JESUS WAS HERE

One of my pet peeves is the wooden image of Jesus on a cross. I see it everywhere - hospital walls, street corners, bracelets, necklaces, rosaries, etc. It depresses and infuriates me in so many levels, very personal levels. Psychologically, venting is a good way to release harmful stress, so here goes:

First, it reminds me that humanity was a lost race, a failed experiment by God (remember Noah's Ark, the ultimate "back to the drawing board" moment). We are neck-deep in sin, which is not what most people think. Sin is our separation from God, willfully or subconsciously. You and I may not have committed the crimes worthy of capital punishment, but where is God when you check your email? Where is God when you go to work? School? Wherever? Whatever? Do you think about God at all? OK, do you think about God all the time, or is it just when you're sick, depressed, worried, angry or afraid? And if you're thinking God should NOT be in every aspect of our life, then you know you're a sinner. Because an ex-angel formerly known as Lucifer once said the same thing... and everyone who doesn't like God in the center ring of their lives can keep Lucifer (now called Satan) company in a little place God created to honor that free choice. The place is called Hell, and it's basically where God is not. Then came Jesus. You may know the story leading up to the wooden cross, but that's where most people stop... and that's what angers me. When people look at the broken figure mounted on their wall or dangling on their neck or limb, they sigh, get more depressed, probably do a sign of the Cross, then go about the rest of their day. I would like to ask any random person what they know about Jesus, and they would probably point to any one of the countless crucifixes in the world, and then I would like to shout, "WRONG!" and then tear the wooden man off the cross. BECAUSE HE'S NOT THERE ANYMORE.

Second: What did Jesus do that made him better than Buddha, or Muhammad, or the Pope, or the millions of so-called "gods"? Answer: He lived, died, THEN LIVED AGAIN. Read that sentence again. Slowly. Now look at the cross. Or one of those Christmas manger scenes. Or all the tombs in Jerusalem. Look at the Pope with his staff waving at the crowd - an old, albeit healthy man, with his Lord on a stick. So the choices are: "helpless, destitute baby in a feeding trough," or "shish kebobbed Savior"?!? Is there something wrong with this picture? Would YOU like to be remembered as the "rather heavy baby" or the "one in the handcarved mahogany casket"?

The King has left the building! And people don't seem to know that, or they got stuck at the cross. Or if they do, they don't think about it that often.

Oh you do, do you? Did you know that when Jesus died on the cross, He took YOUR punishment for divorcing God? When God gives you life and you think you're a "self-made" person, you think God doesn't have a right to take life back? You think you can save yourself? Did you think you created yourself? When Jesus died on the cross, He took YOUR Fall. Then He made sure that life will stick forever, by conquering death and resurrecting, fully restored, after three days of decomposition. Did you know that when Jesus lived again, He was showing you that death is no longer a fear factor? That Jesus, not Brad Pitt, was the first to send the message, "Immortality! Take it! It's yours!"

I bet you can recite John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." If that isn't transparently clear to you, I'll summarize. Believe Jesus (first, you might want to read the Bible to get a clue on who he is and what he did) and have a guaranteed ticket to Heaven, OR don't believe and...well.

Oh, you don't believe Jesus? You don't believe anything I said about Him or anything He claims to have done? That's OK. God gave us all free will. He cordially and freely allows you to GO TO HELL, where everyone else who ignored or rejected their Creator goes. God will of course remind you one day that you chose your destiny, with or without Him. And you will live with the consequences of your choice.

Forever.

THE REAL GODFATHER (La Cosa Nostra [our world] & God's world)

It's one of those mysteries in life when The Godfather became an international bonding mechanism among the male species. The mix of witty soundbites, sophistication, mystery, and unparalleled power and influence made Don Corleone the authority on most anything. OK, before I lose the attention of the eye-rolling female audience, let me get to the point: I soon realized that the Godfather is actually a weak, shoddily-made shard of a better Person (OK, now I lost the male audience, and possibly made a few enemies) - The original Godfather, or should I say God the Father.

Who else can top an eternally burning bush or a pillar of fire as a grand entrance? Who else can truly say that their Word is Law? Can we compare "sleeping with the fishes" with an army who had the Red Sea dropped on their heads? Who can be so mysterious that no ancient artist could quite paint a picture of His face?...

Segueway: The Italian Renaissance masters made Jesus look Italian, naturally, and a variation of Jesus exists practically in every race (which is weird, because Jesus wasn't a shape-shifter), or we go back to the old standby - the thin bony nose, gentle eyes, immaculately managed coiffure, with the optional "peace" hand gesture, divine spotlight and/or cradled lamb accessory. Jesus WAS Jewish, right? True, but "God is not an Israelite," as Willem Dafoe pointed out in the movie The Last Temptation of Christ. Otherwise, we'd be invited to His bar mitzvah, right?

Anyway, who can do a better "bada-bing, bada-boom" than Sodom and Gomorrah? Who can make a better "offer that you can't refuse" like the one between Heaven and Hell? Who else can confidently say, "You shall have no other gods before me"? Who can give up His Son to the mob, allow a grisly murder, then resuscitate His Son after three days, destroying the power of death forever, while dusting off His robe, staring coolly at Satan and saying, "What? Was that it? Was that the best you can do?"

I rest my case.

CAN I SAY "I DO"? (Marriage, Royal Priests & God)

I recently got unofficially disqualified as a marriage counselor by my friend because, in his words, "I wouldn't understand the situation until I got married."

