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

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

Rainbows

Rainbows

Some folks I know have narrow views
Of life that close them in.
And they continually await
Misfortune to begin.
They never see the sunshine,
But they always find the rain.
They've frowned so much they can't recall
How laughter sounds again.

Instead of seeing each new day
A bright and shining thing,
They face the dawn and wonder what
New sorrow it will bring.
They squeeze out every ounce of joy,
Within the hearts of those
Who seek to cheer their lonely lives,
Why? Only heaven knows.

They put a price on everything,
And say that "nothing's free",
And end up being miserable
As anyone can be.
They haven't learned the secret
That life is more than just
Accumulating lots of things,
That fall apart with rust.

For life is more than gathering
What someday we must leave.
Each one of us needs principles
In which we can believe.
It's not so much the getting,
If we don't know how to share.
For only love can turn the rain
... To rainbows, everywhere.

Grace E. Easley

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

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 12th Chapter

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

The Twelfth Chapter
THE VALUE OF ADVERSITY
IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

Nobility

Nobility

True worth is in being, not seeming, ---
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good --- not in dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.

We get back our mete as we measure ---
We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
For justice avenges each slight.

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.

For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
As we would be done by, is all.

Alice Cary

Self-Righteousness

Self-Righteousness

Matt 23:25-26 NIV
25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites ! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Matt 23:27-28 NIV
27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites ! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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Prov 20:6 KJV
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Prov 21:2 NIV
2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the LORD weighs the heart.

Prov 30:12 NIV
12 those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

Job 9:30-31 NIV
30 Even if I washed myself with soap
and my hands with washing soda,
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit
so that even my clothes would detest me.

Isa 57:12 NIV
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,
and they will not benefit you.

Isa 64:6 NIV
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Luke 16:15 NIV
15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Rom 10:3 NIV
3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 7th Chapter

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

The Seventh Chapter
AVOIDING FALSE HOPE AND PRIDE

VAIN is the man who puts his trust in men, in created things.

Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem poor in this world. Do not be self-sufficient but place your trust in God. Do what lies in your power and God will aid your good will. Put no trust in your own learning nor in the cunning of any man, but rather in the grace of God Who helps the humble and humbles the proud.

If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends because they are powerful, but in God Who gives all things and Who desires above all to give Himself. Do not boast of personal stature or of physical beauty, qualities which are marred and destroyed by a little sickness. Do not take pride in your talent or ability, lest you displease God to Whom belongs all the natural gifts that you have.

Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted worse before God Who knows what is in man. Do not take pride in your good deeds, for God's judgments differ from those of men and what pleases them often displeases Him. If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Looks Can Be Deceiving

We think of Jesus as the Son of God,
as Our Savior,
as Our Teacher,
as well as filling other roles...
But... as God's Human Resources Director?

Here's why I think so.
We all know he chose His 12 Apostles (see below)
without even questioning them or
giving them an entry level test.
You might say that their test came after being chosen.

How did He pick them then?
It's conceivable that He might have observed them
from afar for some time... looking into their hearts.
He even picked Judas knowing he'd betray Him.

Psalm 41:9 NIV
9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
he who shared my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.

Jn 13:18 NIV
18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.
But this is to fulfill the scripture:
'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

Not only that... the Apostles may have been so impressed
by His Presence that they followed Him - no questions asked.
It's an understatement that Jesus has a magnetic personality.
Or He might have prepared them by telling them
to be ready for His call.
However, this seems unlikely since the Scriptures indicate
that the Apostles were taken by surprise when he called them,
not knowing who He was.

But Jesus didn't want to take any chances.
He added the miracle of the big fish catch
to clinch the Apostles' decision.
You can bet that word of mouth really spread about that event.

I have to believe that the Apostles must have thought
that their ship had come in, no pun intended.
It was like winning the Lottery might be to us.
Imagine... to administer over a kingdom!

One thing I do know is... when God calls, you answer.
The power of the Word is life-changing.
The Apostles were never the same after Jesus' call.
Their previous pursuits seemed trivial and foolish to them.

We should ask ourselves what we think God sees
when He looks into our hearts.
Are we too overly concerned with how we appear to the world?
Or do we desire to be God's servant, soldier, apostle, etc.?

Truth Seeker

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1 Sam 16:7 NIV
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Mt 4:18-22 NIV
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Mt 9:9 NIV
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Mk 3:13-19 NIV
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed
him.

