"Who We Are Instead" pt.3
History Makers
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Last week was really busy. Here's the talk from May 1st on being History Makers. This week was Mother's Day, so we took a week off of Youth Group so you could spend it with your mom. God bless!
In part 2 we talked about how our identity in Christ is based on His Grace that He freely gives us. It's His Grace that saves us and makes us members of His Covenant. It's His Grace that makes us New Creatures. And more, according to Ephesians 2:10, He has made us His Workmanship, His poetry!
Later on in Ephesians, St. Paul tells us why it's so important that we understand God's Grace in our lives. The Christian life isn't always all peace and roses. It's War!
In the Book of Revelation (chapter 12), the Devil is said to be full of rage, and has gone off to wage war on Mary's "other children", those who "Keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus" (v.17). That's us! That's why Jesus has given us His Armour!
Now before you run to your closet to see if you might have missed the shiny metal outfit, let's break down what St. Paul is talking about when he discusses the Armour of God. The first thing he lets us know is that it's a Spiritual armour for a spiritual battle: "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (v.12).
Pope John Paul 2, when he was living, spoke out often against the Culture of Death that dominates our society. This Culture of Death is the physical, earthly manifestation of the Devil's spiritual power. He seeks to destroy God's creation, especially the New Creation! We must answer the Call to promote the Culture of Life in our world. We aren't talking about killing the unbeliever or somesuch. This isn't about waging literal war on sinners, or bombing abortion clinics, or crazy psycho stuff like that! St. Paul tells us plainly, the flesh and blood people aren't the enemy, even when they seem like it. Why? Because behind that opposition lies the real enemy, Satan, and his powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness. The people are the victims, and need Christ's grace and salvation as much as any of us. That's why we have to wage the spiritual war! So how do we do that? Let's look at the Armour.
1: The Belt of Truth--This is the foundation to the entire armour. It holds the rest of the pieces in place. Knowing the Truth will set us free, according to Jesus (John 8:32). He promised that He would send us His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, who would guide us into all truth! God's first gift of Grace to us is to know His Truth to establish our way. He did this by sending us Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life! That's why it's so important that we stick close to the Spirit inside us, and to the Church, "The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). Just like belts hold our pants up, the Belt of Truth holds the rest of our armour in place!
2: The Breastplate of Righteousness--When we know the Truth, we have to act on it. That's being righteous or just. We need to live the truth, otherwise, what good is it? Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). When we live out our Christian beliefs in a spirit of charity, people will notice the difference it makes. When we stand up for the truth, for what's right, people will pay attention. They will ask us about it, and as St. Peter writes, we must always be prepared to give an answer to the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). This brings us to the next part of our armour...
3: The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace--Before Jesus went up to Heaven, as we celebrated at Mass today (Ascension Sunday) He gave us the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). This going is why St. Paul equates the Gospel with Shoes. And for someone who spent his Christian life as a missionary travelling throughout the Roman Empire, St. Paul knew what going was all about! He tells us that the same must be true of us, that we must be prepared to Go where God sends us, and tell others about Him!
4: The Shield of Faith--If we're going to be a witness to Christ, we need to believe in Him (I hope that's obvious!). But faith here is more than mere acceptance of Christ--it's a lifestyle of reliance on Him. It's presented as a shield that deflects Satan's attacks, because it is our faith, lived out, that reminds us of the truth that God loves us and has made us new creatures! The Shield of Faith is our greatest defence against sin, because we can hold it up when the Devil tries to tell us the lie that we are worthless, that God doesn't really care about us. It defends us from sin, because we believe that God has something greater for us than the momentary pleasure that sin has to offer! The Shield gives us a reminder of why we wear the Breastplate--our Faith and our Righteousness are our protection against Sin.
5: The Helmet of Salvation--Protecting our head, our most vulnerable and most vital part of us, is Salvation! It is our Helmet, because it comes directly from Christ, the Head of His Body, the Church. Our Salvation is what gives us life, it is the life of Christ in us--the Life that makes us New Creatures!
