Spiritural Warfare

Satan is a created being and he appears to be omnipresent, but he is not. He has a demonic army that assists him in warfare on earth. Isaiah 14:12-15 and Revelation 12:3, 4. Jesus says in John 8:44 "He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. He is a liar and father of lies. In 1Peter 5:8." He is a destroyer and divider when it comes to the church, and he prowls around like a roaring lion on the earth to see who he can devour. His strategy has never changed since the beginning of time Gen 3:1-10

Satan, Serpent, Accuser, Deceiver, Destroyer, Ruler of the world came to Steal, Kill and Destroy By attacking Mind, Body, Will, Heart and Conscience through Lies, Suffering, Pride and Accusations to make us Ignorant, Independent, impatient with God's Will for our life.

JUSTIFICATION
JESUS CHRIST Advocate, redeemer came to bring Healing, Wholeness and Deliverance to set us FREE

SANCTIFICATION
HOLY SPIRIT gives Grace, Power, and Wisdom (to) Surrender to God and Resist the Devil

DO THE FOLLOWING DAILY:

1. Get out of Bed
2. Pray
3. Read the bible to present your mind to God "As a man think so is he"
4. Put on the Spiritual Armour of God
5. Sacraments: Confession and Eucharist (Communion and adoration) as often as possible

Ephesians 6:10-18

• The Girdle of Truth
• The Breastplate of righteousness
• The Shoes of Peace
• The Shield of Faith
• The Helmet of Salvation
• The sword of the Spirit

Sacred Heart of Jesus I surrender to you today, my mind, body and will, so that I can do your perfect will for my life. Holy Spirit give me the grace to endure suffering, power to say no to temptation and wisdom to discern the lies of satan.

St Michael the archangel defend us in this Day of battle. Be our safe guard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God restrain him we humbly pray oh Prince of the Heavenly Host. By the power of God trust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who wander through this world seeking the ruin of souls.
Sacred Heart of Jesus have Mercy on us
Sacred Heart of Jesus have Mercy on us
Sacred Heart of Jesus have Mercy on us
Blessed Heart of Mary Pray for Us
St. Joseph Pray for Us

AMEN

"WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?"

In the world today I have heard many discussions on religion and in my writing I am not here to deny or dispute any of them. In fact I believe Muhammad is who he says he was and even Buddha, and the Jewish God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there IS a man who walks this earth making many claims to who HE IS. Two thousand (~2000) years ago He willingly suffered and died the most gruesome death never denying his divinity or his humanity for the sake of SAVING THE WORLD FROM THEIR SINS. It does not matter how good you have lived your life. As Jesus says, Whoever without sin cast the first stone. Can you cast the first stone?

God is a God of Love, but he is also a God of Justice and Mercy and as the psalmists David 51:6-7, said"Against you alone have I sinned; and done what is evil in your sight. You are rght when you pass sentence and blameless in your judgement. For I have been guilt ridden from birth, a sinner from my mothers womb."

BUT in
John 3:16 "GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE US HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHO EVER BELIEVE IN HIM WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. "

Just to quote a few of Jesus statements recorded in his own words,

• " I am the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father but through me."
• "I am the Living bread that came down from heaven."
• "I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life"
• "I did not come to condemn the world but to save it"
• "Before Abraham was I AM"
• "Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

And everywhere Jesus walks there are miracles of healing, signs and wonders and people being set free. Free from sin and all types of strongholds, starting from the day Jesus was born, because that day the Kingdom of Heaven came to earth and it is a foreshadow/foretaste of our life in eternity.

As Jesus said in the gospel of John, "Which part do you want to stone Me for?" Jesus to the samaritan woman at Jacobs well, if you only know who is asking you for a drink, you would ask him for living water. She says sir, when the Messiah comes he will tell us everything, then Jesus says, "I AM HE"

Therefore Jesus in his infinite wisdom asks this question to all of us in the gospel of Mark 8:27 and other gospels

Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?"

