Julian of Norwich—Immersing Herself in the Will of God

Julian was born around 1342.  Julian was born in a time when women had no rights.  They were property of their fathers.  They only had a few options on what they were going to do in their life.  The first option was getting married and having children.  This would make them property of their husband.  The second option was to give their life over to God. 

Julian was called to serve God.  She became what is called an Anchoress. An Anchoress secludes herself from the world.  She spent her life in one space for 40 years.  She only left the room when her body was carried out upon her death around 1416.

Julian became very ill and received images from God.  She was miraculously healed and she felt the call to go into exclusion.  She wrote about this experience and in the process has become one of the most recognized females of Christian writings. 

Her philosophy was one of hope.  In a world of disease and death Julian wrote of the love of God.  Julian had a very controversial view that suffering was not bad if it led someone into a closer relationship with God.  She had felt that her own illness had brought her closer to God.  In that, she believed God had taught her that God had no wrath but only love for the world.

Julian also did not believe that there was sin and a need for grace.  Instead she believed that the wrong of the world was to teach us how to come closer to God.  Therefor the evil of the world was to encourage us to grow in a closer relationship with God.  We have no need for redemption because God loves us and only wants us to return love.  As we face the hard moments of our life we are to turn it over to God who will make all things better.

Her writings are considered the best of the mystic theology of the time.  This contradicted the protestant reformation that taught that it was a rational experience.  We have to remember that she believed that the understanding of God went further than just the Bible.  God had given us the Bible yet what she wanted us to learn is that we can learn through other experiences.  

Martin Luther--The Monk Who Followed the Path of Reforming the Church

A Hammer, a Nail and 95 Theses changed the world of Christianity forever.  It was with these three items that Martin Luther proclaimed the need for the church to reform.  The Church, meaning the Roman Catholic Church, had started doing things that Martin Luther and others felt were against the very fiber of the Bible.  Martin Luther in those 95 theses outlined why the Church had to take action and change their ways.

One of the most important issues dealt about the way grace s achieved.   The church was turning away from the divine grace that comes from a relationship with God.  They had started saying that grace could be achieved by the work that was done.  There were also others that were accepting payment for grace.  Martin was totally opposed to this way of earning grace.  He felt that grace would be achieved with a personal relationship with God.  Those that accepted Jesus as their savior were given everlasting grace.  He was totally against the theory that works or payments to the Church could lead to an individual’s salvation.

The church had also taught that God was out to punish those that sinned.  The principal was that sin had made us unrighteous in the eyes of God.  Therefore the only way to ever be forgiven was to work and daily ask for penitence.  God became a hateful vengeful image in the eyes of Martin.  He felt that God is more about the love and faith.  Not a vengeful God out to condemn the world.  

Another very important view that Martin had was the teaching of the purging of sins.  That people had to go through intercession and continue to ask for repentance.  It was thought that the person was not fully forgiven until they had ever sin purged from their soul.  Martin taught the idea that a person was forgiven of sin as soon as they had faith in God.  This does not mean that they were sinless.  It basically meant that they were both saved and a sinner.  In this theory a person could go to heave through their faith even if they had not had all their sins forgiven.  The principle is that God is powerful enough that the forgiveness that comes from God overcomes the sin a person would commit in their life.

Those were not the only reasons that he believed that the church needed reformed.  We have to understand that Martin Luther was a man who thought differently than anything he was taught.  This only skims the surface of what Martin Luther means to Church Reform.  The main thing that we have to realize is that he went down a path of reform that others had tried and failed.  There were also those that wanted to that never attempted.  This alone makes Martin Luther one of the most influential people to shape Christianity today. 

Mary -- Mother of Jesus

Mary was at three pivotal points of Jesus’s life.  These three moments are possibly the most important times for all people in the world.  It is obvious that Mary was with Jesus at his birth.  Mary was also the day her beloved son died on the Cross of Golgotha.  She was also there the moment that her risen son entered the upper room.  No one can say that they witnessed all of these pivotal moments of Christianity other than Jesus.

Even though Mary was there for all these moments there is more to her story.  Her story starts before Jesus is born and sets her up for one of the two most important miracles of all time.  The first miracle was the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb to bring redemption to the world.  Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel.  You can almost see the fear and surprise in her eyes.  Gabriel calms her by telling her that she has been chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world.  She questioned Gabriel how it would happen since she was a virgin.  He told her the Holy Spirit would come.

Mary became at that time the Virgin Mother of Jesus.  When was filled with the Spirit of God.  She also carried the light of the world.  She was the vessel used to allow Jesus to be born both human and God.  Mary was an important person in that she came from the line of David.  It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of the line of David.  We are able to see that both of these prophesy were fulfilled with Mary being the chosen one.

Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  In a stable Jesus was brought into the world.  Mary and Joseph witnessed the shepherds and angels announcing that Emmanuel was now in the world.  Mary knew that her job now was to bring up her son and prepare for the day that he would begin his ministry.