Lk 5:1-11 NIV
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Jn 1:35-51 NIV
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Judge Ye Not

Judge Ye Not

Judge not thy brother's failings,
Nor ever be the one
To hurl a stone at anything
That he has ever done.
Scorn not his humble efforts,
Nor cast him to the ground,
He may have just discovered
What thou has never found.

Harden not thy heart to tears
That often flow unbidden,
From lonely hearts within whose depths
So much of love is hidden.
Set not thyself as model,
Above thy fellowman,
For charity can open doors,
That pride's key never can.

Be not so self-righteous,
Thy foot can also fall...
No man who lives, is blameless,
For sin has touched us all.
And God alone must judge us,
No man has been assigned.
Because the Lord alone can see
Within your heart... and mine.

Grace E. Easley

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.

Directions

Directions








Jesus, take me by the hand.
Guide me through this troubled land.
When, by storms, I'm tossed about
Calm the waves; erase the doubt.

Dearest Savior, light my way
'Lest in darkness, I might stray.
Though a detour cause concern
May it be a chance to learn.

Oh, Lord, shield me with Your grace.
Hold me in Your sweet embrace.
As a beacon, shining far
Stay my constant, guiding star.

God, without You, I'm afraid
I'd face too many barricades
Wrought with doubts and dead-end streets
Ending in despair, defeats.

Though the path become too steep...
And my step a little slow...
I know You'll take me in Your keep
When I have nowhere else to go.

Polly Thornton

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 1st Chapter

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

The First Chapter
IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON EARTH

HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly
enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.

What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.

This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.

Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.

Give Me

Give Me











God, give me eyes that I might see
The work that can be done by me;

God, give me ears that I might hear
The cry of those who need me near.

God give me lips that I might speak
Comfort and peace to all who seek;

God, give me a mind that I might know
How to help those who need me so.

God, give me hands that I might do
Some large or simple task for You;

God, give me a prayer that I might pray
Thy help and guidance every day.
And this one thing, all else above;

God, give me a heart that I may love.

Unknown Author

More or Less

More or Less










Philip 4:11b-13 NIV
11b I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Life is One Long Test

Life is One Long Test

Matt 10:38 NIV
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

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Matt 16:24 NIV
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Luke 9:23 NIV
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

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Rom 8:18 NIV
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

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James 1:12 NIV
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Imitate Jesus - PRAY !

Imitate Jesus - PRAY !

These are instances in the Bible where Our Lord either prayed or talked about prayer. I've only included the more pointed passages about Jesus and prayer. I've excluded other less pertinent exhortations of Jesus to His disciples and the crowds. My goal here is to show that we can't really call ourselves Christians unless we lead an active prayer life.

Truth Seeker

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Mat 6:9-13 NIV
9 "This, then, is how you should pray :
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'

Mat 14:23 NIV
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray . When evening came, he was there alone,

Mat 19:13 NIV
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Mat 26:36-46 NIV
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray ." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed , "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as
you will."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42 He went away a second time and prayed , "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Mk 1:35 NIV
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed .

Mk 6:46 NIV
46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray .

Mk 14:32-42 NIV
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray ." 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Mk 9:28-29 NIV
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer ."

Lk 3:21 NIV
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying , heaven was opened

Lk 5:16 NIV
16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed .

Lk 6:12 NIV
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray , and spent the night praying to God.

Lk 9:18 NIV
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

Lk 9:28-29 NIV
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray . 29 As he was praying , the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Lk 11:1-4 NIV
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray , just as John taught his disciples."
2 He said to them, "When you pray , say:
"'Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.'"

Lk 18:1 NIV
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Lk 21:36 NIV
36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Lk 22:31-32 NIV
31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

Lk 22:40-46 NIV
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and
prayed , 42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Jn 17:1 NIV
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed :

Jn 17:9 NIV
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

Jn 17:15 NIV
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Jn 17:20 NIV
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

Jn 18:1 NIV
1 When he had finished praying , Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley.

Philip 4:4-7 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Spirit vs Flesh

Spirit vs Flesh

Gal 5:16-17 NIV
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the
Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

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Mat 26:41 NIV
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

If God Didn't Give It To You... You Don't Need It (Or... You May Already Have It!)

If God Didn't Give It To You... You Don't Need It (Or... You May Already Have It!)

Let's examine the Scarecrow, in search of a brain:
Wizard of Oz: Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma.

Look at the Tin Man looking for a heart:
Wizard of Oz: A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.
Wizard of Oz: As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

Let's see the Cowardly Lion who desperately needs courage:
Wizard of Oz: You, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you're confusing courage with wisdom.