The Proof of Our Love For Jesus

The Proof of Our Love For Jesus

John 21:15-17 NIV

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

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Jesus is only interested in one quality in our resume
That quality is our love for Him and our fellow man
We may think we can show our love with mere fancy words
However, Jesus can see through our facade
When Jesus asks for a commitment from us as he did with Peter
In our job descriptions - he expects us to keep our promises

Truth Seeker

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Approach God With Assurance

Approach God With Assurance

Hebrews 4:16 NIV
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

True Love vs the Hollywood Type

True Love vs the Hollywood Type

1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13 NIV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Extreme Accountability

Extreme Accountability

Isa 45:23 NIV
23 By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.

Rom 14:10-12 NIV
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' " 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

2 Cor 5:10 NIV
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Enigma of Free Will vs. Predestination

The Enigma of Free Will vs. Predestination

Four Biblical Truths on Predestination

God wants that everyone be saved
God does not predestine anyone to hell
Jesus died for everyone
God grants sufficient graces for salvation to everyone

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Ezek 18:32 NIV
32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Ezek 33:11 NIV
11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'

Rom 5:18-19 NIV
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Rom 8:28-30 NIV
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Rom 9:14-18 NIV
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the
Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

1 Tim 2:3-4 NIV
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

2 Pet 3:9 NIV
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

We'll Find Rest in Christ

We'll Find Rest in Christ

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
28" Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

St. Padre Pio, Divine Mercy and the Earthquake in Haiti

http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/feb2010.htm

St. Padre Pio, Divine Mercy and the Earthquake in Haiti

By June Klins

I have a fire in my heart for the salvation of souls. So, years ago, when a friend told me that a priest had shared with her a type of prayer he called "anticipatory prayer,” my interest was piqued. My friend told me that anticipatory prayer means that you can pray for good results for something after it has already happened, because for God there is no time, and He knew you were going to pray! Fr. John Corapi spoke about this at a conference I attended a few years ago, when someone asked a question about praying for a person who had committed suicide. Since Fr. Corapi was given, by Pope John Paul II, the title "apostolic teacher" -- meaning he speaks with the authority of the apostles -- this confirmed for me what I had heard earlier about anticipatory prayer.

Recently I was reading the book, The Holy Souls," by Fr. Alessio Parente, OFM, Cap. Father Parente chronicles St. Padre Pio's relationship with the dead. In Chapter 46. St. Padre Pio spoke about praying for the happy death of a young girl who had already died. St. Pio said, "For the Lord, the past does not exist; the future does not exist. Everything is an eternal present. Those prayers had already been taken into account. And so I repeat that even now I can pray for the happy death of my great grandfather!"
Fr. Parente commented at the end of this chapter, "There is a very important moral to be learned here, and it is that we should always pray for the deceased, even those who have died many years ago, because for God there is neither a past nor a future, but all is the eternal present."
After I read this, I began praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (a powerful prayer that Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying) for all of my great grandparents, and then began working on my great-great grandparents. I have a list and check it off after I pray for each person. (I had already had Gregorian Masses said for all my grandparents years ago.)
One morning two weeks after the earthquake in Haiti, I felt very driven to share this, so we can all pray for the salvation of those who died in Haiti. I have been doing that every day since the earthquake. If we all do that every day for a month, and pass this along to others, we should be able to cover everyone. And then maybe we can do the same for the victims of the tsunami and other natural disasters….

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, Who wants all men to be saved …” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)