Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"I thirst"
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
John 19:28 (KJV)
For six agonizing hours Jesus suffered and carried upon Him the sins of the world as He was crucified. The "thirst" mentioned in John 19:28 was probably much more than a physical thirst, it was spiritual. Because Jesus was covered in our sins, He was separated from the Father and probably felt completely empty inside.
As human beings, we all have felt emptiness in our lives. These feelings can be brought on by disappointment, despair, guilt, loss, uncertainty, etc. Yet, throughout the Bible the Word of God continuously hits on one key point...Love.
God thirsts for our love.
Time and time again we are given chance after chance to redeem ourselves and ask for forgiveness. If God were not a loving and forgiving God then none of us would stand a chance at gaining eternal life.
It's easy to validate this statement because the most well known verse in the Bible proves it.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 (KJV)
This point is also echoed in the words that Jesus spoke to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque when He said to her..."I so ardently thirst to be loved by men in the Most Blessed Sacrament that this thirst devours me..."
Do you thirst for Christ? Are you empty inside, do you feel alone, unmotivated or maybe just a little afraid of what's next in your life?
Then take a moment to quench your thirst by reaching out to Jesus.
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 7:37 (KJV)
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Drawing Heaven
Watch and listen to the amazing story behind this young girl as she obtains her painting inspiration from God.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The time is now
Quick memory test...
Try to recall how often (just this week) you decided to put something off. Perhaps it was going to the store, cleaning the house or something else that was on your "to do list." It doesn't matter if it was a big deal or not, just think about it for a moment.
In most cases we start off with very good in intentions. Then somehow along the way we end up talking ourselves out of doing what we had originally planned to do. Often the excuses we have are legitimate...and yet some times they are not.
If we look inside the 8th chapter in the Book of Matthew we will find a similar situation.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:19-22 (NIV)
In this scenario, it's very likely that the man's father was not dead. It's most likely that he was old or even sick and the man wished to go home and wait for his father to die, and then he would follow Jesus.
Jesus' answer was a little tricky, but the message He was delivering was that we should never make excuses when it comes to following him. The time is now and there is no better time than the present.
Just keep this in mind the next time you have a little free time in the morning, afternoon or evening. Do you watch TV, get on the computer, pick up your Bible, etc. It's really easy to say "I can do it later."
Remember - On His way to the cross Jesus never paused, never said, "Ah, I can do it later." He had a job to do and He did it.
As followers of Christ we have a job to do as well and that includes interacting with God on a daily basis.
The time is now.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Try to recall how often (just this week) you decided to put something off. Perhaps it was going to the store, cleaning the house or something else that was on your "to do list." It doesn't matter if it was a big deal or not, just think about it for a moment.
In most cases we start off with very good in intentions. Then somehow along the way we end up talking ourselves out of doing what we had originally planned to do. Often the excuses we have are legitimate...and yet some times they are not.
If we look inside the 8th chapter in the Book of Matthew we will find a similar situation.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:19-22 (NIV)
In this scenario, it's very likely that the man's father was not dead. It's most likely that he was old or even sick and the man wished to go home and wait for his father to die, and then he would follow Jesus.
Jesus' answer was a little tricky, but the message He was delivering was that we should never make excuses when it comes to following him. The time is now and there is no better time than the present.
Just keep this in mind the next time you have a little free time in the morning, afternoon or evening. Do you watch TV, get on the computer, pick up your Bible, etc. It's really easy to say "I can do it later."
Remember - On His way to the cross Jesus never paused, never said, "Ah, I can do it later." He had a job to do and He did it.
As followers of Christ we have a job to do as well and that includes interacting with God on a daily basis.
The time is now.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Obedience and Consequence
If you were to go to the doctor and he were to tell you that you had high cholesterol and that you had to change your diet or risk a heart attack, chances are you would follow his advise. The consequences would just be too great to ignore.
If you were driving down the road and noticed flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror you would probably pull over without giving it a second thought. The consequences of not doing so would be too great to ignore.
If you were at work and your boss gave you a due date to complete an assignment, chances are you would complete the assignment by the date requested. The consequences would be too great to ignore
During Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, His mother, Mary, set a very early example for us to follow….to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Once the wine was completely gone, Mary told the servants…
"Do whatever He tells you."
John 2:5
It was a very simple request.
This one little statement of faith showed us the love and dedication Mary had for Jesus. Mary knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus would do something special even though He had not performed a single public miracle up to that point.
Mary’s simple request still holds true today. "Do whatever He tells you."
Since we should be fully obedient to God and obey every one of His commands, then basically we should “do whatever He tells us to do”. Therefore, by reading the Bible we know exactly how God desires us to act and treat others. The Bible is The Word of God and it provides us with His unquestionable laws for mankind.
Of course, out of convenience, there are many decrees in the Bible that people would rather ignore. Some of the scriptures can be down right disturbing or even unsettling. However, no amount of denial on our part will make the reality of God’s Word disappear. We do not get to pick or choose the convenient parts of the Bible that we want to follow. Whether we like it or not, the truth is exists on each and every page. We certainly may have several favorite passages, but that does not provide us with the luxury of ignoring the rest of the truth.
"At the end, forever, you and I will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period."
-Father John Corapi
This post was inspired by a message delivered by Father John Corapi.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
If you were driving down the road and noticed flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror you would probably pull over without giving it a second thought. The consequences of not doing so would be too great to ignore.
If you were at work and your boss gave you a due date to complete an assignment, chances are you would complete the assignment by the date requested. The consequences would be too great to ignore
* * *
During Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, His mother, Mary, set a very early example for us to follow….to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Once the wine was completely gone, Mary told the servants…
"Do whatever He tells you."
John 2:5
It was a very simple request.
This one little statement of faith showed us the love and dedication Mary had for Jesus. Mary knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus would do something special even though He had not performed a single public miracle up to that point.
Mary’s simple request still holds true today. "Do whatever He tells you."
Since we should be fully obedient to God and obey every one of His commands, then basically we should “do whatever He tells us to do”. Therefore, by reading the Bible we know exactly how God desires us to act and treat others. The Bible is The Word of God and it provides us with His unquestionable laws for mankind.
Of course, out of convenience, there are many decrees in the Bible that people would rather ignore. Some of the scriptures can be down right disturbing or even unsettling. However, no amount of denial on our part will make the reality of God’s Word disappear. We do not get to pick or choose the convenient parts of the Bible that we want to follow. Whether we like it or not, the truth is exists on each and every page. We certainly may have several favorite passages, but that does not provide us with the luxury of ignoring the rest of the truth.
* * *
If you were to pick up your Bible and read God’s Word, chances are you would follow His commands for the rest of your life. The consequences would just be too great to ignore."At the end, forever, you and I will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period."
-Father John Corapi
This post was inspired by a message delivered by Father John Corapi.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
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