Our Deeds Count

Our Deeds Count

Ps 62:12 NIV
12 and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

Eccl 12:14 NIV
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Matt 5:16 NIV
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matt 7:16-20 NIV
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matt 10:42 NIV
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Matt 16:27 NIV
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

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Matt 25:31-46 NIV
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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Matt 26:10 NIV
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Acts 26:20 NIV
20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

Rom 2:5-10 NIV
6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

1 Cor 3:8 NIV
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

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.

Gal 6:7-10 NIV
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Phil 2:12 NIV
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

1 Tim 6:18-19 NIV
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

2 Tim 4:7-8 NIV
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Titus 3:8 NIV
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Heb 6:10-12 NIV
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

James 2:14-17 NIV
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 Peter 1:17 NIV
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

Rev 2:23 NIV
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Rev 20:13 NIV
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Rev 22:12 NIV
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

To Have and Have Not

To Have and Have Not

Matt 13:11-13 NIV
11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

Matt 21:43 NIV
43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Matt 25:14-30 NIV
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Mark 4:25 NIV
25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Luke 8:18 NIV
18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

Luke 10:41-42 NIV
41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 19:26-27 NIV
26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

The Riches From Above

The Riches From Above

The riches coming from above
are worth their weight in gold,
for joy and peace and faith and love
are things that can't be sold.

For everybody has a gift
of mind and heart and soul,
a gift that gives us all a lift
and makes our spirits whole.

For fame and fortune, wealth and power,
do not contentment bring -
they last a short and fleeting hour
and are a passing thing.

And all the goods that dollars buy
will into dust decay,
but good that comes from God on high
will never pass away.

Alvin Finkelstein

Spirit Matters - Pt.2

Spirit Matters - Pt.2

1 Cor 2:9-12,14 KJV

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit : for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Open and Shut Case

Open and Shut Case

Matt 16:18-19 NIV
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Matt 18:18 NIV
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Isa 22:20-23 NIV
20 "In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Rev 3:7 NIV
7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

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I think the above can apply to many things but,
in this case, I'm thinking of the canonization of saints
by the Catholic Church.

Protestants believe that all "born again" believers are saints -
both the living and the dead.

Catholics, on the other hand,
acknowledge themselves to be sinners which is why...

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Luke 5:31-32 NIV
31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor , but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 15:7 NIV
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

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Catholics ascribe sainthood to persons
who led exemplary and sacrificial lives.

The Catholic Church meticulously investigates
such persons and, when it makes a decision,
it is binding.

Truth Seeker

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http://www.catholic.org/saints/faq.php#num

Canonization does not "make" a person a saint; it recognizes what God has already done.

Though canonization is infallible and irrevocable, it takes a long time and a lot of effort. So while every person who is canonized is a saint, not every holy person has been canonized. You have probably known many "saints" in your life, and you are called by God to be one yourself.

Spirit and Soul - Which is Which?

http://www.contendingforthefaith.org/responses/bible-answer-man/appendix/are-soul-spirit-same.html

Spirit and Soul - Which is Which?

Functions of Soul and Spirit
A careful study of the Bible will show that man has a spirit (Job 32:8), that his spirit has a definite function (Rom. 1:9), and that the function of the spirit is different from the function of the soul (Luke 1:46-47). Since all of God's communications with men occur in the spirit, it is crucial that a believer know his
spirit. If he does not know his own spirit, he does not know how to have fellowship with God in the spirit. Not only that, he mistakenly takes the thoughts or emotions of the soul for the activity of the spirit. Confining himself to the realm of the soul, he seldom reaches the realm of the spirit. The Bible clearly shows first that we have a human spirit, second that our human spirit is not synonymous with our soul, and third that it is not the same as the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16).

The Human Spirit
According to the revelation of the Bible and the experience of believers, the human spirit can be said to have three main functions.
These three functions are conscience (Rom. 9:1; 8:16), intuition (Mark 2:8), and communion (John 4:24).
The conscience is the part of the spirit which distinguishes right from wrong and is not influenced by knowledge stored in the mind; it is rather a spontaneous direct judgment.
The intuition is the "knowing" part of the spirit. All true knowledge originates not in the mind, but in the spirit. The revelations of God and the movements of the Holy Spirit are known to the believer through his intuition.
A believer must, therefore, take care to heed these two aspects of his spirit: the speaking of his conscience and the teaching of his intuition.
Communion is the third function of the spirit, and is related to the worship of God. The soul is not competent to worship God. According to John 4:24, "God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

