message?
Sometimes we think we know it all, but what do we actually know and
remember?
It’s high time we got back to basics, to the core of it. What comes
to mind, as a tool, as a perspective, is one of those Words of Christ in red editions: His words, that’s the real deal,
isn’t it?
Going through the Gospels afresh, some points come out very
strongly: forgiveness from on high
and between us, love one another,
forget about ourselves, leave it all
behind, possessions and worries, and just follow Him, dedicating all our lives to Him, which means to the least among us.
Just my reading? Maybe, but the matter is:
What is the Gospel we’re heeding?
Is it Jesus’ radical one or the diluted one of 21st
century soft Christianity?
Is it His version or the one we create for ourselves, not feel too
uncomfortable?
Is it life-changing, life-twisting, common-views-shattering, a true
eye-opener?
If not, there must be something wrong with our version, as God
wouldn’t have sent his Son for anything less than a huge shock!
--------------------------------------------1. (11 Jan 2015) - Matthew 2
Epiphany: revelation, when everything becomes clear, eye-opener… What is revealed to us today?
· "LITTLE TOWN"
We are Bethlehem: small, nothing special,
irrelevant… NO! Super big, something of historical importance, if Jesus is born IN US
There was a prophecy, for Jesus, for Bethlehem… there’s one for each
one of us: God has a project for you, your life has been planned out, for
greatness: do you know the plan? Do you want to stick to it and achieve glory,
his glory?
·
THE SEARCHERS
What kind of journey are you ready to go through to seek Jesus? How
long, how uncertain, how uncomfortable?
Do we really want to find him? Are we actually doing it? Does anyone
doubt he can be found? How to find him?
The answers and the motivation are in today’s memory verse: Jer 29:13
·
THE GIFTS
What gifts can we give? The Wise Men's were gifts for a king, so
most of all, we must acknowledge him as king: Jesus Rules! Whatever he says is to be done, sure thing, no doubting, no
holding back, no refusing… just listen and do it! We must give our all! Money, time, dedication, worship, obedience, faith, trust…
You're big, keep seeking, give all to the king!
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