Awakening

Jesus encourages all who are weary towards an exodus from their burden. Ultimately, it is a long road but together He will free us through a grace to forgive and repent. There is a sleeping remnant native to this land my heritage conquered. The massacre at Wounded Knee and the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement through their Trail of Tears. Forcing an alien culture upon the red man by white-washing away heritage in abhorrent coditions at Catholic boarding schools. Welcome to my Catholic shame! Incredibly this kidnapping and forced indoctrination was supported by this “land of the free” government. How dare white government actors use the word “indoctrination”. Was this when America was great? Another remnant was stolen from Africa through inhumane slave trade, destroying families, torturing the “disobedient”, abusing their women, and killing their weak. Other skin colors made by God added to our prejudiced entitlement and came to the United States just to blind encampment, and so on… Still to this day, we struggle with our stiff necks, to look back and fill in the forgotten experiences that obviously made us who we are today. Sadly, many pages in history remain unwritten by those in power over the pen. Still, Christ beckons for the red, brown, black, yellow, and white to trust that He has conquered this sin-filled world. Forgiveness is a birth of true freedom despite demonic politics of Florida. For me, a white man, a fallen man, must realize the task ahead of me. It, however, will be drawn by the hook of my Shepherd into a prayerful humility and painful ancestral repentance as the burning coals of His Forgiveness is heaped upon my head. This Christianity, is a religion of the poor, the downtrodden, the marginalized, and the persecuted. This is where you will find Him. You will find Him in the soup lines wrapped in unwanted clothes soaked by the cold rain. In God’s time, this Nation’s true natives will unite and gather all the “others” deemed less then deserving of their historical identity and show our fretful decline in pews what forgiveness looks like. I pray we all can hear the three blasts of the shofar, walk that mile with Christ, open our arms, and finay embrace our forgotten brothers and sisters somewhere in the middle.

We are only given so many heartbeats to imitate the One that was pierced for all.

His Peace, Chris

Trail of Tears

The CRY of the Marginalized

The epiphany to the slumbering heart should awaken the deep humiliation of a tender heart for God. It is humanity’s glimpse into our requirement for a Savior to rescue us from our pride and reason. In light of the crucifixion it is no longer acceptable to say, “I’m okay and you’re okay.” The crucifixion of Christ is a divine thrusting of a glimmering sword deeply implanted into our planet to be seen as the Truth of God’s humility and fullfilment of the Way through perfect love towards eternal Life. One must consider what are the actions of true love? It is to lay one’s life down for another. Why? When real courage steps into the breach shielding violence from a possible victim, the fruit of one’s action is both a symbol and sign of true freedom. Freedom becomes dualistic as a mentor of fearlessness and sign of the miraculous gift of acting in step with true love. This was demonstrated at Club Q.

However, what is antithetical to love, is abounding in our cultural rhetoric today. An insidious intention lurks below political and religious speech. There is a blind acceptance to political the false-shepherd’s fear-based ideology who flees the opposite direction while his blind and misguided sheep bloodthirst storms the Capitol. Their low-hanging, rotting fruit manifests in a gallow as their enthusiasm crushes to death a police officer standing in the breach. Without shame, the power of this ideology holds back its followers to even pay respects towards this “boy in blue”. The irony of this is not lost but stands as a conviction against those arrogantly flying a new American flag shaded in blue insinuating support towards the suffocating blue knee pressed upon the neck of a citizen pleading to breathe. This is the new fearful and cowardly ‘Merica not the home of the brave and free. ‘Merica’s fascination with guns, even when strapped tightly to body armor hesitates for two excruciating minutes while children in Uvalde are executed. No laying down of one’s life here just shaking knees wet pants, and indecision. Yes, many prayers and thoughts from bishops to politicians were paraded before all media. Yet there seems to be a line in the sand, certainly not drawn by Jesus, that even bishops and politicians refuse to empathetically cross with thoughts and prayers when victims are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Why is there no heartfelt anguish for this type of violence? The reason is because this lower class of citizen, as well as non-white populations, and those with physical and mental challenges is deemed unworthy of ‘Merica’s melting pot. Lower class proves to be a favorite historical scapegoat. A history that lawfully cannot be taught. Truth has no place in history – it should only be aggrandized by the winners that wrote it. Yet, the human heart, despite its hardened facade, is designed to recognize the scapegoat. The plea from the ultimate scapegoat crucified upon Golgotha, still echoes today, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing.” Although the body can be killed, the soul cannot – nor can generations of memories. Let’s take a moment to remember Elie Weisel the Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. It’s his words I prefer, not of the groomed, white-royalty elected through monstrous warchests. Consider some of his famous quotes:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”

“Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds.”