The Human Soul
Not only does man possess a spirit which enables him to function in the spiritual realm; he also possesses a soul which is the organ of his self-consciousness. The soul is the seat of the human personality.
The ingredients which make us human beings belong to the soul. The intellect, thought, ideals, love, emotion, understanding, decision, choice, and other like qualities are all associated with the soul.
The three main functions of the soul are the will (Job 7:15), the mind (Lam. 3:20, RSV), and the emotion (2 Sam. 5:8; Deut. 6:5).
The will is the instrument for making decisions and choices.
The second function of the soul is the mind, the instrument for thinking. It is in this part of the soul that man reasons and has knowledge (Prov. 2:10).
The third function of the soul is the emotion. This is the instrument of likes and dislikes. Through the emotions we are able to express love or hatred, joyfulness, anger, sadness, or happiness. A shortage in this area will render us insensitive. By a careful study of the Bible we cannot help but be impressed that these three primary functions of the personality belong to the soul.

Vital to Christian Experience
This matter of distinguishing the spirit from the soul is not just something of academic or doctrinal interests. It is vital to our Christian experience. If we do not know our human spirit, how shall God communicate with us (Job 32:8); how shall we worship Him (John 4:24); how shall we receive revelation from God (Eph. 1:17); and how shall we pray properly (Eph. 6:18, praying...in spirit)? These vital experiences are a matter of knowing our spirit. Even serving the Lord must be done in and with our spirit (Rom. 1:9). Many today are satisfied simply to find an open door to serve the Lord, but Paul was regulated rather by the rest in his spirit (2 Cor. 2:12-13).

If you are a Christian, your spirit has been made alive by the Spirit (John 3:6), and today Jesus Christ is with your spirit (2 Tim. 4:22). There is not one verse in the whole Bible which says that your soul was born again or that Christ today is in your soul. Neither is there a single verse which says that we should worship God with our soul (although many Christians try it). But there is a verse which says that if we are going to worship God, we must worship Him in spirit (John 4:24).

May all who read these words be exercised to discern between their soul and their spirit and to walk before God in spirit.

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http://www.kjvbible.org/body.html

Each man and woman born into this world is a being made of three (3) distinct components:

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV)

1: The BODY. This is your PHYSICAL component of being. It is flesh made from a collection of unremarkable mineral elements (but is mostly water) and is in harmony with the nature and spirit of this world. It grows, matures, begins to deteriorate, eventually dies, and then decomposes back into its constituent elements and remains a part of the dust of the world. The body is a part of you but is NOT ALL of what defines who YOU are.

"And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,"
(Proverbs 5:11 KJV)

2: The SOUL. This is who YOU are; it is a part of your SPIRITUAL component. This is your individuality, your "I AM" so to speak (made in God’s image), your "heart." Although your individual soul did not exist before your mother and father procreated you, it will exist forever. It cannot be killed by man:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
(Matt. 10:28 KJV)

When your body dies your soul (YOU) will leave the body of flesh:

"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin."
(Genesis 35:18 KJV)

3: The SPIRIT. This is the source of power and control for both your body and soul; it is either evil or good, darkness or light, unholy or Holy, unclean or clean, of Satan or of God:

"But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of."
(Luke 9:55 KJV)

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http://www.tripartiteman.org/definition/spirit.html

The Definition of the Three Parts of Man:

The Human Spirit
Our human spirit is also composed of three parts: the conscience, fellowship, and intuition. The conscience is that part which enables us to perceive right from wrong and which, accordingly, either condemns or justifies us. Through the fellowship, we are able to contact God and commune with Him. Finally, through the intuition God imparts to us a direct, particular sense or knowledge which is independent of reason, circumstance, situation, or precedent.

These three faculties of the spirit: conscience, fellowship, and intuition are clearly described in Scripture.

First and most crucial is the spirit

The primary, leading part of the spirit is the conscience. In Romans 9:1 Paul testified, “My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.” When this passage is compared to Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit,” it becomes apparent that the conscience is located within the human spirit. The Spirit of God witnesses with our human spirit, yet at the same time our conscience witnesses with the Holy Spirit. By association, then, the conscience must be part of the human spirit.

The Scriptures likewise reveal that the fellowship pertains to the spirit. Christ Himself told us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness” (John 4:24). Worshipping God is altogether a matter of contacting God in fellowship. Furthermore, Ephesians 6:18 mentions “praying at every time in spirit,” another form of fellowship with God. Based on these verses we can conclude that fellowship is a component of the human spirit.

