Taxes and Christ

                                                               Taxes and Christ   

    In a way, this is another manger story. This time, the subject  is something dear to everybody's heart---money. While we are  approaching an event (Easter) that should stir the passion of Christians, I see much more passion about taxes and the IRS. This is an honest appraisal of what actually is first in the hearts of mankind. Much of the four Gospels is about money, and we may start with the virgin birth.

    The reason Christ began His worldly mission in a manger at Bethlehem is taxes. That was Joseph's precinct, and that was the place he had to register under Roman law. You should note there was no protesting or whining. Joseph understood why it was necessary to pay taxes. More on that later. We're going to follow the tax trail through scripture. If you disagree with this message it can only be because you don't believe in the inerrant Word of God as presented in the bible.

    Luke tells us in Luke 2:1-5, "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called  Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child." Luke was a physician, while Matthew was a tax collector.

    Now, if you think you had a tough beginning, consider Mary. She was on the verge of delivering a child. She had to ride a burro a long distance in cold weather. There were no hotel vacancies, so she had to stay in a barn or cave. There was no attending physician,
no midwife, no bed. There was no crib, only mangers. There was no mattress, only straw or hay. And all this bother was to sign up to pay taxes.  There is a symbol here you may have missed. The name Bethlehem means bread, and it is fitting Christ, the bread of life, began life in a place of that name. By the way, trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem covered 60 miles as the crow flies, and was more likely to have been 75-100 miles by road.

    Why was it understood that taxes were necessary?  We go back to the Book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament, chapter 8:4-7. The people of Israel clamored for a human king like other nations, instead of being led by a prophet who heard directly from God. God gave Israel His plan for welfare of the people--all the people. Jewish law and customs took care of all citizens. But, the people wanted to be like the secular people. God told Samuel (8:7) "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them." God told Samuel to forewarn them of the trials and tribulations they would face under a human king. The people wanted a human king, and that was the beginning of secular taxation.

    The customs and laws God gave Israel provided for the care of every person--not only the Jews, but their servants and slaves. You should note in Ex. 12:38, "A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds---a great deal of livestock." If you were
a servant of God, you had the confidence you would receive any care necessary for your well-being. If you continue to read scripture from this point on, you will see that under man's rule this care for everyone eroded into what we call "classes" from super rich to
beggars.

    Now, back to why Joseph understood the need for taxes. Rome collected the money, and as mankind always does, used some for corruption and some for the state. If you recall Luke 10:30-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan, travel in those days was perilous.
Mary and Joseph had a safe trip because the land was under Roman rule and law. Taxes paid not only for roads, but for soldiers to enforce laws giving travelers safety. Rome was a savage civilization, but you can compare their actions with those of our country. We have looked the other way when prisoners of war were tortured, and permitted an execution with experimental drugs that basically tortured a condemned convict for a considerable time before he died. We also must remember Rome did  not really kill Christ. The Roman judge wanted to let Him go, but the Jewish religious leaders and their
followers insisted Christ should die. 

    More on taxes; Christ addressed the subject both for His disciples and the religious leaders of the temple. In Matt. 17:24-27, Christ directs the disciples to pay personal taxes. Peter was asked if Christ and His followers paid the tax, and the answer was "Yes." Christ
directed Peter to cast a net in the sea, and to take a coin out of the mouth of a fish in the net (verse 27). From this reading of Matt. 17 we probably get the popular saying by those who believe only lazy people seek financial help---teach them to fish. If you are a fisherman, you are probably aware that catching fish isn't a slam dunk.

    Christ later was questioned about taxes by the Pharisees, the religious leaders. Matt. 22:15-22 gives us the answer. Christ said, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." This is one of the many places in scripture warning us that material wealth may be wonderful here on earth, but it is meaningless in Heaven. Note elsewhere in the four Gospels that Christ repeatedly tells us that we cannot replace our heart's love of Christ with any amount of material success. 

    We go now to our present day tax system. I have been a taxpayer for over 60 years and have become all too familiar with our taxing system. There are rules for a regular job, a profession, a business, an investor, a farm, etc. Many people think workers in some jobs
that are low paying don't pay taxes. Anyone who earns a paycheck of any size pays taxes. They are deducted before the worker gets his/her share. Unemployment benefits are not a gift. That money is earned through employment, and the fund is money deducted from
both his/her paycheck and the employer. Social security is money that actually belongs to a worker who has paid into a fund as directed by rule of law. These are all taxes, and everyone who has received a paycheck has contributed.

