John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God.
Drop down to John 1: 14 and we have "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
For those who need something rooted in the secular world, we have this example from 5th grade math.
If A = B and C = B then A = C
If the Bible is the Word and Jesus is the Word, then when you are holding the Bible in your hands, you are holding Jesus in your hands.
I believe this is a very powerful view. Now, I am not talking about the Book itself, but the Word.
A great reason to read The Bible. It is an intimate connexion with Jesus.
With that power, the power of the Word, the power of Jesus in our hands, we can feel our lives being transformed.
And it isn't easy in our world. A world where people believe you can fake it til you make it. No wonder people feel an emptiness with their success.
Some feel they don't deserve their success. Some feel like imposters--a complaint often voiced in self-help articles intended to empower us.
And no sooner than you read one book to help you feel better, then you're on to the next book because the first book failed to help you.
Diet books, get rich quick books, and self-help books do not work. If they did, then, as a nation, we would all be skinny, rich, and happy. But we're not. Not as a nation. As a nation we are fat, poor, and polarised. And our solution is to move on to the next book. All are false prophets.
We can try to fake it til we make it, but Jesus cannot be fooled.
In my own short parable on the theory of faking it:
You Can't Fool the Lion
Let's say you tell everyone you're a lion tamer.
Everyone believes you. They have no reason to doubt you.
Anyone with questions about lion taming comes to you. And you answer their questions with confidence and authority.
Then, one day, a lion walks into the room. And everyone panics.
They run to you to save them. And you panic.
Why?
Because you can't fool the lion.
The difference is, with Jesus there is Eternal Truth.
And there is forgiveness.
The message is simple:
Believe in Jesus
Trust in Jesus
Pray
Forgive
Read the Bible
Come to Church
Mark 11: 24-26
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them,and ye shall have them. Ahd when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
And in Matthew 21: 21-22
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 5: 23-24
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that they brother hath ought against thee: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciles to they brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Judge not that ye may be judged.
Matthew 7: 1-2
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measure to you again.
Holding Jesus, holding the Word, also means holding to the message. Adhering to the message.
Holding onto the Truth is holding to the Truth: to live the Truth.
Difficult? Yes.
Impossible? All too often.
But there is forgiveness.
Matthew 19: 24-26
And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.
That should be comforting.
Believe in Jesus
Trust in Jesus
Pray
Forgive
Read the Bible
Come to Church.
And, as Jesus said,
"Your faith has saved you."
Amen and God Bless.
Slim.
N.B. I do not have a Church, nor am I head of a charitable or non-profit organisation, nor am I a minister, and I never solicit donations or contributions and have no mechanism for same. If anyone calling himself Slim Fairview asks you to send a donation, it is not me. It is an imposter. Don't do it.
Please, for the sake of those in need, please give only to recognised Churches and recognised non-profit organisations. Tt is not about me. It is about others.
For that reason, please click the link: Salvation Army Week.
Thank you.
Slim.
The Gardens of LIfe
From the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane, the garden has played a crucial role in The Bible.
Now Jesus often spoke in parables. And in his parables He would use seeds, trees, gardens, fields, and wheat to make his messages understandable to the people. HIs messages were about Faith, doing His Father's will, and Salvation.
In The Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13, Jesus reveals why he speaks in parables.
When the disciples asked Jesus why he speaks in parables he replied in Matthew 13:10 I speak in parables because to you have been revealed the secrets of heaven. But to the people the secrets have not been revealed. And he tells them that he does this so they can understand.
In the Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:36, Jesus reveals that he is the sower.
And so it goes. The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Each a parable. Each using agriculture.
In the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus speaks of Salvation. "When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart" and goes on to explain how different people receive the Word of the Kingdom.
In the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus explains that it is He who sows the good seeds. The field is the world and the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom. The tares are the sons of the wicked. And in the end, the wheat will be gathered into the barn and the tares will be bundled up and burned.
Today, Jesus may have used different metaphors. Perhaps a factory where the machines have bad parts. A computer, infected with a virus. Nonetheless, after 2.000 years, the garden is as valid today as it was 2.000 years ago, to help us understand His message.
I mentioned in my previous message, that there is no worldly reason for me to find myself living a short walk to the Salvation Army Corps where I volunteer. I did not move here for work. I did not grow up in the area. However, as my Captain said, "Jesus puts us where he wants us."
Therefore, in addition to Jesus calling, in this case calling me to volunteer, the garden metaphor holds true. What I do, where I do it, is as if I am tending a garden. Sent out to work in the fields. Or ringing a bell during Red Kettle season.
But it's not about this life. It's about the next one.
And my main goal, as I go into the garden to work, is that I am one of the good seeds. Not one of the bad seeds. That at the Harvest, I am gathered up into the barn. And do not end up in the fire.
You have a blessed day and a blessed week.
May God bless us all.
Sincerely,
Slim
N.B. I do not have a Church, nor am I head of a charitable or non-profit organisation, nor a minister, and I never solicit donations or contributions and have no mechanism for same. If anyone calling himself Slim Fairview asks you to send a donation, it is not me. It is an imposter. Don't do it.
Please, for the sake of those in need, please give only to recognised Churches and recognised non-profit organisations. It is not about me. It is about others.
For that, please click the link: Salvation Army Week
Thank you.