Granted, even the apostle Paul warned believers that "...in marriage you will have many troubles, and I want to spare you of this." But I feel compelled to clear up some issues about marriage, specifically about marriage and priests - Royal Priests, to be really specific.

In the Old Testament, when God was beginning to set up His global operation, He called for certain men to be holy (literally meaning "set apart"). These men were to be His priests - servants, counselors, messengers, ambassadors. In those days the man in charge was Moses. God chose Moses' brother Aaron as high priest... and do you know who else would be priests? Aaron's SONS. Yep, Aaron was a family man. In fact, God set apart the BLOODLINE of Aaron, and this family would be churning out priests for the next millenia.

OK, you might say whatever you want at this point, but I'm just stating the facts. OK, fast forward to the New Testament. Do you know who the first Pope was? It was actually a linguistic slip-up. At one point, Jesus said "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." Translated, the name Peter actually means "small stone," not "rock." The Old Testament says "God is my rock and my shield," so Jesus was just giving Peter a heads-up that God is building his church, and that Peter just got drafted. Of course, the Catholic Church never got the memo, so the Apostle Peter became the first Pope. TRIVIA: St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is built literally on top of Peter's grave.

So what, you ask? Well, it's just that Peter was MARRIED. Oops. Mark 1:29-31 tells the story of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law. Now, you may wonder why Catholic priests take the vow of celibacy. The reason is the bloated structure of the Roman Catholic Church. "Huh?" you may say. Well, the center of the Catholic Church is the Pope, and by procedures and bylaws, only a celibate priest can become Pope. If you allow priests to marry, there won't be anyone left qualified to become Pope. No more Pope, no more Catholic Church.

Bummer. Anyway, Royal Priests know the vow of celibacy is a prerequisite only if I'm Catholic, which I'm not. But that doesn't mean I'm going to crash Spring Break parties, ignoring the Bible and saying, "I'm actually just a friar, so..."! Marriage is holy and should be respected by all, and the marriage bed must be kept sacred. Plus that whole "Be holy, for I am holy" commandment and the less popular, more demanding "Be ye perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect." It's an embarrasing day when we realize fans of worldly people can imitate their idols, and we Christians don't even try to live up to the standards of God, to show we idolize the perfect Person. Read the Bible and ask yourself, What Would Jesus Do?

So... what's my point with all this? Am I just feeling lonely? Am I looking for a "special friend"? Yikes. No. Just clarifying facts, as well as providing food for thought. Just reminding y'all that a Royal Priest is just a Christian that wants to take his faith to the next level. So get your facts straight. Know WHAT you believe, and WHY you believe.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GOD IS LOVE!

"But once love has been stripped away, then we see the real person clearly. They're revealed to us with all their flaws, their foibles, and their secrets." - Lionel Luthor

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who was having serious marital problems. Actually it wasn't much of a conversation because his opinions were as set as his jaw.

I tried the diplomatic, unbiased approach befitting a Royal Priest:
"YOU MADE A PROMISE TO GOD! A HOLY VOW! IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE? AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN!" I shouted (obviously). Not much finesse there, I admit. But it confused me, to say the least. Here was a man who claimed to have read the Bible cover to cover, professed his faith to others, getting other people to know Jesus (including me, btw) - and yet here he was now, quoting loopholes in the Bible which, he says, absolves him from sin and allowing his selfish plot to proceed.

I take a deep breath and remember that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood" before I pummel him, then I say, "Love -"

Immediately he cuts in, "Love is just a feeling. You lose it after a few years. You wouldn't understand."

I grit my teeth and try again. "Love one another-"

"That only applies to believers. Jesus said that to his disciples, and it's not applicable here. That woman is a devil, or influenced by one, I tell you," he replies.

I sigh, and give it another go. "Love your neighbor."

"Neighbors are OK, I haven't seen them for a while anyway... I avoid them, to tell you the truth. I spend more time working indoors. But a person you see every day... when you get married for a few years, you come back and talk to me, huh?" He glances at me with a smirk.

One more shot: "Love your enemies."

At this point he looks away, fidgeting his feet, then says to me, "You're selfish. You don't care about me, how I feel. How it affects my walk with God. I'm not God, you know. A few years is enough to bear." He looks at his feet, and appears genuinely sad.

After he says this, I give him the clincher: "Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and anyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. He WHO DOES NOT LOVE KNOWS NOT GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE. Beloved, let us love one another." - 1 John 4:7-8

My friend mutters, "You don't understand," then asks me to leave.

The problem is I DO understand. I understand I just gave him a rundown of the Law of God according to Jesus, and he spat in God's face. I understand that this person was actually the selfish one, putting his personal needs in center stage before God's perfect law. I understand that God is love, and if love is just a feeling, then we're all going to Hell, because GOD IS LOVE.

True, I'm a priest and the marriage argument is a low blow. But I know that if you start with yourself, you make the world revolve around you, and that includes the Word of God. You end up like my friend, looking for loopholes and omitting the commandments and anything that doesn't agree with you. It almost made me want to say, "Leave God's Word out of this. You want to deceive yourself to make yourself feel good, that's your choice. But don't corrupt or distort God's Word. It's perfect just as it is."