Worshipping God is altogether a matter of contacting God in fellowship

Finally, we must see in the Scriptures that the intuition is also a part of the spirit. First Corinthians 2:11 says, “For who among men knows the things of man, except the spirit of man which is in him?” This verse shows us that there are things which only the spirit of man knows, and which the soul is unable to know. This function of our intuition has the capacity to know and discern apart from human reason or circumstantial experience. For example, in the gospel of Mark the scribes were silently reasoning within their hearts about the Lord’s statement, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” In response to their reasoning, “immediately Jesus, knowing fully in His spirit that they were reasoning this way within themselves, said to them, Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts” (2:8). This verse further illustrates that the spirit can have an inner sense and knowledge independent of the reason or outward circumstances upon which the soul’s discernment relies so heavily. This spiritual sense, or intuition, is an essential faculty of the human spirit (Witness Lee, Economy 56-59).

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The Definition of the Three Parts of Man:

The Soul
The soul, the “person” of man, is likewise composed of three parts: the mind, the will and the emotion. God’s Word proves this clearly and definitively.

First, the Scriptures consistently identify the mind as part of the soul. For example, the Psalmist exults, “I will praise You, for I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, and my soul knows it well” (Ps.139:14, italics added).

Knowledge, no doubt, pertains to the mind. In addition, Lamentations 3:20 says, “My soul remembers them well and is bowed down within me.” To remember is another function of the mind. These verses clearly indicate that there is a part of the soul that knows and remembers; this part is the mind.

The will is also part of the soul. Job had much to say about the will, for example, “So that my soul would choose strangulation and death rather than my bones” (Job 7:15). He also said, “My soul refuses to touch them…” (6:7). Both choosing and refusing are functions of the will, a part of the soul.

Tell me, you whom my soul loves

Finally, we can see from the Word that the emotion is part of the soul. In Song of Songs 1:7, the Shulamite speaks to her beloved, “Tell me, you whom my soul loves.” Second Samuel 5:8 records the opposite feeling: “And David said on that day, Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him go up to the watercourse and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul….” And in Psalm 86:4, David experienced a change in feeling: “Cause the soul of Your servant to rejoice…” Since love, hate and rejoicing are clearly expressions of the emotions, it is obvious that the emotion is the third faculty of the soul (Witness Lee, Economy 55-56).

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The Definition of the Three Parts of Man:

The Body
The body of man with its five senses is that part which contacts the physical world. This physical body as man’s outward frame is God’s provision for his existence; without it man would be unable to exist in the material realm. Originally, man was created with a pure, undefiled body. But due to man’s fall his body was changed in nature, transmuted, thus becoming the fallen flesh full of lust. Hence, man’s body is a corrupted body as Paul observed in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells” (Witness Lee, Basic 41).

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The Definition of the Three Parts of Man:

The Heart–A Composition of the Soul and the Conscience (The Leading Part of the Spirit)
Man’s heart, as revealed throughout Scripture, is a composition of all the parts of the soul as well as of the primary part of the spirit, namely the conscience.

It may strike the reader as odd to hear that the heart is not a separate and distinct component of man, but rather a composition of several other parts.

Nevertheless, the Bible clearly indicates, as outlined below, that all three components of the soul–the mind, will, and emotion–also comprise the heart, together with the leading part of the spirit–the conscience.

In order to see that the mind is a part of the heart, we must read Genesis 6:5: “And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Furthermore, as Matthew 9:4 reports, “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?” Both “thoughts” and “thinking” relate to the mind, evidence that the mind, as a part of the soul, is simultaneously a part of the heart.

To identify the will as pertaining to the heart, we must consult Acts 11:23: “Who, when he arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain with the Lord with purpose of heart.”

In addition, the second half of Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the Word’s ability to discern, “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Both “purpose” and “intentions” are functions of the will, indicating that the will, likewise, is part of the heart.

Several other portions of the Word prove that the emotion is part of the heart. In John 16:6, the Lord tells His disciples, “But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.” Later in that same chapter, the Lord continues, “Therefore you also now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” Since sorrow and rejoicing, human emotions, are so evidently linked here to the heart, we can say that man’s emotional faculty is also part of the heart. The scriptural references cited in the above three paragraphs clearly demonstrate that the soul with its three parts (mind, will, and emotion) is a key component of the heart.

Finally, the Word makes it clear that the leading part of the spirit (the conscience) is also integrally related to the heart. Hebrews 10:22 strongly links these two: “Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.” Additionally, 1 John 3:20 warns, “Because if our heart blames us, it is because God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” Blame and condemnation are the primary functions of the conscience, further proof that our conscience is part of our heart. In summary, it is the conscience, along with the three parts of the soul, that compose man’s heart (Witness Lee, Economy 59-61).