“Some stories are true that never happened.”

“Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.”

It also should be added that hate, in all of its capacities of indifference, breeds self-hate.

Back to today’s ever-growing ideology proving only in divisiveness, the words
written in Zechariah 10 and 11, lists five signs of a false shepherding.

  1. The false shepherd is signified by false doctrine (10:1-2a).
  2. The false shepherd is signified by self-exaltation  (10:2b, 3).

3.  The false shepherd is signified by blind acceptance…from his flock (10:2c).

4. The false shepherd is signified by uncaring devastation (11:15-17).

5. The false shepherd is signified by divine judgment  (10:4; 11:1-3).
False shepherds should be corrected and avoided from being placed in leadership at all costs. 

Arguments rage in dividing religion and nation not in unifying. Unifying is the task of the Blessed Spirit while dividing is the onus of politics. An oldie but a goodie is found in Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Why do you think we wrestle? In my humble opinion, we wrestle because our heart is designed towards empathy and in particular, the scapegoat. We forget God’s reasoning may not agree even with our biblical knowledge. Recall that Christ, the Son of God, often confronted the Pharisees understanding of what was written with what was intended. Jesus often asked questions, told parables, instead of giving opinions and answers. Why? To allow the listener’s heart a chance at the table.
America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principals allowing unforeseen equity in amendments for this nation’s heart to wrestle with.

My only question:

If Christianity still believes the Holy Spirit is still at work what is it convicting us of and what is It trying to unify?

By Chris Clody 11/28/22

The CRY of the Marginalized

The epiphany to the slumbering heart should awaken the deep humiliation of a tender heart for God. It is humanity’s glimpse into our requirement for a Savior to rescue us from our pride and reason. In light of the crucifixion it is no longer acceptable to say, “I’m okay and you’re okay.” The crucifixion of Christ is a divine thrusting of a glimmering sword deeply implanted into our planet to be seen as the Truth of God’s humility and fullfilment of the Way through perfect love towards eternal Life. One must consider what are the actions of true love? It is to lay one’s life down for another. Why? When real courage steps into the breach shielding violence from a possible victim, the fruit of one’s action is both a symbol and sign of true freedom. Freedom becomes dualistic as a mentor of fearlessness and sign of the miraculous gift of acting in step with true love. This was demonstrated at Club Q.

However, what is antithetical to love, is abounding in our cultural rhetoric today. An insidious intention lurks below political and religious speech. There is a blind acceptance to political the false-shepherd’s fear-based ideology who flees the opposite direction while his blind and misguided sheep bloodthirst storms the Capitol. Their low-hanging, rotting fruit manifests in a gallow as their enthusiasm crushes to death a police officer standing in the breach. Without shame, the power of this ideology holds back its followers to even pay respects towards this “boy in blue”. The irony of this is not lost but stands as a conviction against those arrogantly flying a new American flag shaded in blue insinuating support towards the suffocating blue knee pressed upon the neck of a citizen pleading to breathe. This is the new fearful and cowardly ‘Merica not the home of the brave and free. ‘Merica’s fascination with guns, even when strapped tightly to body armor hesitates for two excruciating minutes while children in Uvalde are executed. No laying down of one’s life here just shaking knees wet pants, and indecision. Yes, many prayers and thoughts from bishops to politicians were paraded before all media. Yet there seems to be a line in the sand, certainly not drawn by Jesus, that even bishops and politicians refuse to empathetically cross with thoughts and prayers when victims are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Why is there no heartfelt anguish for this type of violence? The reason is because this lower class of citizen, as well as non-white populations, and those with physical and mental challenges is deemed unworthy of ‘Merica’s melting pot. Lower class proves to be a favorite historical scapegoat. A history that lawfully cannot be taught. Truth has no place in history – it should only be aggrandized by the winners that wrote it. Yet, the human heart, despite its hardened facade, is designed to recognize the scapegoat. The plea from the ultimate scapegoat crucified upon Golgotha, still echoes today, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing.” Although the body can be killed, the soul cannot – nor can generations of memories. Let’s take a moment to remember Elie Weisel the Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. It’s his words I prefer, not of the groomed, white-royalty elected through monstrous warchests. Consider some of his famous quotes:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”

“Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds.”