Can you imagine if God agreed with some of you and believed that love was "just a feeling"? Imagine God, sitting on His Throne on Judgment Day, saying, "Yes, Jesus died because I loved you, but after the first few years, I felt we lost our connection. You're not the same person. I'm sorry, you'll have to leave. Go to Hell, because I don't want you here in Heaven with me anymore." Perish the thought! I'm guessing some of you might like God better if He was more like us humans, but God is the same "yesterday, today and forever." We humans get tired, bored and sick of things and people, but God doesn't. I used to keep thinking God makes the sunrise and sunset everyday because He never gets tired of it. It's a perpetual encore presentation. There are things in the deepest oceans or in outer space that we might never see, but God keeps it there. God doesn't get bored and say, "You know what? Pluto is too far away to be admired, I should just scrap it." No! In the same way, every person is like the whole world to God - from before you were born to beyond the grave, you will be on His Mind forever.

So, what do we do when we run out of love? Do we grit our teeth and grumble, "God help me, I'm going to love that- that person even if it kills me." No. Remember, GOD IS LOVE. Get to know God first, because He's got a lot of love to give. When you learn how to get close to God, His love pours out on you, and ONLY THEN can it overflow to others. Remember what my friend said about what Jesus said about love? He didn't let me finish. Jesus said, "Love one another, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU." We won't find love inside ourselves. We can probably find compassion, pity, affinity, mercy, and attachment - but those have its limits. If you are a bucket, God is a reservoir dam. If you are a faucet, God is Niagara Falls. So if you're looking for love for yourself or others, look for God. He would just love to see you.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." - 1 John 4:10

A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT

"The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him..." - 2 Chronicles 16:9a

What is commitment? What are its rewards? Why does God want us to be committed to Him?

A friend of mine postponed a career in music to transfer to his girlfriend's university... before being unceremoniously dumped. Another friend abandoned her dreams of becoming independent by transferring to her boyfriend's country of choice. I personally surrendered my heart at one point to a girl, only to discover the crushing limits of human reality.

Commitment always involves sacrifice, and always magnifies its cost over its ultimate price. It always seems harder during the journey than at the final destination.

For some, this is realized in marriage. After a few years down the road, the initial gloss and sheen fade, the quirks and irritants surface, and irreplaceable treasures are discovered. The primary goal of "loving, giving...'til death do us part" becomes a memory to reminisce and perhaps relive to the end, or a pleasant dream some wish to wake up from.

For some, commitment is evident in their professional lives. From entry-level to president, the road is arduous and requires monumental patience and endurance. The day-to-day rigors of work wear down a person's will and identity, reducing some to automaton shells, others to finely forged empire-builders.

God promised to strengthen those fully committed to Him, but we all know how fickle we are, how impatient we can be in any relationship. How much do we want this strength God offers? Why would we be willing to devote ourselves completely?

To quote Ewan McGregor's imperturbable character Edward Bloom in the movie "Big Fish:" "What I recall of Sunday school was, that the more difficult something became, the more rewarding it was in the end." In this case, it's true. Any material thing can strengthen our ego - a car, a toy, good food - but in the end it doesn't fill in all the gaps. A friend can strengthen us with a kind word or a comforting gesture, but a friend can accompany us always, and even the greatest human friend needs their own source of strength. God, being the nuclear bomb equivalent of love and strength, can guarantee 100% performance all the time. Complete commitment.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is this: God is already fully committed to you. He's not just sitting on a cloud, sending greeting cards. God created you, owns you, wrote the story of your life. God saved you before you knew Him through Jesus Christ. Now God is proposing to you, popping the ring, sending out invitations. God is "searching the whole earth." For you.

The only question left is, Do you want to be found?

THE ERA OF BIG MIRACLES IS OVER?

I'd like to believe in big miracles. When I say "big miracles," I mean those with the magnitude and power of Biblical proportions. From the biggest miracle of all - Creation - to the last Biblical miracles - Paul's death-defying wonders and John's miraculous revelations. In between we have The Great Flood, The Plagues, the prophets, the kings, the battles, The Virgin Birth, Jesus, His Death and Resurrection. And one thing that stuck with me was one of Jesus' great promises: "All this and more you will do."

All this. AND More. Now, God made a lot of big promises in the past, but this one is the biggest to me, because it's the most personal. He promised each and every one of us to be a vessel of Jesus-level miracles. AND More. God said He can do all things, and that nothing is impossible for Him, but why does the evidence of these impossible feats seem to be missing?

Sure, you don't have to tell me about the everyday, ordinary miracles (cue Sarah McLachlan) - the earth staying on its orbit, the sunrise and sunset, plants and animals and me waking up the next day thanks to God. But Jesus promised MORE. And after all, what is the Royal Priesthood but those Christians who are looking for the "life...to the full" that Jesus came to bring? God can transfer mountains to the sea, but I really just need to find a place of my own. God can pull a coin out of fish to pay taxes, but my accountant just shakes her head. God can feed 5,000 and do an encore presentation, but "fasting" has become a lifestyle of necessity for me. God can tell a fruitless fig tree to wither, but when I tell someone to "Drop dead!"... I'm kidding.

Still, this war with the Devil is messing up our divine lines of communication. Worse, it's making it seem that God is either sleeping, laughing or defeated. Which is, of course, WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. God's timing, I admit, is famous for being last-minute spectaculars (think Lazarus dead for three days before his comeback) , but I think that's a clue. Faith according to God is a never-ending heart attack during a rollercoaster ride. Yes, Royal Priests are spiritual thrill-seekers. In God's words, "My grace is sufficient for you." Sure, God can still do big miracles, but faith is stronger when you don't have proof. As Robert Langdon said, "Faith requires me to take a leap of faith." As Jesus said, "Blessed are those who believe but do not see." So...yikes.