Nothing Escapes Him

Nothing Escapes Him

Heb 4:12-13 NIV

12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Give Me Some Living Water, Lord

Give Me Some Living Water, Lord

John 4:13-15 NIV

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

At the Name of Jesus Every Knee Should Bow

Phil 2:5-11 NIV

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

God Keeps In Touch

God Keeps In Touch

God shows Himself a bit each day
To those who pause along the way
To contemplate a budding rose
Or watch a river as it flows.

He calms our fears and disbelief
By resurrecting every leaf
When spring has come upon the land
And every day is simply grand.

He paints the sunrise day by day
To chase the darkest night away,
Then hangs the stars when day is through
That we might have a wish come true.

Sometimes it rains on our parade
And spoils the plans that we have made,
But soon each storm shall pass us by
And there's His rainbow in the sky!

God keeps in touch with those who seek
His fellowship throughout the week
For all who look shall surely see
His glory and His majesty!

Clay Harrison

Light Not Darkness

Light Not Darkness

1 John 2:9-11 NIV
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

God's Incomparability

God's Incomparability

Rom 11:33-36 NIV
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Oh God, Help Me To Remember

Oh God, Help Me To Remember

Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry,
When I have work
help me to remember the jobless,
When I have a warm home
help me to remember the homeless,
When I am without pain
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering
help me to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough to help
by word and deed, those who cry out
For what we take for granted.

Unknown Author

My Earnest Prayer

My Earnest Prayer

Today, I pray for others, Lord,
Who seem less blessed than I,
That in your love and mercy,
You'll heed their desperate cry.

For those depressed and lonely,
Please be their constant guide...
And show them they are not alone,
For You are by their side!

For those in pain of body...
Dear Lord, please make them whole,
And those who doubt... increase their faith;
Reveal their glorious soul!

Feed those who live in hunger,
House those who have no home,
And free this world from hatred;
Show us we all are one.

Dear Lord, thank you for listening,
And answering this prayer,
This world seems much less frightening,
Just knowing that You care.

Deborah A. Doyle

Our Lives At Sea

Our Lives At Sea

God puts us on a lifeboat
Whose purpose is to promote
Our spiritual improvement
Living our lives as He meant

With our family and others
We're all to live as brothers
Learning from our mistakes
To do this... for heaven's sakes

The waters may at times be rough
Proving we're really not so tough
Don't lose sight of God waiting on the shore
Soon you'll see what Providence has in store

At times some may go overboard
In saving them lies a great reward
Our Lord watches over our strife
Reaching out to us to save our life

Rowing toward the same heavenly goal
Is the way to save our eternal soul
If we let faith, hope and love be our beacon
Our resolve will never weaken

Truth Seeker

Redemption, Salvation, Sanctification, and Justification, in the Light of Purgatory

Redemption, Salvation, Sanctification, and Justification, in the Light of Purgatory