Slim.
From Genesis
"Adam. Where are you?
"I heard your voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself."
Good question. Where are you?
Many of us, especially those with children ask the same question. "Where are you?" And those with children will be familiar with the answer. "I'm here."
However, in the garden, we have an entirely different situation. God, who knows all things, who knows the number of hairs on our head, who knew us before we were born, no doubt knows where Adam is.
While we can never know what is on the mind of God, we must wonder, why call? In our limited understanding, the only thing we can assume is because He wanted Adam to answer.
And so it is in our lives. Many times God calls us:
"If at first you hear him call, harden not your hearts."
Jesus calls on the disciples to follow him.
Jesus calls out to Lazarus.
Jesus calls out to His Father, Abba. Abba. Why have You forsaken me?
Many times Jesus calls on us. But not as often as we call on Jesus.
Several years ago, I began volunteering at the Salvation Army: In the food pantry, to shovel snow, to unload a truck, and eventually my Captain invited me to volunteer as a Bell Ringer. It is all easy enough. I live ninety seconds from the Corps. I have the number in my phone. When I receive a call, I see Army in the window. And many times I've been tempted to change Army to Jesus. Why? Because
Jesus is calling.
As the Captain has said on several occasions, Jesus puts us where He wants us. And there is no Earthly reason for me to be where I am. And the calls come.
We all remember the words, whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me. And we always hear the admonition in our heads. Feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick... "honour God with what goods you have and give always first fruits to God. Though few of us have barns and vats, and few of us if any slaughter fatted calves, the message is clear. As you measure out so will it be measured unto you. However, there is another side to giving.
At this point, let us look at the story of the widow's mite. The widow gives to Jesus all that she has.
And Jesus exalts her. This woman has given more than any of you. You gave from the excess of your largess. This poor woman gave all that she had.
True. But what finally struck me, on day is that Jesus took it. Jesus did not say, You keep it. He did not say you need it more than I do. He took it. And praised the widow before all present.
What made me think of this was the day a local company sent two of its senior people to volunteer at the Food Pantry.
As I was doing my routine duties, carrying groceries out to people's cars, they would ask, "Can we help?" And I would say, "Thank you, but that's all right. I've got it." Then, the woman who coordinated the activity came to me and said, nicely, but still, let them do something. And I did. And as they brought groceries out to the cars, I began to break down the cardboard boxes to bring them to the recycling bin. And they asked to help again. And I let them help again. This, because of a lesson I learned in my teens.
For several years, I was a member of a Youth Fellowship Group. Eventually, we graduated High School and left for college. Then we had a reunion. The new Youth Minister hosted the even at his home. Potluck. And I brought something in a casserole. When we were clearing up, I went into the kitchen to help by washing the casserole. And the Minister's wife rebuked me. "Cleaning up is my gift."
This is something I'd never heard anyone say before. This is my gift. I felt rebuked, yes, but also, I felt a bit ashamed. I was taking away her gift. Just as I denied the volunteers to help at the pantry.
When the discussion about poverty began to go public on radio and television, some professionals said, one of the greatest hardships of poverty is not what people don't have. It's what people can't give. What the poor can't give to their children, to their parents, siblings, spouses. Whenever we think about this, we routinely think of Christmas. The reason for that is because we usually think of these things only during the Christmas season. But giving is more than almsgiving.
One of the passages in the Bible that I would have had trouble with had I been a disciple is when Jesus washes the Apostle's feet. I can hear myself now, "That's okay, Jesus. Not necessary. I brought a pail of water with me. It's outside. No need." And I can hear Jesus, "Get thee behind me Satan. I'm trying to do something here. Something important. I'm trying to teach an important lesson: The last shall be first and the first shall be last. And the greatest among you will be the servant to all."
And this reminds me that there are still those who have little or nothing to give.
Jesus tells us, if you are having a feast, don't invite your family and your wealthy friends. They can invite you to their homes to repay you. Instead, invite the poor, the lame, the sick...those who have no means to repay you. You give them "meat and drink" to add a Dickensian flavour to the event. But what can they do for you. Nothing, as Jesus points out. Because you seek not to be repaid. it is not about you. It is about others.
When giving alms, do so in secret. Never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. And the Father who sees you giving in secret will reward you openly. Indeed. But remember: the gift of dignity.
If you drop a pencil, someone will pick it up. You will say, thank you. You won't say, just leave it. I can get it. If someone opens a door, you say, thank you. You don't say, just leave it. I can get it. What a sharp rebuke to someone doing the smallest kindness.
As Easter approaches, and not too long after, when Christmas is upon us, let us remember that those who have little or nothing to give, do have a hidden need. A need to give. Let us never be so uncharitable that we refuse to except the kindness and the gestures of those who can't repay others.
You have a blessed day and a blessed week.
May God bless us all.
Sincerely,
Slim
N.B. I do not have a Church, nor am I head of a charitable or non-profite organisation, nor a minister, and I never solicit donations or contributions and have no mechanism for same. If anyone calling himself Slim Fairview asks you to send a donation, it is not me. It is an imposter. Don't do it.
Please, for the sake of those in need, please give only to recognised Churches and recognised non-profit organisations. It is not about me. It is about others.
For that, please click the link: Salvation Army Week.
Thank you.
Slim.