In the end, big miracles have their time and place. If everyone who found God was given license to do big miracles, we'd have a million "Bruce Almighty"s running around wreaking havoc. As Rick Warren and Max Lucado remind us, "It's not about you." It's about God. Who's the Creator here? Ouch. Yes, the truth does hurt. And may get me imprisoned for tax evasion. But in that situation, one big miracle I take comfort in is when God sprung Paul out of prison.

LOSING IT - Fasting & God

I give up. Fasting, I mean. It's not working for me - at least, in the way I hoped it would. I thought fasting (or the abstinence from something, usually food and drink) would bring me closer to God, improve my health, and speed up prayer responses.

Well, technically, fasting was effective. But it wasn't the way I planned, so I still consider it a failure for me. Yes, I developed a stronger constitution and a greater discipline over my body, and I received revelations from God and developed an intimacy through the experience. But when it came to the prayer responses, well...

I am a fasting connoisseur, if I do say so myself. I have been fasting regularly since way, way back. I can assure you that once you get past the first few days, it totally gives you a new perspective on life, if not only food. Yes, the first few days can be likened to a rehab detox procedure (not that I would know that personally, mind you) - the shakes, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness, and a plethora of bodily functions to amuse you for hours on end. Silly me, I first tried fasting without reading up on it, and I thought I was dying. Actually, I was just getting rid of the nasty stuff in my body. You know, preservatives, MSG and other fantastic chemicals. I did mention developing a stronger stomach, right? That is a big victory for me, because my stomach used to be pickier than Epicurus. The problem was, it would reject food that I consider OK. So this iron stomach I got was a definite perk.

The last time I fasted lasted 22 hours - that's a total fast, no food or water. This is weak compared to my longest fasts - one week according to my mother (I was too weak to count the days), and four days (this time I counted). During this time I encountered disturbing revelations, almost as if I accidentally came across God's all-knowing mind (which is a psychedelic trip, even if it's a living nightmare. I'll just say "Who knows the mind of God?" and leave it at that). In every case, I was shown the horrible consequences of my requests - if granted, they would result in a cosmic balance, usually death or some other type of loss. It brought to mind Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son, Jesus' teaching of "to those who are given much, much more will be demanded of him," and Paul's "thorn in the flesh," given to him by God to "keep him humble from... ever-increasing revelations." At every instance, the escalating horror of a future torment directly caused by my selfishness stopped me from continuing my fast. This is why I have not exceeded a week.

Moreover, science shows that a human body cannot survive more than a week without water. With this fact in place, I can only assume that these fearful premonitions are "the angels with flaming swords" guarding "the garden of Eden" or God's realm. That was a curious thing, though. When Adam discerned good from evil, they were banished because there was a Tree of Life that would have made Adam a god. God himself confirmed that this potential for divinity was the reason for man's exile in the book of Genesis. Besides this, the Devil would do everything to stop us from escaping Hell. As long as we live in this world, the Devil's playground, he has a chance to lead any battle-damaged Christian to the easy street, away from God. If you watched the movie "Constantine," one thing that rings true is that Satan hates anyone slipping through his fingers. In the movie and the graphic novel, Constantine plays these aspects of God and the Devil to gain a form of invincibility. But of course, I'm not trying to be John Constantine.

Or am I? The problem with fasting is that you really can't set a time limit. I have heard stories of people who tried the Moses/Jesus fast (40 days) and...were unsuccessful. They died. Others try the Daniel Fast (no sweets, no treats) and get weak results. In the Bible, Copernicus was visited by an angel after 4 days of fasting and prayer, while Elijah was visited after a day's journey. David's fasting didn't work and his son still died, and Daniel fasted for three weeks (!) because the angel got delayed. You have to remember that fasting lets you tap into the invisible world, and this world you tap into is at war. It has been war since the Beginning, and will remain at war until Jesus returns. In the meantime, angelic troops are spread thin and are engaged in combat with enemy troops, supplies are running low and God may say no to you in favor of Christian soldiers in more dangerous locations.

That's it in the end. That's the reason why I quit fasting, at least not the True Fasting taught by Isaiah. True Fasting I can probably manage. Anyway, God is either delayed or said 'no' to my request, or I'm too scared of all these horrific consequences. No wonder Constantine was a chain smoker. And alchoholic.

Not to use reverse psychology on God, but to abandon fasting and embrace life could work in my favor. Jesus said, "Those who save their lives will lose it, and those who lose their lives for my sake will find it." Well, since fasting doesn't seem to work, living life would either kill me or make me immortal.

Truthfully, I'm just going to go live my life. And if a godsend like a mugger shows up brandishing a pistol, then I can say "Stealing and murder is a sin. Repent!" before he kills me. Hey, at least I read the mugger his rights. Then God and I can have our overdue chat. I'll begin by saying, "Thank you for putting me out of my misery, Lord. Now, about my request..."

IN GOD WE...DON'T MIND HOPING (Money & God)

Jesus lived with his mom for thirty years. Sure, he continued in his dad's footsteps and became a carpenter (he got sentimental when he made wooden crosses), but if Jesus was a normal guy, he would have been expected to move out earlier, right?