    All the above should be easily understood, and few workers are passionate about these up front deductions. The passion usually comes from federal or state income taxes, especially the federal taxes. While these taxes may be painful, they are based on earnings, and if your earnings are small, the taxes will be small. These taxes are more painful to those who generate a sizable income, which frequently is actually not earned income, but dividends from investments. 
    
    For most people in the middle and lower classes, the really painful tax is the school tax. This is based on property value and is set by the school board. The federal and state governments do not directly affect this tax. It is established by locally elected people. The danger here is that the income of the property owner may fluctuate, while the tax is never adjusted for lower earnings. The county, town or occupational taxes are very small compared to the school tax. Even though you have no children in school, you must pay the school tax. If you can't pay the school (and related county and town taxes) your property may be sold at tax sale. If your income changes drastically over a three year period, you lose what you have worked for your entire life. Since your federal and state taxes are based on the ups or downs of your income, they do not place your property in jeopardy.
If you don't pay your federal or state taxes, you may lose your property, but since taxes are based on income, you should be able to pay them.


    Everyone benefits from federal and state taxes. That money provides our military, roads and other material improvements that require the contribution of all citizens. If you consider the Jewish customs and law that  became a secular lifestyle, you see that God gave them a system that provided for all. Christians can emulate that system if they adopt
a WE attitude instead of a ME attitude. Everything you have actually  belongs to God. He is a silent partner who can break His silence whenever He decides it is time for your change. It is far better for you to take a serious look at the four Gospels to understand what
Christ taught. 

    To summarize, consider the origin of material and spiritual wealth. You can see and evaluate your material wealth. For many people, that is their evaluation of you. You are successful, intelligent, well off financially, etc. However, how you arrived at your secular status is often not of consequence. Did you follow Christ's teachings--His explanations and examples in the parables? Spiritual wealth is not easily evaluated. Appearances may be deceptive. And, after all, it is not our place to judge. Any judgment we make, must be an evaluation of ourselves. It's easy to grade ourselves if we honestly respond to Christ's principles. Here's your test, Matt. 22:36-40. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  I repeat: we must change our attitude from ME to WE, and stop classifying others by race, education, sex, money or other differences. Matt. 7:1 warns us not to classify (judge) others, "Judge not, that you be not judged." Taxes are
necessary under man's rule, but the money should be used to insure our Constitution's guarantee to all citizens, for each person is our neighbor.

Rev. Walbear


    

    

EASTER PART 3

                                                              EASTER PART 3

    For both truly and pretending Christians, Easter is an emotional time. The pain, suffering and humiliation Christ endured as an innocent person we can only imagine. For some, this experience is happening today. When the Lord taps you on the shoulder, it usually means you will be directed in His service, and you can expect to suffer some type of injury, physical or mental. You can't earn salvation, but you  can earn rewards collectible in heaven. These rewards don't come cheap.

    When we truly accept Christ's offer of salvation, we need to understand that acceptance is just like the testimony a military person gives on entering service. You agree to defend the Constitution and the nation with your life if necessary. You agree to follow military rules and directions. Service under Christ is no different. He gave us rules and directions in the Four Gospels. If you don't follow His rules, you never truly committed to Him.

    I've warned previously (in Easter Part 2) about singling out verses of scripture that suit your personal agenda. I used verses from Proverbs as an example. Many professing Christians are using isolated verses of scripture to COMPLETELY DENY some of Christ's teaching/directions in the Gospels. The cause can be any of the following: greed, envy,
hate, and a complete lack of scripture knowledge. This is not only divisive, but very hurtful and harmful to those you have pre-judged to not actually be Christian.  Think about many of the people Christ ministered to. They were not elite, wealthy, politicians, lawyers, fancy
dressers, entertainers  or the leaders of society. They were the ones ignored by main-stream people and the pious. Many American Christians are even denying poor people the use of their personal savings (social security). Christ will take a hard look at this, because that money  belongs to the people who placed it in savings for retirement. 

    If you didn't like the message about social security, please read the following verses of scripture. These verses represent the qualifications necessary to occupy a home in heaven, and are Christ's own words.

    Matt. 25:31-46 (this is lengthy, but exactly Christ's expectations for you). "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. 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. And He will set the 
sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 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: 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; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying 'Lord , when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when
did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

    "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: For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you have Me no drink; 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.'