“Some stories are true that never happened.”

“Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.”

It also should be added that hate, in all of its capacities of indifference, breeds self-hate.

Back to today’s ever-growing ideology proving only in divisiveness, the words
written in Zechariah 10 and 11, lists five signs of a false shepherding.

  1. The false shepherd is signified by false doctrine (10:1-2a).
  2. The false shepherd is signified by self-exaltation  (10:2b, 3).

3.  The false shepherd is signified by blind acceptance…from his flock (10:2c).

4. The false shepherd is signified by uncaring devastation (11:15-17).

5. The false shepherd is signified by divine judgment  (10:4; 11:1-3).
False shepherds should be corrected and avoided from being placed in leadership at all costs. 

Arguments rage in dividing religion and nation not in unifying. Unifying is the task of the Blessed Spirit while dividing is the onus of politics. An oldie but a goodie is found in Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Why do you think we wrestle? In my humble opinion, we wrestle because our heart is designed towards empathy and in particular, the scapegoat. We forget God’s reasoning may not agree even with our biblical knowledge. Recall that Christ, the Son of God, often confronted the Pharisees understanding of what was written with what was intended. Jesus often asked questions, told parables, instead of giving opinions and answers. Why? To allow the listener’s heart a chance at the table.
America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principals allowing unforeseen equity in amendments for this nation’s heart to wrestle with.

My only question:

If Christianity still believes the Holy Spirit is still at work what is it convicting us of and what is It trying to unify?

By Chris Clody 11/28/22

Not My Jesus?

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I listened to a podcast called Evangibros that I highly recommend.  I encourage all to listen to one in particular regarding the confrontation of racism.  The link is below:

https://www.facebook.com/evangebros/

Why? Because it is challenging, deeply thought provoking, and hopefully uncomfortable.  The hosts, Don M. Schiewer and George M. Benson invite a very close friend’s of Don named Chris Sanchez.  I have intentionally prayed, fasted, and gratefully sat in silence in hopes to see and experience the hurt in not just Chris’ eyes but also through the rejected Nazorean.  The hope of this podcast is to invite all respectful discussion with open ears, minds, and hearts.  For the ‘privileged’, like myself, it is simply best to be still and silent.  And so I have, for many days pleading in silent prayer to combine my experiences with Chris’ knowing we are more like Christ when we seek community despite our various differences.

The first stone cast by Chris towards my already broken glass house of piety crashed in as a reminder of how oppression blossoms within Liberation theology.  Ancient Jewish perspectives, and yes Jesus was a Jew, draws Western Christianity kicking and screaming into the forgotten Jewish mindset of the blood, sweat, and heavy tears wrought by enslaved captivity.  Way back then, daily life was lined with rotting corpses pegged and tied to crosses on many Roman roads dominating this culture of oppression and racism.

I have replayed the words gracefully spoken by Chris over and over in my prayers and recognized that beautiful portion of Liberation theology within my own reality and my personal intimacy with Jesus the rebuilds the castle in my heart starting with a rejected cornerstone.  Dare we consider that all lines measurements and lines founding this church are trued from this one stone? Boldly, I say “Yes!”  I bless the words and work of Chris and will continue to pray towards a reparation for the sins of our own nation.

I cannot help but see that Liberation theology is a very human hope firmly adopted by the promise revealed at Mt. Sinai.  It was a necessary theology of hope of healing the sickness of hate, greed, and power nurturing racism both then and now. My rub with Chris came quickly in the program when he rightfully said, “You don’t have a right to criticize the how he protests nor why (paraphrasing here). Furthermore Chris’ quote preceding this the program stated:

“If your not showing up where the oppressed exists and are moving, then I’m not interested in your gospel; I’m not interested in your Jesus.”

Ouch.