Three years on the road, and Jesus got his exit visa. You Are Now Leaving Earth, Destination: Heaven. The disciples staring at their Saviour were most likely thinking, "Now What?". Because Jesus is the Son of God, so it's really more of a royal visit - like when the President or the Queen drops by your town. Same principle applies: They're loaded. So they can spout economic reforms and "endurance during times of crisis and poverty and hardship," but afterwards they'll have the chef prepare vichysoisse and caviar.

I'm not angry with Jesus. I just wished He could have given us something more than "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven," or "Blessed are the poor..." or "Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear"... it all just sounds unrealistic. I mean even the Lord's Prayer is insane: "Give us this day our daily bread"? What about tomorrow's bread? Or bread for last week's rent, or the end of the month? But Jesus went back to lambast the Jewish politicians and said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." That's OK if you're the Son of God with your own kingdom, but what about the rest of us? Here's a thought that struck me once:

The prostitute who poured perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped it with her hair. Sure her sins are forgiven, but she's still unemployed. She would have needed the money the next day, and she may have thought twice about not selling the perfume instead. Yes, reality strikes. For us Royal Priests, it's a doozy of a dilemma. Improving the quality of life for beggars, prostitutes, ex-criminals and other homeless and helpless people requires more than repentance. They need government support, education, and job opportunities to escape the rat race.

And this is the scary part about faith. It doesn't really make sense when aligned side by side with reality in this Fallen World. God is focused, though, in making sure you get the REAL reality (cue Neo), on the right side - Heaven, not Hell. God is focused on getting you to Heaven, safe and sound. So what about now? Well...bad news.

When a rich pious guy wanted to show off to Jesus one day, Jesus told him to sell everything and follow Him. Of course, the rich guy refused. The rich guy could give to the church, or feed the poor, or STAY ALIVE and be respected and accepted by society by not being a bum and preach God's Word. Jesus mentioned a poor widow who gave two pennies to the church, noting that the twopence was all she had. God is an "all or nothing" kind of God. Demanding, much?

Take a closer look at the lives of the followers of Jesus. They were gatecrashers, pilgrims, vagrants, beggars. The only exception is Paul, who said "Who does not work, does not eat." Thank God for Paul, the most modern and sensible of the Christians. It's just sad because it all falls short of Jesus' "coin in the fish" tax money, or the "feed the 5,000" buffet. Sure, God made clothes for Adam and Eve and makes sure flowers are attired appropriately. Sure, God feeds the ravens and other members of the animal kingdom. Sure, God considers us more important. But...now what?

The love of money may be the root of all evil, but a dead Christian is of no use to anyone, is he? Well, there's Jesus. He's still popular. As John the "locusts and honey" Baptist said (before he got beheaded), "He must become more, I must become less." Well, THAT's reassuring. Thanks a lot.

The Apostle Paul (who survived because he was a tentmaker) got the right summary when he said that if it wasn't for the fact that we are going to Heaven instead of Hell, we would be rightfully pitied by all men. God help us, that golden calf looks mighty tasty, though. Altogether now, "Man shall not live by bread alone..."

THE KINGDOM WITHIN (Science & God, part 1)

The New Physics tells us that matter is energy. Einstein's equation and quantum physics tell us that "molecules vibrating" plus "electronic fields" equal "level of solidity."

What the heck am I doing teaching science in a priesthood? Well, before you light the heretic torches, let me explain. Jesus said that if you believe or have faith you can move a mountain. The laws of electromagnetism show that the mountain is composed of electromagnetic energy and can be affected with a focused energy. So faith, in a "focused energy" sense, has a strong scientific basis.

"Surrendering to God" can allow intuition to move in, and as a Christian recognizing the Holy Spirit, this can be a powerful creative force. A nod to Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" theory, and a sideways glance at George Lucas' "The Force." But no, this is NOT New Age stuff. God is a living God, and cannot be lessened to any degree. The problem is we only see glimpses of God at any point in time, and to behold his full glory would kill us (this is the reason why Israel's High Priest enters the Holy of Holies with a rope around his ankle... so his corpse can be pulled out in case God decides to drop by).

"The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21 couldn't be more clear about Jesus' assurance. Surrendering to God is an active choice that has benefits. Remember that Jesus is the Way, so you won't get lost in all the similar, confusing beliefs of the world, scientific or spiritual. "Narrow is the way to life, and few find it," according to Christ. Stick to Jesus, and start moving mountains.

LET'S TALK ABOUT...NUMBERS (Parental Guidance is advised)

I sleep less frequently nowadays. Like Daniel in the Old Testament, I receive most divine messages through dreams. This morning was a doozy. But first, a warning: If you're a child, you might want to ask your parents or someone older to read this blog first, before you do. OK? I have enough trouble with my dreams.

The dream starts with me in a nondescript room. I can't describe it because this is one of those dreams where I am a detached observer. Plus the fact that two blackboards take up the whole wall. Two friends, a boy and a girl, are observing the writing on the boards. It's like a scorecard - A graph containig days of the week and numbers, from 0 to 9. Not all the spaces are filled, but most are.

