The Poison Within Us

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:21-24 (ESV)

Anger poisons our spirits.

Comparing a heart filled with anger to the act of murder, in this teaching Jesus makes a decisive and powerful statement about how seriously God looks at wrathful intent.  For us to truly commune with our Heavenly Father as He desires of us, we need to lay our resentment, hate and anger at the foot of the Cross and petition God’s attention with a joyful and open heart.

So From My Knees…

Dearest Lord;

I hurt Father.

I hurt with the ache of all the things my broken shell won’t release;

My failings…

My mistakes…

Bad decisions I’ve made…

Those times I’ve closed my heart to You…

All flood in and overwhelm my spirit.

So from my knees I reach for You.

I feel alone Father.

Alone with all those self-imposed burdens I allow to linger;

The pain I see in others’ lives…

Missed opportunities to serve…

Those “What ifs” that haunt my heart…

All sobering reminders of my limitations in this mortal coil.

So from my knees I reach for You.

I feel unworthy Lord.

Unworthy of the Blessings You bestow;

Undeserving of other peoples’ love,

Of Your love for me,

And of Your immeasurable Grace in my life…

Truly unfit to receive those gifts You place in my life each day.

So from my knees I reach for You.

And from that penitent pose Father,

You touch me…

And remind me;

That You feel my pain, and want to take it from me…

That I’m never alone…

And that I’m worthy in Your eyes.

And from Your Throne You reach for me.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Approach With Importunity

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)

In this exposition on prayer, Jesus encourages us to approach God with importunity and the certainty that our prayers will be heard.  As we would come to a close friend in a time of need, our Heavenly Father desires us to lay aside our pride and doubt, and to confidently seek His guidance and aid.

On My Knees Again Lord

Dear Lord; Happy Thursday Father!

On my knees again Lord;

A prayer…

A petition…

A tear.

The stains within come pouring out,

And lie scattered at Your feet.

I’m broken Father…

So deeply broken.

And yet,

In the midst of my distress;

My pain…

My anxieties…

My fears…

You remind me who I truly am;

Your Beloved Child.

You are my hope Lord;

My portion…

My redemption…

And my serenity in the chaos.

Yet even through that shield,

The world creeps in;

Those voices that tell me I fall far short…

And don’t deserve Your love.

My feelings of defeat…

And sense of failure.

And yet,

You sent Your Son

To bear my sins,

And wash my life in Grace.

Siblings in Your Light,

Bonded through His blood.

So I give it up to You Lord,

All of it;

My trust,

My love,

My life,

All I was,

All I am,

All I will be,

I lift them all to You;

My Abba, Father.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

From Our Very Foundations

“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”” – Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)

As this widow’s act of true faithfulness and sacrifice illustrated to Jesus’ disciples, we are not called to simply contribute to God from our excess, but from our very foundations.  Whether it’s financially supporting His Work thorough the church, or setting our wants aside to assist with someone else’s needs, Jesus calls us to reach out in radical love and place His directives for us at the forefront of our hearts.