The question we should all be asking is Who is Jesus? And is He all He claims to be?
It is either He is who He says He is or He is not. If He is who He says He is then those who do not believe or are not sure, need to be absolutely certain of what they believe in, because eternity is a very very very long time to live in darkness and suffering. I am absolutely certain if you seek God with all your heart and repent of your sins, you will respond as Simon Peter did,

"YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD"

Beauty From Ashes

God has the ability to take the broken pieces, the nothingness, the ashes of our life, and transform it into a beauty that shines forth for all to see. His grace is sufficient, his mercy is like the ocean Endless. Don't be afraid to trust HIM.

Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not in your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Don't be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."

God makes our path straight, but we have to give him our brokenness, through prayer, and confession. Let Him know your troubles, and wait patiently for Him. Wait, we are too quick to rush into situations and places where Angels fear to thread, due to the void, the hurt we feel, that only Jesus can fill. God transcends space and time and in the bible it says He knows the end from the beginning, so try not to be wise in your own eyes.

Testimony to the Power of God,

A few months ago I had the privilege to work with the under served population. They were homeless women that visited our free clinic once a week. There was a woman who came because of severe bone pain. In addition she was schizophrenic, with auditory hallucinations, and burst of rage. At night she would drink to dampen the voices which were constantly accusatory.

As a student clinician I did all that was possible, but week after week there was minimal progress. Then for some reason at the end of a session, I said, "Can I pray with you?" She said, "I do not believe in God, but okay." During that prayer I did not see any flash of light or had any activation of the senses, but what I witnessed the following 2 weeks was a miracle. That same woman returned to the clinic and hugged me. She was not hearing voices, her bone pain left, and she had reduced her drinking to one night a week.

Then I saw her look at my neck and asked me about the chain I was wearing. With eager hands and with animation, I swooped it off around my neck and showed it to her. She laughed and said "The eager way you pulled if off I thought it was an engagement ring," and we both laughed.

I said to her this is a ROSARY. It is a meditation of the scriptures by repeating a mantra to Our Lady for her intercession. It was hand made by one of my friends, each bead was made of glass and blessed at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York. She wanted me to teach her how to prayer the Rosary. I could hardly believe it. Wow, what a difference a prayer can make. Many blessing followed after, she was able to get housing, and someone gave her furniture.

I witnessed that day Beauty From Ashes, which was a faith building experience that gave me a security and boldness in Jesus Christ that I never had before. :-)

CHOICES

In 2003-2004 after an amazing conversion experience which removed and dispelled the darkness in my life, through scripture, the sacraments of communion and confession; God spoke to me very clearly. His very first words repeatedly was "Anna Do you Trust Me? Anna Do you Trust Me? ANNA DO YOU TRUST ME?" I eventually said " Yes Lord I trust You" not fully understanding the gravity of what he was asking or saying." Then he said to me "Choices, Choices, CHOICES" Everyday the words which had no real significance at that time rang in my head for a month, and today after looking through the tunnel of the past I understand the Gravity and Meaning of his words . Everything is good when life is well, but when things get awry it is easy to be pinned by FEAR especially the FEAR of failing. It is easy to become paralyzed by the lies that Satan would tell. There is a battle to corrode the mind, will, intellect, soul, body and render us powerless.

It has taken lots of training in the Spirit to trust and discern God's voice" because Satan came to STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY. The bible calls him the "THE FATHER OF LIES" His tactic is all about deception making you doubt God's promises. You better believe it, we are in spiritual warfare and the battle is for your soul. The war continues and it will continue until the end of time.

Our choices can lead to LIFE or DEATH.

It is hard to make the RIGHT CHOICE if you don't TRUST GOD and believe in his WORD. Immerse yourself in scripture. We live in a world that does not understand the power of God and the supernatural unseen forces that work to dispel the power of darkness and evil. We have become a people of the senses, thus silence and solitude makes us uncomfortable and we drum out the voice of God with the ipod, cell phone, Walkman, end less parade of activities. Faith unleashes power of the super natural to act. When trouble comes our fleshly inclination is to panic and we make the wrong decisions. It can come in a multitude of forms, we marry the wrong person, we make the wrong investments, we listen to the wrong people, we indulge in practices that are not becoming of who we are and what God has called us too.

There are two things that God the Father loves and that is obedience and a righteous man (male or female).