The boy shuffles and stares at his feet, embarassed at the numbers revealed to the girl. The girl looks, and sees mostly 1's and 2's. She grins, and says, "See, it's not too bad." She then gestures to her board, and it's filled with more numbers distributed about, and she blushes at the frequency of the numbers 0 and 9. Now, those of you who know "the four bases" get what this dream is all about by now. In this case, I assume they divided the four bases into subcategories, to get 10 levels of intimacy. Yes, this is about sex.

The shock I felt that accompanied the girl's confession about 0's and 9's is not brought about by some repressed chauvinism. It's the fact that I know a girl who hinted at this truth, but seeing that I was young and it would damage her reputation, she simply said "I never did anything that would lead to pregnancy." Isn't that the common justification for adultery and unholiness everywhere?

To clarify, all of us go through puberty. Lord knows, THAT was a challenge for a Royal Priest like me. But the shock from the dream was brought about because I am fond of and have great respect for that clever friend I mentioned. In a way, I tried to deceive myself so as not to jeopardize our friendship. But now, given this revelation, I find it is not the proper conduct of a Royal Priest to pass judgment. That's God's job. And even Jesus saved the adulteress from a brutal death. "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more," he said. If my King desires "mercy, not sacrifice" then I should oblige. We are here to offer God's salvation, not His revenge. There will be a time when those who ignore God's desire for holiness and purity receive a just punishment. Justice must be regarded for those of us who strive for God's outrageous "not even a hint" standards. We get saved by God's grace, but are rewarded by works. Yes, the bloodstained robe of our King will trample those who did not turn to Him for clemency before the End. But not yet. There is still time.

Impatience, a lack of self-discipline, and idolatry cause most sexual sins. Focusing on a person as the object of love instead of God leads to inevitable culmination. Books by Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl, Not Even A Hint) have been a great help to me regarding love, sex and marriage. I advise you to read them. Books by Max Lucado (Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, books 1 and 2) helped me grow closer to our Lord. Add it to your list.

In a nutshell, God wants us to know that sex is good because He created it. BUT it was created in the context of marriage, as the consummation of a vow to be joined together forever. To give that vow with your body to just anyone, without the commitment, will be hazardous to your soul's health. It robs your future spouse of true intimacy, it robs you of purity and holiness, it robs you of true love. C.S. Lewis once commented that we are satisfied too easily. But God knows our weaknesses, and invites us to take the higher path, before it's too late. Selfish pursuits ALWAYS leads to self destruction. In the end, God wants us all to be saved - even from ourselves.

SWEET SURRENDER

To be with God forever... always sounds like an unfulfilled life to me. In a worldly point-of-view, the act of submission and surrender always seems synonymous with "loser" or "failure." But in my heart I know it's a battle between my ego and my soul... a matter of personal pride, a sinful residue, a remnant of The Fall. God doesn't do what's good for me, He does what's best for me guided by omniscience and omnipotence. In a heavenly point of view, enjoying God is the best privilege and gift anyone can ask for. The only biting, stinging sorrow in me is the love of God overflowing through me. It is the Apostle Paul's paradox when he said, "What I want to do, I do not do." Filled with God's affinity with mankind, I long to see the nations saved, and I desire that "none perish, but that all come to know the truth." That's the dream anyway, both mine and God's. We also know that there are certain people who are called - and answer that calling. But more importantly, we both know that God sent Jesus to set us all free, and we are free to choose to be with or without God. That freedom, in the end, causes us to cry out, "It is not who is called, but who will listen?" Tell the story. The Greatest Story Ever Told has not been told for quite a while. It is history, His Story, God's story. It is a love story, of a divine Groom pursuing His Bride to the ends of the earth, through Hell and back, to the outskirts of eternity. It is our story, a story of finding our way home, even though we start out not knowing we were lost in the first place. We know there is more to us, to life. We try to gain it back by improving ourself, by building Heaven on Earth, the millenium version of the Tower of Babel. But after a lifetime of endless pursuits, we come face to face once more with our Maker. And what will matter to Him most is if we were running home or running away. Because being "Our Father in heaven," He hopes we come to our senses in time and find Him waiting with open arms. I know I did, and He helps me remember that Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, life to the full." Not at all the "unfulfilled life" I was dreading. Not at all. In fact, it's unimaginably, magnificently more than I could have ever dreamed possible.

THE PROBLEM OF CHOICE (Of Free Will & Salvation)

Two men hung on a cross beside Jesus. Both men were found guilty by the courts and were sentenced to death. As they hung waiting for the end, they began saying “cruel things to Jesus” (Matthew 27:44). One of them said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.”

But the other one of stopped him. He said to the other man, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

But what about the other man? Why didn’t Jesus try to convince him, try to save him?

Although God is all-powerful, he gave us free will. Sometimes He may try to use suffering to stir us, or blessings to lure us. But sometimes God is silent, to allow us to freely choose our eternal destiny – Heaven or Hell, to be with God or apart from Him forever.

= = =

If you use your mouth to say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved.
Romans 10:9-10

FRIEND, WE ALL HAVE AN ENEMY (Of the Devil & His Evil Ways)

Who overcomes By force hath overcome but half his foe.
-John Milton (1608 - 1674), Paradise Lost

I have never been to a physical war. I cannot comprehend the sheer terror gripping one’s heart in the middle of nowhere, with only a stranger at your side sharing your fear. I can’t imagine the emptiness one feels after his first murder, after he watches a fellow man die, after the war ends.