    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?' 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. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life." I pray these passages will serve as a wake up call for professing Christians who are so concerned about their personal life that envy and greed override consideration for others. 

    We go now to Matt. 22:35-40. 'Then one of them (Pharisee), a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love  the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all  your mind; This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these TWO
COMMANDMENTS hang all the Law and the Prophets." Christ added the selfless commandment to be certain Christians would understand everyone should have the opportunity for salvation and dignity. I know needy people who do not seek help because of the judgment of others.

    If you are a professing rather than a practicing Christian, you are ignoring the obligation---no, the requirement---Christ carefully outlines in the Gospels. He sacrificed for you; now it's your turn to sacrifice for Him by denying self. Matt. 25:1-13: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

    "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their  lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who
sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,  'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said , 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  "Watch therefore, for you know neither the
day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

    Easter is about sacrifice and redemption. If you accepted Christ in your heart, you will show evidence to the world that your claim to be a Christian is founded on Christ and His teaching. There is no wiggle room for exceptions because you have a personal agenda
separating people because of your ill conceived judgment that certain sins are different than some others. God loves all men/women, but He hates all sins. We all sin, even after salvation. Homosexuality and abortion are sins, just as murder, stealing and adultery are sins. They are valued equally by Christ, who will be your final judge. A word to the wise when that image of Christ on the cross comes to mind on Easter: Do you have your Christian affairs in order--oil in your lamp is the knowledge and obedience of the Word of God.

Rev. Walbear

EASTER, PART 2

                                                           EASTER, PART 2

    As Jesus Christ was dying on the cross, one of the two others being crucified beside Him said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Luke 23:42) Even at the end, salvation took place. Christ offered redemption if you accepted His invitation.
When the centurion who stood opposite the cross saw Christ  breathe His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Luke 15:39 ) For those who heed the call of Christ (God), the offer of eternal life is always available any place, anywhere. Christ died,
but Easter began. Redemption continues.

    Although redemption was accomplished differently in the Old Testament, it was always there. The Law and sacrifice were the method God used before Christ. Perhaps the redemption of the largest number of people occurred in the Book of Jonah. The mission God gave Jonah was so daunting Jonah tried to squirm out of His marching order. He had to go to Nineveh and tell them God would destroy them if they didn't repent.

    Nineveh was a great city inhabited by a fierce people who had a huge pile of skulls at the entrance to the city to intimidate anyone who entered the city. It was a very large city for that period of time,  spanning eight miles and the center of a nation that extended 55
miles. Jonah went there knowing the savage culture of the people and armed exactly as John the Baptist. His message was simply for the people to repent. To his amazement and consternation, the entire nation repented. Jonah did not like this result because he
felt the people should not be excused from their wicked actions. He needed to understand that redemption is based on the condition of your heart and the reception of God's Word.

    We're going to move backwards to Joshua for our next refresher course in redemption, but it is important to pause and take note of a very important event as Israel faced the fortified city of Jericho. While Joshua was contemplating how to take the city, he had a very important visitor. Joshua 5:14 tells us, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Early in my ministry I had the occasion to meet with several representatives of a Christian denomination to talk about military service. Readers of my messages should know I'm a veteran and very proud to have served. These people told me they didn't believe in taking up arms because they didn't want to have to shoot or kill brothers in Christ. Although they professed to be Christians, they refused to accept the facts in scripture clearly showing that spiritual as well as material warfare
is a constant on-going conflict. It's pretty comfortable if someone else sacrifices their life to save you. I would not count on them or their denomination to fulfill Christ's mission. He was all about putting His life on the line. 

    The arrival of the Lord's military leader introduces us to the  presence of angels. This goes along with other spiritual phenomena  such as dreams and visions. Most people doubt these experiences are real. That doubt usually results in no such "visits" or information. People have to have an "open line" to receive such spiritual guidance.
There are many places in scripture where angels appeared as men  and brought special messages. The announcements of the future births of John the Baptist and Jesus were brought by angels. 

    Christ did not teach about physical war, but rather about spiritual war. We are to follow His instructions on how to live as Christians. We receive instructions now so we can practice the Christian life before His kingdom becomes reality. I see very few professing Christians following instructions from the four Gospels, and that includes pastors
and church leaders. Friends, you can not just read at random in scripture or pick out verses to suit your purpose. A major mistake by Christians today is misunderstanding redemption. We will continue exploring this subject in Joshua.