Redemption doesn’t mean that each person is automatically saved.
Salvation, as opposed to redemption, has to do with
each individual. Salvation --- to put it in the baldest
terms possible - - - simply means to get into heaven. If I
get into heaven, I’m saved. If I don’t, I'm not - - - and
that means the alternative is hell. Salvation is the cru-
cial issue for everyone.
Jesus accomplished the work of redemption, but
there is still something for us to do so that the re-
demption will be effective for us. Even the fundamen-
talists admit this, since they say a person must accept
Jesus as personal Savior and Lord. But what does the
New Testament say about salvation? "The one who
believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mk 16:16).
So at the very minimum, we have to do two things:
believe, and be baptized. But the whole tenor of the
New Testament presupposes that this is only the be-
ginning. After baptism, a person needs to persevere in
living a holy life.
This brings us to sanctitication. What does that
mean? It means to be holy. Holiness doesn’t come
automatically. It’s a lifelong struggle. We can’t be
content with simply aiming for salvation, to get in un-
der the wire. The goal is the full development of life
in Christ. St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "You were
taught to put away your former way of life, your old
self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be
renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe
yourselves with the new self, created according to the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness"
(Eph 4:22-24). St. Paul didn’t think it was enough to
have simply been converted to Christ. No, he kept on
straining ahead to the goal, the fullness of life in
Christ. His attitude is not "Christ has done it all, so I
can sit back and relaxl” He talks about effort. He talks
about work.
St. Paul also wrote, "Work out your own salva-
tion with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12). To work it
out means we still have something to do. He said too
that "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your
sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking
in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is,
the Church" (Col 1:24). What could be lacking to the
sufferings of Christ? Evidently St. Paul does not mean
here that the redemption is ineffective; that would
contradict the rest of his writings. The redemption is
all-sufficient. But it points out that we still have some-
thing to do. The redemption is accomplished. But sal-
vation is not. The salvation of each person now living
on earth hangs in the balance. In some mysterious
way, as members of Christ’s Mystical Body, our suf-
ferings can contribute to the salvation of others.
To bring this all back to our discussion on purgatory,
the objection that purgatory detracts from
Christ’s redemption is not at all valid. If Christ had
not redeemed us, we could do absolutely nothing to
obtain salvation, far less sanctification. The redemp-
tion wrought by Jesus is the absolutely necessary con-
dition for us to be saved. But once that condition was
in place, once the redemption was done, we have to
do our part to profit by it.
The idea that Jesus has done it all, so we need
do nothing, is one that detracts from human dignity.
God treats us as free and responsible persons. He
doesn’t treat us as if we were babies, totally incapable
of doing anything for ourselves. We’ve had our part in
sin; shouldn’t we also do our part to make up for the
effects of sin?
In regard to the second objection, that purgatory
de-emphasizes the importance of faith by emphasiz-
ing works, the following observations are in order.
· First, purgatory is not something that we do, it’s
something we undergo. lt’s a passive purification. It’s
something God does; our role is to submit to it. God is
the one who purifies us in purgatory. It’s not some-
thing we do on our own.
Second, this objection really concerns the nature
of justification. Again, the issue is much deeper than
purgatory. What do we mean by justification? Simply
put, justification means to get right with God. It’s
what happens when a sinner converts. lt means to do
away with sin and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. How
are we justified? Through faith and baptism. But the
crucial difference is between the fundamentalist
and the Catholic idea of what the state of justification
actually is.
Fundamentalists see justification as a legal im-
putation of justice to us from God, that God declares
us clean. But in reality, they say, justification does not
actually make us clean. lt does not truly purge us from
the guilt of our sin. The sins remain, but God over-
looks them. Think of a garbage heap covered with
snow, and you have the idea. The garbage is still
there; it just looks good on the outside.
Catholic doctrine, instead, is that by justification
God truly cleanses us of sin. God makes us righteous,
or holy, not just externally, but in a radical, internal
way. The person’s inner being is reconciled to God in
such a way that sin no longer remains. God declares us
clean because we really are clean, and not because he
chooses to overlook our sins. He gets rid of our sins.
They’re forgiven; they’re gone. This is a much more
profound view, and one that is in accord with the New
Testament. For example, St. Paul says, "So whoever is
in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed
away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor 5:17
NAB). That doesn’t sound like sin is merely covered
over. In Titus 3:5, he also says that God saved us "ac-
cording to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit." The idea of a rebirth and
renewal also speaks of a true, inner regeneration.

Excerpted from
"Purgatory - The Purifying Power of God's Healing Love"
pp. 21-24
by Marianne Lorraine Trouve, FSP

Forgive Me, Lord

Forgive Me, Lord

Forgive me, Lord, for all my wrongs,
I need Your help, to keep me strong.
I need Your love from day to day,
To show me how, to find my way.

The night is dark, and I am sad,
I pray to Thee, to make me glad.
In heaven above, I hope to be
To worship You, for eternity.

For all my sins, I feel contrite,
A deep desire, to set things right.
In humble prayer, I ask Your grace,
My only dream, in heaven, a place.

And thru my life stay by my side,
In all my needs, be Thou my guide
To help me find, in faith above,
That peace of mind, which comes with love.

Francis X. Wadland

Prayer to Mary, Untier of Knots

Prayer to Mary, Untier of Knots

Holy Mary, full of the presence of God during your life you accepted with great humility the Holy Will of the Father and the legacy of your Son Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Evil never dared to entangle you with its confusion. Since then you have interceded for all of our difficulties. With all simplicity and patience you have given us example on how to untangle the knots in our complicated lives. By being our Mother forever, you arrange and make clear the path that unites us to Our Lord. Holy Mary, Mother of God and ours, with your maternal heart untie the knots that upset our lives. We ask you to receive in your hands ( mention who or prayer request ) and deliver us from the chains and confusions that have us restrained. Blessed Virgin Mary, through your grace, your intercession and by your example, deliver us from evil and untie the knots that keep us from uniting with God, so that once free of every confusion and error, we may find Him in all things, have Him in our hearts and serve Him always in our brothers and sisters. Mother of Good Counsel pray for us . Amen

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 2nd Chapter

The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis
BOOK ONE
THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL

The Second Chapter
HAVING A HUMBLE OPINION OF SELF

EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.

If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?

Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are
many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.

Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?

If you wish to learn and appreciate something worthwhile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.

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.