I have never been to a physical war, and I hope you and I never do. But we ARE in a war – and this war has been going on forever. We cannot escape this war, because not only are we the soldiers, but we are also the prize. This is a spiritual war.

The most dangerous enemy is that which is not known, and we DO have an enemy. And our enemy is not just the school bully, or the corrupt bureaucrat, or the oppressive superior, but The Enemy of God Himself – The Devil. And once again let me remind you: The most dangerous enemy is that which is not known, and the Devil has made it top priority that we scoff and laugh at his existence, so that he can walk among us unnoticed. Just because we don’t believe in the Devil doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.

The Devil is a unique creature, and cannot be underestimated. Originally created as the most perfect angel of God, he tried to take over Heaven and was exiled, along with his angel followers. Now known as the Devil and his demons (among other names), they sought to conquer Earth because it was given to mankind (the children and image-bearers of God). By convincing the first man and woman to disobey God, the Devil gained legal ownership of the Earth and became its present ruler. Let me make this clear: We are living in Satan’s territory right now. Although Jesus has “overcome the world,” the final reclaiming of the Earth won’t happen until Jesus returns. This is why we are instructed to be pilgrims on Earth, and why Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world.” Only by dying can Jesus pay the price for our disobedience to God, and only by accepting Jesus as our Savior can we hope to avoid the same exile (known as Hell) from God.

Our Enemy has only one purpose: to claim as many people as he can, and deny us of God forever. Throughout history we have been caught in the crossfire between these kingdoms. The Devil has all his armies and weapons targeted at us, and he’s not smiling. He remembers that we were originally designed to be perfect reflections of God, and that we were called to be God’s children and rule the Earth. He remembers that he was once perfect, and that if he goes down, then he’ll bring as many as he can with him. He makes us downplay our importance, and makes us forget who and what we are. He makes us forget we are in a war, and we grow to accept the hardship of life as normal, instead of the relentless attack of our eternal Enemy. He makes us think that even though we did not create ourselves, we can create our own destiny.

He makes us forget that we have a way out, that God Himself sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins and save us and restore our lives to the full AND guarantee us full pardon, blessings and eternity with God.

Whether we eat or drink or pray or work or whatever we do, the Devil has an attack. We can get sick, we can get fired, we can get disappointed or angry or oppressed in a million ways without realizing we are under attack. Unless we accept this fact, we as people are helpless victims. We as Christians are sheep to be slaughtered – we no longer wish to be part of the lost world, but after accepting Christ’s salvation we don’t want to accept the conflict we are in.

Today I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses. I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live.
Deuteronomy 30:19

WIN, LOSE OR DIE (The Prayer of James Bond)

I just started reading John Gardner’s James Bond novel “Win, Lose or Die.” First, I know it seems odd for a priest to indulge in such a “worldly” piece of fiction, but then God did not have to come into the world as Jesus Christ and save the world, either. I could go so far as to recite John 3:16: “For God so loved the WORLD…” but that would be too obvious. Second, too much disconnection sounds too Pharisaical for me, in any case. Anyway, “Win, Lose or Die” seemed a captivating title, since a relationship with God always ends with those choices – and I should know that now, more than ever. Oh, and third: I would think the novel finishes with a happy ending for Bond, just like the outcome of correct prayer.

Asking God for anything in prayer and in Jesus’ name always seems straightforward, until you start factoring in the fact that even Jesus asked God for a Plan B in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39) when God answered, but Jesus accepted His destiny and purpose-driven death anyway. God knew that Jesus’ death would save the world from Hell, so it was a no-brainer, unless you were Jesus at the time. The key to answered prayer is to prioritize. Start with asking God what He wants (knowing that God IS God – all-knowing, so He knows what you want and what’s best for you; all-powerful, so He can put his foot where His mouth is; loving, so there’s no better Person to talk to, etc. etc.), and going from there (Psalm 37:4).

BTW, saying a thousand “Our Father”s won’t help if you can recite it in your sleep. If you were in front of God, would you think He’ll take you seriously if you asked him a question or favor sleepily or absentmindedly?

RISE OF THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

The Royal Priesthood: Why, What, When and How?

It began one day when I stumbled upon a Biblical verse:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

I noticed that 1 Peter was written as a letter to pilgrims. Pilgrims are people who go on a special journey, usually religious. Pilgrims are also people who are “just passing through,” as they say, not belonging to any particular nation or denomination. The Apostle Peter continues to say that as Christians, we should be pilgrims in the world since we are children of God, citizens of heaven. That simplified my point of view.

I thought to myself, “The Apostle Peter is saying that all Christians are not ‘just Christians’, but that we are carefully picked out to “proclaim the praises” of God. That’s a lot more than just the standard “pray, do good and go to church” attitude I’ve learned from society… which is, needless to say, booooooring. I mean, compare Christianity with Islam, Buddhism, or any other religion. We’re embarrassing, because they know they’re different, with different beliefs and faith and purpose. Their organized discipline is seen in the way they think and live.

Now, Christians weren’t always this docile. They didn’t call it The PASSION of the Christ for nothing. Jesus was persecuted, burdened and crucified for being powerfully vocal and uniquely rebellious, and so did the other early Christians. Yes, throughout the years we had to be discreet because a Christian understood that he or she had a very short life expectancy, but eventually we got comfortable and complacent with just sitting down and being spoon-fed Church & Society Status Quo 101. The Enemy has kept Christ on the cross instead of being risen again, so we see a helpless man on crucifixes instead of a victorious God in Heaven. We can pray the prayers, do the sign of the cross instinctively, but now only out of tradition.