Mary was also there for that sad day when Jesus followed her beloved son through the streets of Jerusalem.  Mary watched as he was nailed to the cross.  She witnessed her son give his life for the world.  She was there when they took down his lifeless body and placed him in the tomb.

Mary was also there in the upper room.  The disciples had gathered together.  They had witnessed the tomb being emptied.  Several had seen the resurrected Jesus.  In that moment, as they sat talking about their Savior and what was to come next.  The Messiah entered the room.  Mary was there and witnessed her son who had overcome death. 

Mary had been there for all the important moments in Jesus’s life.  Many look at Mary as the Blessed Virgin.  Mary has been named a saint by many denominations.  No matter what you think you have to admit that Mary is one of the most influential people to shape Christianity. 

Jesus--The Messiah--Emmanuel--Savior--Light of the World

Who better to start with than the Messiah?  We know a lot about Jesus, yet there are things that we come to learn each day.  Jesus was with God since the beginning.  Therefor Jesus was there before the world began.  Jesus is a vital part of the trinity which is God. 

Jesus is the savior of the world.  Jesus is the perfect lamb that went freely to the cross to die for the world.  Jesus came to the Earth for one purpose so that we might find our way back to God.  Jesus will save anyone that comes to believe in his saving power.  Jesus is love amplified.

Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us”.  Jesus came into this world as a little babe.  Jesus was a babe who learned the very simple tasks like walking and talking.  Jesus did not come as a warrior to establish an Earthly Kingdom.  Jesus became one of us so he could establish a Heavenly Kingdom.

Jesus faced death as a child.  King Herod was so afraid of the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah that he killed all children under two years old.  Joseph Jesus’s earthly father was warned of the coming massacre of innocents.  He was told to take his beloved son Jesus to a faraway place.  Jesus was then swiftly taken away to Egypt.

It is within Egypt that we know very little about Jesus.  We know that Jesus was there until it was safe to come back to Nazareth.  We are told in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus grew up, he showed signs of a strong spirit, he was very wild, and lastly he was overflowing with the love of God.  We also know that Jesus returned from Egypt and began learning the trade of his father Joseph.

Jesus affirms all the above when he is twelve years old.  He had traveled with his parents and many others to Jerusalem for the Passover.  After leaving Jerusalem Jesus and Mary discover that Jesus is not with them or any member of the family.  They return to Jerusalem hunting for the son.  They find Jesus at the temple preaching.  Joseph and Mary who are obviously upset that they had lost their child are in relief when they find Jesus.  Yet, they question why he wasn’t with them.  Jesus makes it clear that his is the Messiah, the Emmanuel when he says I was doing my Father’s work.  Instead of being mad with Jesus they understand that he was doing what he had come to do. 

He then leaves with them to return to Nazareth.  It is not until the end of his life that we learn more about Jesus.  Jesus resurfaces as he approaches his cousin John at the Jordan River.  It is there where Jesus goes into the water to have John Baptize him.  John knows who this is and says Jesus should baptize him.  Jesus reassures John and is baptized at that moment the dove of the Holy Spirit comes to him and God tells his son that he is proud of him.

Jesus leaves this scene and spends 40 days in the desert being tempted by Satan.  We have to realize that there is great significance in the 40 days.  Each day represents one year that the Jewish community spent in the wilderness.  They were tempted yet, unlike the Jewish community he did not give into the temptations.  This fulfilled the law and set the stage for Jesus to be the redeemer of the world.

He spent the next three years preparing his disciples and the world for his final destination.  He taught using stories to help the masses understand the love and redemption power of God.  Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead.  Jesus taught in the temple.  Jesus walked upon the masses and sharing with those that society had abandoned.  Jesus was the instrument of love during these 3.5 years. 

To fully understand these 3.5 years you will have to spend time going through the bible to find all of the miracles.  To fully understand the stories that were shared you will need to spend time studying the Bible.  The Story of this time in Jesus life is vital for it prepares us for the gift of salvation.  We encourage you to read the Gospels and walk with Jesus in his time of ministry.

Then the day came for Jesus to fulfill his work.  He was persecuted by the Church the government gave into the will of the masses.  Jesus carried his cross to the mount.  He then gave his life willingly to God.  Jesus died the Savior.  Three days later he rose from the grave to give us all the redemption of the world.  In the end, Jesus ascends to Heaven to prepare the way for those that would accept the saving grace.

The story of Jesus does not end there.  We now wait on the day that Jesus will return to claim his 

Kingdom here on Earth.  The day is guaranteed.  Yet, we do not know the day or hour Jesus will come.  Therefor we need to spend our life loving, praising and worshiping Jesus.  Prepare your heart for the moment that all have been waiting for.  The day Jesus will come to take his entire beloved children home.