Seriously America, we have wannabe Nazis parading and spewing their hateful rhetoric. When did vomiting this vile ideology that our Nation (was way too slow) to war against now require police protection at tax-payers expense for a sick minority’s freedom of speech? Chris was there protesting. Thank you my friend. Chris also said it felt good to release his anger and yelling at the wave of right hands raised in salutes to “Heil Hitler!”

This is certainly not my America…

My rub with Chris? Protesting is a double edge sword glimmering with both edges of the sacred and profane. My very needed portion of my conversation with Chris is discuss the dark seduction of protesting even he unknowingly admitted to when it felt good to release whatever brought some catharsis.  So what would Jesus do Chris? ( I apologize for what may seem as a very trite question I assure you it is not.)  The sacred consciousness that inspires Chris to protest is surely from above since silence conspires with acceptance of oppression. Yet, I have serious concerns for limiting one’s Christianity to Liberation theology.  Jesus is still doing something new. The work of this living Christ of God is still perfecting holiness within. No?  Does the end justify the means?  Does trading violence with violence beget peace? “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)  Did not our Jesus conquer this darkness by solely trusting His Father by offering perfect love as a perfect sacrifice?

So… Do I know a different gospel or a different Jesus?

imagesCAV60KRO

His,

Chris (Clody)

 

Listen Up…

eyes-of-god

Listen To My Son

Listen to My Son,
In Him I Am well pleased,
He is My Word made flesh,
Whose whisper calms the sea,
Whose name when mentioned heals,
and from which Satan flees.
My glory shines within his eyes,
Casting angels to their knees.
He is The Resurrection,
A Saving Prince of Peace,
He is your Good Shepherd,
Sacrificed for his sheep,
He is The Bread of God,
You must eat to increase,
He is Aleph v’Tav,
Who makes the unborn leap,
Your Prophet, Priest, and King,
For whom all sinners weep.
The firstborn of the dead,
Returning as a thief,
Be watchful and listen,
And pray before you sleep.

Listen to My Son,
In Him I AM well pleased.

By Chris Clody
4/1/17

When God Grieves

weptOy vey…

“Did Jesus make living Torah easier?” was asked by my pastor at a bible study last night.
**Warning:  If you are comfortable with the status quo of Christian theology then please exit out.**

Still here? Wooohooo! This question will lead you on an insatiable quest, reuniting the very living scope of the Old and New Covenant.  The moment will come when you realize the beauty of Jesus and a hijacked perspective morphing further and further from the totality of Jewish teaching, culture and practice fulfilled by this God-man called Jesus.  Ask yourself how the promise of freedom, hope, rest, and privilege could be truly understood and taught by those already at the top of the food chain?  Could someone write a book about birth without ever going through pregnancy, labor, and delivery? It may be technically correct but disingenuous.  Everyday is a new as I the present business of Christianity is peeled away, layer by layer, revealing new and more resplendent facets shimmering atop Mt. Sinai to even death upon a cross.  The writings of St. Paul have brighter meanings and not the ramblings of a zealous Jew refusing to use punctuation.  The Old Testament that once thought foreshadowed can now be seen through the lens of Sinai as a repetitive rubric that Jesus embraced perfectly.

Anywho, the question at hand: Did Jesus ever at He could make living the this life bound by Torah any easier?  As always, my answer awaits hidden in my morning Rosary.  Yep…I just said that.  You see the rosary is a discipline of seeing significant events of a son of Mary and Son of God through the unmatched intimacy of the eyes of a mother (a second class citizen).

My answer is “yes”.  Ultimately by what He said in John 14:26(NIV): “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  It is in the understanding that this Advocate is also described as a Comforter. I also enjoy pondering the ‘jealousy’ component of this hidden, Omniscient One.

Current Christianity prefers slippery and blurred concepts exposing a pitiful disconnect between salvation and the Kingdom at hand.  Salvation finds a post life existence further detached from Paul’s plea to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling“(Phil 2:12:NIV).  A life in Torah espousing a life and prayer and service leading to (a present) salvation awakens the Christian slumber to a Kingdom in our midst and our accountability to love God and our neighbor. Otherwise, to ignore the Comforter is to grieve God.