6: The Sword of the Spirit--Our primary weapon in this fight is the Word of God, called a Sword. Knowing the Word is our best offence against the Devil. When he comes to tempt us, we parry with the Shield of Faith, knowing God has something better, and we thrust with the Sword, His Word, to drive back the Devil. The greatest illustration of this is in Matthew 4, where Jesus Himself teaches us about the combat. When he is tempted by the Devil after 40 days of fasting, He resists the temptation by quoting the Word of God at the Devil until the Devil has to flee! But in order to wield the Sword, we need to know it, to practice with it. We need to read the Word of God, to memorize portions, to allow God's Spirit to speak to us through it! A man with a sword he cannot wield is just as useless as a man with no sword, and possibly more dangerous to himself and those around him! We must know God's Word intimately, because that is why He gave it to us!
7: All Prayer and Supplication--Our other weapon is just as important and just as powerful, and it is one that can be used by anyone, in any situation! Prayer expresses our dependence on God, and invites Him to come and fight with us and for us! All prayer is powerful, and we need to practice it, to make it a habit. Otherwise, we may forget this valuable weapon until it is too late! Prayer is our contact with God; it is our lifeline to Him. That relationship is vital to our survival in this war! Do not neglect this gift, this weapon, especially the prayer of the Mass! It is the most powerful form of prayer, and we do major battle with the heavenlies when we participate in the Mass! Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross, and in the Mass, we unite our sacrifices to His in the Eucharist, claiming His victory in our own lives, and tag-teaming the Devil as it were!
Don't kid yourself. The battle is real. The early Christians were persecuted and killed for their beliefs--and that didn't end a thousand years ago. It still happens today. Sometimes we are blind to it, here in Canada, because we live in such a free country. But not all countries have the same luxury. The Church in China, for example, is illegal because of the Communist Government. Christianity is outlawed and persecuted in Islamic nations such as in the Middle East or Pakistan. People are arrested, beaten, and even killed for their faith! Yet it is there that the Church thrives and is powerful! Think for a moment about this. This Easter Vigil, at St. Andrews, 5 people became Catholics! Glory to God! But think about this--in Communist Hong Kong, 100,000 people were baptised as Catholics at the Easter Vigil! Why, in a country where faith is outlawed, is it growing so astoundingly? Because they are aware of the War!
We here can be comfortable, complacent, and apathetic! We don't see the war, because the Devil has lulled us into a false sense of security. But little by little, he takes away our freedoms, and we let him! Abortions have no restrictions in this country, and haven't for 30 someodd years! Gay Marriage is being recognised and legitimised all over! Euthanasia is becoming more widely accepted! "Tolerance" is the buzzword when it comes to religion, and people are happy to be tolerant of everyone but Christians, because we dare, we have the audacity, the gall, to assert that there is an absolute truth, and His name is Jesus!
We need to wake up, to rise up, and to realise that God didn't give us His Grace for nothing. He didn't make us into New Creatures for nothing! He made us His Warriors, His Soldiers, and we need to take a stand for Him! We need to become History Makers for His Kingdom!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Last week was really busy. Here's the talk from May 1st on being History Makers. This week was Mother's Day, so we took a week off of Youth Group so you could spend it with your mom. God bless!
In part 2 we talked about how our identity in Christ is based on His Grace that He freely gives us. It's His Grace that saves us and makes us members of His Covenant. It's His Grace that makes us New Creatures. And more, according to Ephesians 2:10, He has made us His Workmanship, His poetry!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Later on in Ephesians, St. Paul tells us why it's so important that we understand God's Grace in our lives. The Christian life isn't always all peace and roses. It's War!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18
In the Book of Revelation (chapter 12), the Devil is said to be full of rage, and has gone off to wage war on Mary's "other children", those who "Keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus" (v.17). That's us! That's why Jesus has given us His Armour!
Now before you run to your closet to see if you might have missed the shiny metal outfit, let's break down what St. Paul is talking about when he discusses the Armour of God. The first thing he lets us know is that it's a Spiritual armour for a spiritual battle: "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (v.12).