     God's Commander in chief gave Joshua the spiritual strategy and tactics to accomplish the goal. There was no military textbook to provide guidance. A general or captain needs spiritual guidance to be able to win battles or war. Joshua sent out two spies to learn
specifics about Jericho. They found a well fortified city, and an ally God had prepared for them. The people of Jericho had heard of Israel and the miracle strength and power they wielded. The only entry to the city was a fortified gate. The city was not large, covering only about seven acres, but the heavy walls were also used for housing, somewhat like our apartment houses.

    The spies needed a place to stay, and were taken in by a prostitute named Rahab. The king of Jericho heard that Israelites had entered the city, and sent men to find them. Rahab had somehow become a believer in the God of Israel, and was there to protect the spies. She hid them on the roof of her home among flax spread out to dry. She told the
searchers the spies were gone. She did not have a priest to direct her actions, but did exactly as God, Himself, directed her. Could we have a violation of scripture here, since her answer to the searchers was not exactly accurate?

    The walls of Jericho have not yet fallen, but we have several possible scriptural discrepancies to examine. Scripture doesn't conflict with itself, and we must keep  that in mind. We also must look at how verses from the Old Testament fit in with Christ's teaching. Putting together the writings from the Old Testament, especially from Proverbs, has been a stumbling block for many loudly proclaiming their Christianity. Proverbs is advice from several sources, and it is good advice. Violating that advice may or may not be a sin, but it is not a sin of condemnation. Too many pious Christians are judging (a mistake) people who do not or seem to not heed the advice. None of us is free from sin. I could quote from Matt. 7:3 about judging others, but if I did, doubters could say I was doing exactly what I warned about--picking one scripture to suit my purpose. So...I'll tell you to read all of chapter 7. 

    God loves people, but He hates sin. Understand this--He hates all sins, and does not separate them by categories. This is where so many  professing Christians err. Compare their misunderstanding: a lie is a sin; cheating is a sin; prostitution is a sin; fraud is a sin, slander is a sin, homosexuality is a sin, adultery is a sin, murder is a sin. In God's eyes,
each of these carries the same value. Note I did not include same sex marriage. That is because a civil ceremony does not imply a sexual union. The Pope recently stated the Catholic Church will accept the civil marriage ceremony. Without sex, the civil union isn't a sin. This is one of the Christian  mistakes, especially among Protestants. Another
mistake is to throw gay people under the bus. It is a sin, but does not disqualify the sinner from the opportunity to receive salvation. If a Christian quotes Proverbs 6:17-19 lists things God hates, but all can be covered by Christ's shed blood. 

    Back to Jericho. The two Israeli spies promise to spare Rahab and her family when Israel captures the city. She lowers them with a rope out the window of her home, which is located on the city wall. She identifies her home with a scarlet cord so the Israelites will spare her family. With the strategy and tactics provided by the Lord's Commander, Israel takes the city, and all the inhabitants were slaughtered except Rahab's family. God used a prostitute to enable Israel to destroy Jericho, and Rahab became a part of Christ's ancestry (Matt. 1:1-16). When a professing Christian sets anyone apart because of his/her personal judgment, that Christian is actually committing a sin. 

    Elite Christians are bigots who don't realize they are sinning as they pass judgment on others. All judgment will be made by Christ, and all people have the opportunity to accept His invitation to eternal life. That is what Easter and the Cross are all about.

Rev. Walbear

EASTER, PART ONE

                                                  EASTER, PART ONE

    Easter is rightfully called the season of Redemption, but Christians
should be familiar with the full meaning and history of the subject. While Christ is our celebrated example of redemption, God had His plan in action long before Christ became our symbol. There are many examples, beginning in the Old Testament. It would be difficult to live in the United States and not know the Easter story. Unfortunately, for many people Easter is more about colored eggs, the Easter bunny and splashy new clothing outfits for the Easter Parade.

    Movies have attempted to describe the horrors leading up to, and the crucifixion, of Christ.  God sent His only Son to teach us, heal us, and pay the price of death to bring us eternal life. Unfortunately, again, we are like the Druids in Ireland, slow learners. In fact, it would appear a very sizable number of people proclaiming they are Christians are not. I make that statement based on the failure of pastors and members of congregations to follow Christ's teaching in the Four Gospels. With Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent all given us as lead-ins to Easter, there is a concentrated period for us to review our life, and to study the Gospels. If we would just study and understand Christ's instructions, we could be examples of America's solutions instead of part of the problem.