His Peace,
Chris

A Baby. A Manger. Our Continued Stupidity.

birth-of-jesus-christ-hd-wallpapers-backgrounds

Left to deliver humanity’s solution, a unwed, fourteen year old Miriam pushes and strains to relieve the weight of her conscience. A small fire dances off her furrowed brow as the crisp, shriek of an infant cuts the stench of sleeping animals. Quickly she wraps little, desperate cries in rags before pressing quivering lips to her breast to suck.  Yet something is not normal as Miram’s wide, brown eyes capture the glow of a star stream.  The night sky is aflight with wings, singing, and… Angels! Yes!! Angels!!! Armies of choirs and music thicken the air that tremble her bones as her newborn warms and feeds as one again with her.

In five days, those pushed to the margins will still to just survive by whatever strips of life they can grab in hope of adding some normalcy to a life far removed from you and I. Oppression is the very hand that pushes the “great unwashed” to the half-lit caves of society.  The sub-existence of a life truly loved by neighbor scrapes by in both the physical and mental realms of forced martyrdom. Yes, in five shopping days churches will gorge on unworthy amounts of praise and monies by some that darken their doors but twice a year. Money for a priest’s three-bedroom house, or a ridiculous addition to the a McMansion of the likes of Joel Osteen, or bonuses for the talented but truly ‘passionate’ motivational ring leaders providing amid streaming confetti-like snow and a wondrous, laser-light show.  Quietly money will find its usual course to some promised charity while other towards legal fees intent on “settling” and silencing their latest sexual or financial scandal.  Money will find hidden pockets and obscurity and before suburban streets are adorned green and tan by orphaned fir trees amid strewn cardboard boxes. Aaaaahhhh, the magic of consumeri…..Christmas!

Maybe you have another word other than stupidity-  if so, please insert here _______.  At what point does the ‘faithful’ grow up and begin wondering what took place 2000 years ago during the virgin birth of an unwed mother.  You know we have a word for that… More importantly, outside the colossal, bureaucratic, orthodox governance or entrepreneurial marketing grabs of soul-selling Christianity, the curious outsider must wonder if the ‘faithful’ ever dared their vanity enough to lose their faith in order to find that reason spoken to Miriam?  Has a priest or pastor ever lifted their voice against the comforts of job security to stop this deliberate anesthetic-doping of Christian movement gobbled up by our pill-popping, consumers?

That first shriek of a shivering infant will end with a painful, final gasp of an innocent life of the man called Jesus. Consider that cost and our opportunity to partake and explore the humanity of this man. Imagine if we missed this coming Sunday and hand-delivered our biannual contribution to a local mission?  Maybe, for once in our adult ‘journey’ we will come just a bit closer to understanding why an impoverished birth crowded the sky with undefined awe and otherworldly wonder.  Instead of the same old, same old overfeeding the wealth management staples of ‘Christianity’ how about doing something one of Christ’s disciples would do by seeking their brother, their master, their Lord, in the lonely and forgotten?  Imagine that.

Maybe that other word is “surreal”… Seriously, who are we fooling? Certainly not Jesus.

Run to Him for He is cold, He is hungry, He is naked, He is sick, He is poor, He is in prison, He has a single mom, He has been wrongfully accused and shamed because who we say He is…yet when you find Him you will find an immeasurable kind of love that explains why He came, why He died, and why we no longer need to fear oppression.

Emmanuel.

Chris

 

Bright teeth, Elvis hair… still oily

Hope

mother-teresa-loving-saint-ch60_l

Planting crosses on Pagan’s Hill,
Purple bleeds prescription pills,
Churches praise in vanity,
The culture’s vice enjoys the kill.

Big boxes sprout from business spoils,
Marketing gods claimed new soil,
A new sound for God is soon decreed
Saving souls is today’s snake oil.

Blessing accessorize the “holy”,
Bright teeth, Elvis hair… still oily,
Mansions,books,fame and fortune,
By picking pockets from lost and lowly.

Yet I hope…
Beyond all hope,
From a G_d I cannot know…
but only love.
Waiting ever praying,
For night to end and day to come,
Shedding Light and Love.
We’ll see what we’ve become,
and what we are not,
Tearful eyes will see its King,
Tearful eyes will not.