The bible says, in Psalm 37 vs 23-37

If the LORD delights in a man's way,

he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,

for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the LORD loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

They will be protected forever,

but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

the righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks what is just.

The law of his God is in his heart;

his feet do not slip.
The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

seeking their very lives;
but the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Wait for the LORD and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.
Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

there is a future for the man of peace.

St. Joseph Model Saint for our Modern Times

There is not much recorded about St. Joseph, in the Holy Bible, but what little is told speaks tremendous volumes in regards to the life of this Saint, and how important He is in our modern times.

We are living in an age of great disobedience to God, His church and His will for us; and, as a result, we have become a DEN OF ROBBERS. Plundering the things in life that are meant to be sacred, to enjoy and protect. Look around, you don't have to look far to see the truth. The dissolution of the environment, family life, the dispensable nature of the unborn, the high rates of married couples getting divorced, the high rates of suicide, anxiety, and every type of mental, phyiscal, emotional disorder you can find.

The family which is the cornerstone of society is sloooooooowly being chipped away, because we are buying into the deception. The deception which has never changed since the beginning of time. God is still calling for Adam "Where are you?" Gen 3:9

Every time I enter a church and I see St. Joseph I go to him and brush his feet gently with my hand, then look at his face and wonder.

Who is this special man the Father has entrusted with His one and only Son. Who was first to adore the face of our Lord as he came forth from the womb of Mary. Who was the provider, guardian, and model for God's son? Who was this priestly husband and father that had such care and compassion for women? Who was swift to obey God's will for his life and walked thousands of miles for the sake of protecting God's son and Mary. Who is he?

The bible says, St Joseph is a righteous man, a man who was not afraid to take Mary as his wife when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Who was not afraid to flee to Egypt and walk thousands of miles in the desert to protect his wife and son.

He is the epiphany of God's hope for men. St. Joseph is the earthly Father of our Church, he is the model of the priesthood and also a model of masculinity for all men . He is a man despite his fears triumphed for God the Father.

Then I light a candle and whisper with great HOPE in my heart saying:

ST JOSEPH PRAY FOR US

http://www.saint-joseph.org/en_1153_index.asp

St Joseph Oratory

SAVED BY GRACE

My Dear brothers and sisters. We are not saved by the works we do, BUT BY GOD'S UNMEASURABLE GRACE. The sacrifice he made on Calvary once and for ALL is what saves. Jesus Christ Loves you!!! and wants to bring you into that full knowledge of His Love. JESUS I TRUST IN YOU

When a person opens their heart to that "full knowledge" the work done, does not come from their own strength but from the outpouring of His Love which fills their hearts. Once we remain in Christ the outpouring never ceases and thus our hearts overflow. Then the work we do is not one of Ego, but a prayer of love which brings TRANSFORMATION .

John 10 vs 5

I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing.

The Saints did the most ridiculous and incredulous things for God, Mother Theresa's Love for humanity was not by any means natural, it was the Supernatural love of her first love "Jesus Christ". All the Saints demonstrated that Supernatural love, but just to name a few of the most popular saints, we have, St. Francis of Assisi, The Apostle St. Paul, St. Claire, and St. Augustine. Once they discovered Jesus Christ, there was no sin, wealth, or suffering big enough that could keep them from HIM. They lived and died for that CRAZY LOVE and became coined "Fools for Christ." Yes, people would laugh, jeer, mock and even run from you. Do not be afraid.

........Psalm 27 "The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I fear? The lord is the rampart of my life I will not be afraid." ......

Ask your heavenly father to forgive them for they know not what they do and LOVE THEM ANYWAY. Offer your sufferings for the reparation of souls who need God's grace. I meet people everyday in desperate need of His grace. People who do not know God, I am not merely talking about intellectual knowledge of God, I am talking about RELATIONAL KNOWLEDGE, THE INTIMACY THAT IS SHARED BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE.

People need to know who they are in Christ and where they are going and that God has a plan and purpose for them. The rates of depression and suicide are astronomical because people have lost hope, please pray for yourselves and each other.