    The world was not ready for Christ, so He was not born with fanfare
except for those who understood the prophecy and reason for His birth. Of course Herod expected a rival for the throne, but never had the opportunity to prevent Christ's mission. There was a great deal of fanfare when Christ suffered death on the cross. Don't blame the Romans for this deed. It was the clergy, the priests and leaders of the Jews who essentially murdered the Son of God.

    Why would these religious leaders want to kill Christ? He followed 
scripture in the Old Testament, healed people, and taught how to treat
your fellow man/woman. Christ pointed out the continuation of God's  master plan, with a far better explanation of Jewish and Christian
living. As always in scripture, it was the misleading and corrupt teaching
of the priests and leadership who brought about the demise of the Jewish
state. When Satan gets hold of people, including priests,  they become
reprobate. That is, as happened with Pharaoh, their heart is "hardened."
They actually believe they are correct in what they're doing.

     We pay no price for our salvation except to follow His instructions. I
hear or read comments from pastors and leaders daily in direct opposition to Christ's teaching the Four Gospels. Most of these comments lead to separation of people and are in direct opposition to His instructions. He died for us. He gave us directions. We must make a serious attempt to follow Him. Apparently many professing Christians are using various quotes from elsewhere in scripture to base their decisions against others. Specifically, the directions of Proverbs seems to be a major avenue.

     Scripture does not conflict with itself. It does, however, give some
Christians the foolish idea they can judge others and relegate people to be Christian or non-Christians. Before you "classify" others, study  Matt. 7:1-2 VERY CAREFULLY. "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure
you use, it will be measured back to you." Christ offered redemption to
everyone, and spent time with beggars, the poor, the sick, the mentally
challenged, and all people. He did not classify them as rich or poor, sick
or healthy, laborers, professionals or by politics. Each person God has
created should have the opportunity for redemption. The people you don't want to associate with may be the ones God would like to see accepting Christ's offer of redemption. Christ ate with sinners and  publicans. It's the unsaved who need to hear the Word. By separating ourselves (classifying), we are denying them an opportunity to hear the words of redemption. We don't have to wallow in a garbage dump, but being a smug  Christian is absolutely wrong...and, it's a sin.

    There was a movie about the "ugly" American, and that is an  excellent description of the elite Christian church leaders (including pastors). Poor people may not be able to dress smartly, or they may be unclean. Do you know that food stamps can't be used for cleaning products? Handicapped people may look okay on the outside, but there are many ways to be handicapped. Before you label me a liberal, you need to know our ministry has assisted people who really needed help, and some who just milked the system (and us). We can use common sense, but we are not judges. When I first began ministry studies, I had some elitist ideas. It was a sign of ignorance and judging. We all have to start somewhere, and if we aren't careful, we'll wind up bigoted sinners. ALL SINS ARE EQUALLY BAD. 

    Christ died to cover our sins. He redeemed us. His shed blood covers all
sins except the rejection of the Holy Spirit. If you lie or cheat, commit
adultery, are a glutton, get drunk or assault someone, your sin is exactly
the same as a person in a same sex marriage, being gay or committing
murder. While everyone should try to live up to Christ's teaching, not one
of us will be able to be sinless. Refresh your memory with John 8:7, "He
who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

    If you observe Easter in the traditional manner with thanksgiving and
shudder to consider the physical suffering Jesus went through, go a bit
further and weigh your responsibility to uphold your end of the bargain.
And, a grand bargain it is! You receive eternal life, a mansion in Heaven,
and only at a cost of being a caring, decent person. Stay tuned for Part 2, 
where we'll take a look at some redemptions you may have overlooked
in scripture reading. If I was a betting man, I'd bet there is at least one
I'm going to discuss that will surprise you.

Rev. Walbear

MAEWYN SUCCAT

   
                                                             MAEWYN SUCCAT    

    It's always a bonus when a message brings new information that enhances the original subject. You may be wondering who the above named person is/was, although you are undoubtedly aware of why we take notice of what that person did. We are exploring some Christian history, and the major impact this person had on our faith.

    One thing that is clear, when God taps someone on the shoulder for His work, you are entering the sphere of spiritual war. The wounds, and even death, are as real as any physical combat. Expect to be wounded and to suffer. If you don't dwell on this reality, think about the dedicated Christian workers, beginning with Christ, Paul, Stephen and so many others. Often the spiritual battle turns physical because Satan just has to shut your
mouth. Because you see the physical battles with your eyes, and the spiritual battles may not be seen, many people, including Christians, doubt they even exist.