The Royal Priesthood recognizes that we are just here for a little while, but our focus should be our true home – Heaven, with our Savior and Lord Jesus (who, may I remind you, is alive and more powerful than ever). Understanding that we are merely ambassadors of Christ on Earth, we are free from worries and fear, and we can focus on knowing, loving, and serving God. Not to mention “proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out”… God wants us to broadcast the Light of the world with a candle doused in rocket fuel.

The Royal Priesthood seeks to set people free from self-centered lives that end up becoming insufficient and dissatisfying. Only with a realignment of our point of view and priorities can we realize the fullness of life, love, purpose and pleasure of a God-centered life. Think about it: Who do you think originally invented life, love, purpose and pleasure? Do you really think man made itself and the universe?

WHAT'S UP WITH THEE

Hello, my friend. Come – and fear not, you may find the answers you’re looking for here, perhaps even peace and freedom (though that does sound like a tall order – I wouldn’t blame you if you think it sounds a bit deluded, political or cheesy). The road to true life is so narrow it’s almost invisible, the hour is so late that it’s early, and the Royal Priesthood’s mission is daunting, if not impossible to say the least. “Go and make disciples of all nations,” my King said to me, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” I was told to teach these new disciples to obey all the commands He gave us, and assured us that He would be with us always. (Matthew 28:20)

My first reaction, naturally, was “Riiiiiight.” Then I quickly roll my eyes (no, God didn’t smite me with a lightning bolt or blindness for my irreverence). But as I turn to walk away, I see in the distance the empty tomb, the vacant bloody cross with its accessories (crown of thorns, six-inch nails, “Jesus, King of the Jews” bumper sticker) and even further back I see the empty manger. I suddenly think, “Jesus, you really did it,” literally and with all due respect. You can almost see Jesus sit on His throne, dust off His lapels with a pierced hand, and look down at Satan, saying “Is that all you got?”

Don’t let those words, “priest” or “disciple” scare you. This is no ragtag recruitment agency, nor is it another hokey scam, religion or cult. I prefer to think of us as freedom fighters and free thinkers under God. “Christian hedonists,” as John Piper would say. To enjoy life, freedom, love, peace, and pleasure by knowing God – and helping others do the same – is our goal here. We’re here to destroy the stereotypical images of bored, harp-plunking winged dead guys on clouds, holy instruction manuals that would manufacture paranoid automatons, and a halo-faced, underweight carpenter hammered to a cross seemingly ad infinitum.

It is always easier said than done, but I trust in Him to do His thing.

GREETINGS

Welcome, my friend. And you are a good friend for visiting, for my enemies would be too busy plotting my downfall. Ha! Well, fear not, for God is always with us – even to the end. I’m afraid, though, that the blog is still a work in progress – in the same way that God slowly but surely shapes us into the person we are destined to be, eh?

I’m sure you’re wondering what this “Royal Priesthood” business is all about – after all, you know very well I don’t have an ounce of royal blood in me! Get comfortable then, and let me tell you. I was told of a person who lived a long time ago, said to be the Son of God himself! Well, of course at first I could hardly believe it, but circumstances led me to believe the evidence of His existence...even up to this day.

I’ve had a strange feeling in my heart all my life that something was missing, something unexplainable, something … more. Upon learning more about this God Man, this Jesus of Nazareth, I came to the conclusion that He had the solution after all! He knew that we all felt separated in our own ways, and He said it was a separation from God, from some obscure debacle a long time ago. He said He came to give us “life to the full” and “peace, joy and love,” so I said, Why not? But there was a problem.

He explained that since God was – and still is – holy and perfect, only someone equally holy and perfect could be reunited with him in a wonderful place called Heaven. I’m not so naïve not to admit that nobody’s perfect. But because we’ve been separated from God since birth, our only destination was death. Since Jesus was the Son of God (and is holy and perfect – like Father, like Son!), and because God loves us so much, He was willing to take our place by dying – and then He conquered death for us and lived again after three days! Imagine that! Now we have full clearance to enjoy the full life that God offers, plus a guarantee that we’ll be with God in Heaven after we die! At that time we’ll enjoy life, love, peace and joy forever!

I, of course said, “Sign me up!” but Jesus said there are no contracts to sign since He was promoting holy freedom, balanced by God’s grace and Laws. We only needed to ask for forgiveness for our sins (our ignorance of God and His Laws), and accept Jesus as our Savior, living peacefully, joyfully and freely, in gratitude to God by obeying His Laws.

Whew! So much for the premise, I thought it couldn’t get any better but I found an announcement in the Bible (The Word of God):

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

This follower of Jesus, Peter was his name, said that we were royalty! Then I remembered that Jesus said His “kingdom was not of this earth,” just before He died. If Jesus is the Son of God and He took my place, then that means I’m an adopted child of God and the brother of a King! Boy, I sure haven’t been acting like royalty lately. That got me thinking, and finally I said, “Wow, looks like I’ve got work to do!”

And I do have a long way ahead of me, so I hope you’ll excuse me, busy, busy… and I hope you’ll consider God’s invitation for you, too… He didn’t say “God loves the WORLD that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life,” if God didn’t include you, now did He? I didn’t think so. Your best life is waiting to be realized… my friend, the choice is yours.