Seek the first Love you never knew.

by Chris Clody 7/25/15

COMPELLED – Seeing Through The Eyes Of St. Matthew

It seems, the gospel of Matthew, at least to me, is slowly stripping away the full range of liberties presented to my free will.  I wonder if I will lose the gift of free will all together, like the man described in the following passage of Matthew 27:32 that states, “Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.   Here an innocent men, forced to labor and share the burden of Christ’s punishment.  Without warning and certainly without invitation, some are forced to submit to uncommon hardship whether it is disease or falsely accused and imprisoned, leaving the crumbs of their free will to choose between despair or hope.  Not only do I believe the Beatitudes somehow clothe the suffering with a special grace despite their outlook of their hardship, they also invite the carefree souls far removed from the trials and tribulations shared willingly by Jesus to understand their judgment found in Matthew 25:31-46.  If you have questions of Christianity and how God judges us, it is worth the weight of your soul to truly contemplate Matthew 25:31-46:

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Reading this sobering passage from Matthew 25 for the first time or with a new depth is as troubling as it is inspiring.  The noble Christian process of “dying to oneself” begins when one relinquishes their freedom of indulgence so as to minister to the suffering, or according to St. Matthew, Christ.  It’s worth mentioning that “ministering” is self-giving, the definition of true love, and is meant to glorify God – not ourselves.   If each small “yes” said in silence by those seeking Christ in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned, then a “no” is whispered to obtaining the distractions to the Divine promoted by this world.  Those fortunate to say “yes” to the wants and needs of Christ’s commandmants experience a new beginning.  Those submissive to the will of the Father empathetically seeking to minister to His Son Jesus compelled by the conviction of their lowly status by the Holy Spirit, slowly transform into the aspiring faithful in a “willing” death and a grateful respondent to the merits won for all by Christ at Calvary.  This free infusion of God’s grace reveals our good purpose promising a hopeful future.  Grace propels the prideful to confidently seek humility to further grow and reflect the goodness of God’s light in Truth.  Although I may passionately believe that my Christian expression offers lavish helps for the humble mind along with a richness of religious externals that narrows my path, it ultimately comes down to my willingness to open and freely offer my presence into situations where Jesus abides because of my trusting response to God’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.  The path to Christianity did not begin on a “Roman Road” but rather from a sermon on a mount. It is a narrow path seeking true love defined only by and through the Holy One of God.   It is recognizing the blessed that are promised final comfort by the One called Messiah.  The very author of Salvation instructs eager souls how to pray.  It is exchanging selfishness in a chance to cooperate, not earn, with the will of the One who sent Jesus.  It leads followers with cross-in-tow seeking the Way, the Truth, and the Life to the very places He abides.  And yes “He”, that is Jesus, is the One and only who can offer the opportunity to ever-lasting re-union with the Trinity.  Why? Because His love is perfect and His sacrifice was complete. The Gospel is a response to life – not a book we throw at each other.  Christian hope is not making a presumptuous reservation in Heaven, rather it bathes the convicted of sin in the authority of Christ’s forgiveness while allowing faithful vision to the Kingdom at hand and to come.   So take a look around  – Jesus isn’t hiding…He’s waiting.  Let Him in.

His Peace,
Chris

The Will

Here I stand within your midst,
Yet still you pass me by.
Blind to life of my distress,
Growing deaf to my cries.

“Lord! Lord!” They’re just empty words –
Fallen sounds of pride.
Like life lived by a sword,
Alone… you will die.

Love God and your neighbors,
Do the Father’s will,
Forgive all your trespassers,
Come to Calv’ry’s Hill.

Your sins I promise to erase,
Raise you from the dead.
So why’s church a marketplace,
Leaving sheep unfed?

Remember…
I’m the Alpha and Omega,
I AM
Holy One of God,
I’ve come to set the captives free,
I’m the power in Aaron’s rod.

Lift all sufferings to my cross,
Share the pain of my victory.
Yes, discipleship has its cost,
But how will you end your story?

You gained the world but lost your soul?
Or… sought forgiveness instead of control?

©2012 by Chris Clody 3/16/2012

Do you have any difficulty in accepting the Beatitudes, especially when the “Blessed” are not mentioned by Jesus to be even His followers?  Is modern Christianity moving away from the message of the Beatitudes or the blessing/warning found in Matthew 25:31-46?   Let me know your thoughts!

For more Christian encouragement check out my ebook by clicking the following link: Thoughts2Share