    Maewyn Succat and his ministry were driven by visions. Many people, including Christians, do not believe in messages through dreams and visions. God plans and carries out His work His way, and He uses whatever is  necessary to get His message across. God still uses dreams and visions today, but He does not find many Christians paying attention. If you don't answer His telephone (Call), He moves on to someone who does. Look at Matt. 20:16, the second sentence, "For many are called, but few are chosen." This is part of a parable difficult for practical people to fully understand. We'll go back to that later.

    We celebrate St. Patrick's Day in mid March, and Maewyn Succat was St. Patrick. He is not only the Patron Saint of Ireland, but the person who brought Christianity to that country. He began life in England, the son of a very high placed family. His father was the official in charge of a district in England and was a Romano Christian. His grandfather was a clergyman and his mother was from Tours, France. Maewyn's privileged life was abruptly changed at the age of 16, when he was captured by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. For the next six years he was a sheep herder for his master, a Druid priest. During that time, he learned the language and culture. When God puts you in a place, make good use of your time. It is meant as a learning opportunity for work He will lead you to do.

    During the six years, he had a vision of children reaching out to him to learn about and become Christians. God told him to escape and travel to a port where a ship would be waiting  to take him home. He did escape and get to a port where sailors permitted him to board. The direct trip back to England was not what he expected. The ship went to France, where he found himself essentially abandoned. This was not by accident. God had his next step of "education" planned in France.

    The area of Tours was his mother's background, and after a short time in prison, he studied under the auspices of French Monasticism influenced by Catholic teaching. Here the vision of children reaching out to him became more meaningful as God told him to take Christianity back with him to Ireland. He was to be God's man in the midst of a pagan Druid country.

    St. Patrick was met with opposition from the Druids, who had mixed beliefs of Paganism as well as Christianity. Although he was basically self educated, he always felt he should have had more formal education to be able to write and speak more elegantly. He found local people to be slow learners, requiring extensive time to bring them to Christianity. One of his legends is built on that difficulty. St. Patrick always carried an ash walking
stick. It was said that at one village he stuck the stick in the ground when he arrived there to teach. He was there so long that when he went to leave, the stick had taken root. St. Patrick believed it was God's test of his faith to have him dedicate so much time to teach slow learners.

    St. Patrick, like Christ, often used parables in his teaching. One such was the use of a shamrock to illustrate God, the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He likened the three leaves to the trinity, as all part of the God family. He compared the color green as emblematic of life, rebirth and eternal life.

     Also it is said St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland. That apparently isn't so, because science and research have stated that Ireland is one of several countries where glacial activity did not permit the presence of snakes. Some people have compared St. Patrick's walking stick to the rod of Aaron that became a serpent and swallowed the snake/rods of the  Egyptian priests. There is a lesson here, because we see that Satan's
people also possess the power to turn miracles.You must try the spirit.

    St. Patrick established over 300 churches in Ireland, and baptized over 100,000 people. He followed his dream and visions to take Christianity to Ireland, and the converts have taken it to many other parts of the world. God still talks to people today by voice, dreams and visions. Few people are open to receive His messages, much like His original search to find a man who would listen and obey. That was Abraham, and in Gen. 12:1-3, God sent him on his mission. You can read about God speaking in I Sam. 3:1-11, and God speaking in Matt. 3:17.

    Now back to Christ's Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Matt. 20:1-16. Workers hired near the end of the day received the same pay as those who had worked all day. Being a one-time practical business owner, employee and familiar with seniority and pay scales, I at first couldn't understand this parable. It is something like Christ's explanation
to His disciples when they were trying to establish their "rank." In Matt. 20:25-28, He tells them He did not come to be served, but to serve.

    The vineyard pay did not represent money, but rather the mercy of God through salvation, where all who accept Christ's offer can receive eternal life. There is no seniority because all who are saved become brothers and sisters in Christ. Nothing material can change the method of salvation. No matter what we do, we cannot earn salvation, and once we are saved, there is no seniority.

    We need to think about the rigors of life St. Patrick faced and overcame to achieve the goal of God's plan. That is a good introduction of the sacrifice Christ made for us, and the season soon upon us to rejuvenate our faith and service. "We all owe God service for the free gift of salvation. His tap on the shoulder means He has work for us. It may not be pretty or fun, but we will stand with others like us in eternal life. Don't fail to recognize that tap.

Rev. Walbear