Pope John Paul 2, when he was living, spoke out often against the Culture of Death that dominates our society. This Culture of Death is the physical, earthly manifestation of the Devil's spiritual power. He seeks to destroy God's creation, especially the New Creation! We must answer the Call to promote the Culture of Life in our world. We aren't talking about killing the unbeliever or somesuch. This isn't about waging literal war on sinners, or bombing abortion clinics, or crazy psycho stuff like that! St. Paul tells us plainly, the flesh and blood people aren't the enemy, even when they seem like it. Why? Because behind that opposition lies the real enemy, Satan, and his powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness. The people are the victims, and need Christ's grace and salvation as much as any of us. That's why we have to wage the spiritual war! So how do we do that? Let's look at the Armour.
1: The Belt of Truth--This is the foundation to the entire armour. It holds the rest of the pieces in place. Knowing the Truth will set us free, according to Jesus (John 8:32). He promised that He would send us His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, who would guide us into all truth! God's first gift of Grace to us is to know His Truth to establish our way. He did this by sending us Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life! That's why it's so important that we stick close to the Spirit inside us, and to the Church, "The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). Just like belts hold our pants up, the Belt of Truth holds the rest of our armour in place!2: The Breastplate of Righteousness--When we know the Truth, we have to act on it. That's being righteous or just. We need to live the truth, otherwise, what good is it? Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). When we live out our Christian beliefs in a spirit of charity, people will notice the difference it makes. When we stand up for the truth, for what's right, people will pay attention. They will ask us about it, and as St. Peter writes, we must always be prepared to give an answer to the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). This brings us to the next part of our armour...
3: The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace--Before Jesus went up to Heaven, as we celebrated at Mass today (Ascension Sunday) He gave us the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). This going is why St. Paul equates the Gospel with Shoes. And for someone who spent his Christian life as a missionary travelling throughout the Roman Empire, St. Paul knew what going was all about! He tells us that the same must be true of us, that we must be prepared to Go where God sends us, and tell others about Him!4: The Shield of Faith--If we're going to be a witness to Christ, we need to believe in Him (I hope that's obvious!). But faith here is more than mere acceptance of Christ--it's a lifestyle of reliance on Him. It's presented as a shield that deflects Satan's attacks, because it is our faith, lived out, that reminds us of the truth that God loves us and has made us new creatures! The Shield of Faith is our greatest defence against sin, because we can hold it up when the Devil tries to tell us the lie that we are worthless, that God doesn't really care about us. It defends us from sin, because we believe that God has something greater for us than the momentary pleasure that sin has to offer! The Shield gives us a reminder of why we wear the Breastplate--our Faith and our Righteousness are our protection against Sin.5: The Helmet of Salvation--Protecting our head, our most vulnerable and most vital part of us, is Salvation! It is our Helmet, because it comes directly from Christ, the Head of His Body, the Church. Our Salvation is what gives us life, it is the life of Christ in us--the Life that makes us New Creatures!6: The Sword of the Spirit--Our primary weapon in this fight is the Word of God, called a Sword. Knowing the Word is our best offence against the Devil. When he comes to tempt us, we parry with the Shield of Faith, knowing God has something better, and we thrust with the Sword, His Word, to drive back the Devil. The greatest illustration of this is in Matthew 4, where Jesus Himself teaches us about the combat. When he is tempted by the Devil after 40 days of fasting, He resists the temptation by quoting the Word of God at the Devil until the Devil has to flee! But in order to wield the Sword, we need to know it, to practice with it. We need to read the Word of God, to memorize portions, to allow God's Spirit to speak to us through it! A man with a sword he cannot wield is just as useless as a man with no sword, and possibly more dangerous to himself and those around him! We must know God's Word intimately, because that is why He gave it to us!7: All Prayer and Supplication--Our other weapon is just as important and just as powerful, and it is one that can be used by anyone, in any situation! Prayer expresses our dependence on God, and invites Him to come and fight with us and for us! All prayer is powerful, and we need to practice it, to make it a habit. Otherwise, we may forget this valuable weapon until it is too late! Prayer is our contact with God; it is our lifeline to Him. That relationship is vital to our survival in this war! Do not neglect this gift, this weapon, especially the prayer of the Mass! It is the most powerful form of prayer, and we do major battle with the heavenlies when we participate in the Mass! Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross, and in the Mass, we unite our sacrifices to His in the Eucharist, claiming His victory in our own lives, and tag-teaming the Devil as it were!Don't kid yourself. The battle is real. The early Christians were persecuted and killed for their beliefs--and that didn't end a thousand years ago. It still happens today. Sometimes we are blind to it, here in Canada, because we live in such a free country. But not all countries have the same luxury. The Church in China, for example, is illegal because of the Communist Government. Christianity is outlawed and persecuted in Islamic nations such as in the Middle East or Pakistan. People are arrested, beaten, and even killed for their faith! Yet it is there that the Church thrives and is powerful! Think for a moment about this. This Easter Vigil, at St. Andrews, 5 people became Catholics! Glory to God! But think about this--in Communist Hong Kong, 100,000 people were baptised as Catholics at the Easter Vigil! Why, in a country where faith is outlawed, is it growing so astoundingly? Because they are aware of the War!
We here can be comfortable, complacent, and apathetic! We don't see the war, because the Devil has lulled us into a false sense of security. But little by little, he takes away our freedoms, and we let him! Abortions have no restrictions in this country, and haven't for 30 someodd years! Gay Marriage is being recognised and legitimised all over! Euthanasia is becoming more widely accepted! "Tolerance" is the buzzword when it comes to religion, and people are happy to be tolerant of everyone but Christians, because we dare, we have the audacity, the gall, to assert that there is an absolute truth, and His name is Jesus!
We need to wake up, to rise up, and to realise that God didn't give us His Grace for nothing. He didn't make us into New Creatures for nothing! He made us His Warriors, His Soldiers, and we need to take a stand for Him! We need to become History Makers for His Kingdom!
History Maker
Delirious? Words by Martin Smith
Is it true today
That when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and queens will shake?
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for You
Is it true today
That when people pray
We'll see dead men rise
And the blind set free?
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for You
I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into Your arms, into Your arms again
Into Your arms, into Your arms again
Yes it's true today
That when people stand
with the fire of God,
And the truth in hand
We'll see miracles,
We'll see angels sing
We'll see broken hearts
Making history
Yes it's true and we believe it
We're living for You
I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into Your arms, into Your arms again
Into Your arms, into Your arms again
Labels: St. Andrew's, Who We Are Instead
posted by Gregory at 10:40 p.m.
6 Comments:
Ah, wonderland... I wonder if I could say that a hundred more times?....
wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland wonderland.
P.S.
I typed all of those. No copying for me, I'm that bored.
Indeed.
For all who are wondering, the YG (and Dave) is going to Paramount Canada's Wonderland for Christian Day (also known as the Spring Celebration) on Saturday, May 21st.
There'll be 5 Christian bands playing (Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Delirious?, Kutless, and Lucerin Blue), as well as full access to the park!
Cost is $50. I need to know if you're going by May 18.
If you're interested, post here, email me at watchman317ca @ yahoo.ca, or call the Church at 905-844-3303, and I'll email you out a permission form!
Remember, May 18 deadline!
WOW! I counted and Dave really did type that a hundred times!! I heard it was fun but people kept getting lost! Any one die or come back hurt as a result of the trip?
Everyone came back in one piece, but Dez had a slightly sprained finger from paying too much attention to Dave and not enough to the hand rail.
We had a great time, and the concerts were awesome--except for Lucerin Blue. We weren't really too fond of them.
Other than that, Great Day!
We might go again sometime this summer for the rides without the concerts :D
GREG! I'M A SUPER-HERO!
Huh? Whazzat? Who's this?
Post a Comment
<< Home