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Rant on Racism

Where to even begin. The idea of racism was something was taught in middle school history class when we talked about the Civil War. We learned about slavery and how people would be abducted or sold by people in Africa and then shipped to the US like cargo only to be sold to the highest bidder. It always puzzled me how anyone could ever do this. How could you look at another person and think that you could buy and sell them? How could you look at someone and think that they are beneath you? How can someone simply see someone of different race and think, “they don’t deserve anything more than being beaten and forced to work for no pay”? That was what I had learned of racism. However now when I look at the subject I realize it is so much bigger than the things I learned in school. Whether or not you are looking for it, we see black people being abused by cops, government, and really by basically every kind of person. We as white people often decide to look at other issues and justify ...
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Silent Suffering of Christ

O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousne...
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Love and the church

The love of God should be evident in our lives and in our church. •First, what is love? Love is a misconstrued word in the English language. I can say that I love my mom and I can also say that I love chocolate cake. Just our use of the word love begs the question of what love truly is.  In Greek there are a few different words for love. First there’s mania which is actually more of a word for obsession than it is for love. Second there’s eros which is emotional love. Third, there is stodgy which is somewhat of a motherly love. Fourth there is phileo love which is of course brotherly love. And lastly there is agape love which is unconditional love, the love that we refer to as the love of God. We all experience these types of loves, and we all search for the eros love. We all want that feel good warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from having someone to share life with. That’s how God made us, He created Eve for Adam because He knew Adam would long for that kind of love and it wouldn...
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Ponder these things in your heart (Week 4 of Advent)

(Luke 1:26-38 ESV) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore t...
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Peace among those with whom He is pleased (Week 3 of Advent)

Luke 2:8-21 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a m...
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Dont Forget (Week 2 of Advent)

Prophets The prophets of the Old Testament told time and time again of the coming Messiah. Genesis 3:15 (I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.)  Isaiah 7:14 (Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.)  Isaiah 22:21 (and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.)  Isaiah 61:1-2 (The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;)...
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Waiting in anticipation (Week 1 of Advent)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. ...
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