If you do not believe in God and are having doubts whether Jesus Christ died, rose from the dead and was resurrected and is seated at right hand of the FATHER, then I invite you to pray. Pray and ask for God's mercy and grace to fall upon you, like he did for St. Paul, St. Francis, St. Augustine, and for ME. He will do the same for you too........ "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open. For all those who ask receive and those who seek find." Seek Him with all your heart.

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet Given to sister Faustina by our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no love greater than His, that He gave his LIFE for you. Sunday April 19th is Divine Mercy Sunday. Please pray for yourselves, co-workers, friends and loved ones because everyone is in need of God's Grace.

These are The Days of Elijah, prepare the way in your hearts for Jesus Christ. Recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Please forward link to people who need this.

To Learn more about Divine Mercy, you can click on the following link: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/stfaust.htm

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU

John 3: 27 "No one can take on anything except

what has been given him from heaven

How Deep Is Your LOVE?

At the early age of 7 years my parents introduced me to travel, and it was customary as a family we would take a vacation abroad once every other year. I remember this one year when I was 15 or 16 years old, Christmas was drawing nigh and my parents decided they were going to make a trip to Venezuela to do some shopping and they were taking me and leaving my older siblings at home.

Of course I felt so privileged to be just me with my parents, but then I found out they needed the extra luggage to bring back. I told myself hey, look on the bright side they still chose me. :-)

On arriving we stayed at a hotel, in Caracas, which coincidentally was next door to the Catholic archbishop's residence in Venezuela. My parents hired two young college students to be our interpreters and tour guides. The two young students, were very attractive Spanish men who would meet us in the morning in front of the hotel and take us around. My mom during her excursions would go for the practical stuff and my dad veered off for the electronics and car stuff. When my parents got separated I stayed with my mother, and would coax her into buying me a dress. The car stuff and electronics was not that enticing, but occasionally I would go off with my dad, because I knew I was his favorite, he was a lot of fun to be around, and he had the heart of the oldest kid I knew. ;-).

During the experience every now and then one of the guys every time my mother walked away in a flurry, he would tell me how beautiful I was and how much he wanted to Kiss my beautiful lips. At first I laughed it off. I thought how flattering, but he persisted, and every day that went on his persistence escalated to the point I went to a ladies bathroom turned around and there he was begging me to kiss him. I told him he was crazy and ran out of the bathroom. Then later that day he went up to my mother and asked her permission to kiss me, and my mother laughed.

While my parents were asleep, that night I lay in the hotel room , exhausted, but wide awake thinking of the events of the past few days, and how could a young man be so driven by his lust. While laying there and looking up at the ceiling I asked the most innocent question with tears in my eyes. "I said, "Jesus, Do you Love Me?" Not too long after I began to get drowsy and remembered being in a place of awake and sleep when I heard a voice say to me "This much" and then I felt my heart began to fill with a feeling that was indescribable and it kept filling and filling and expanding in my chest to the point I thought I was getting a heart attack in my sleep. I fought my mind to wake up while screaming for my mother and when I thought this is it I am going to die I woke up yelling "Mummy!!!!" I looked around the room and there were my parents still sleeping, I said to myself, I was never going to ask that question again and was afraid to close my eyes. The next morning I asked my mom if she heard me scream for her and she said "No". I told her what had happened and she dismissed it as just a dream, but as an adult, and after experiencing God's Love, I look back and know what ever that experience was, it was not just a DREAM.

In palm 103 vs 11, 17 I read

For as high as the Heavens are Above the Earth,

so great is God's Love, for those who fear Him

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's Love is with those who

FEAR HIM

Jesus showed me a drop of his Love that night, so my question to you is? Who are you? and

"How Deep is your Love?"

Is it my lips, my eyes, hair, feet, perfect teeth, feminine curves, clothes, intellect, car, house, are you lonely, need a mother to take care of you, is it my potential, or your need to satisfy your sexual desires? And when it all fades are you going to still Love ME?

OR

Is it my love for God, my Love for you, my kindness, faithfulness, compassion, gentleness, patience, generosity, friendship, the way I make you laugh and cry, the truth I am not afraid to tell you?

"How Deep, how far, how wide and how high is your Love?"

Can you cherish me ???

How Deep is your Love?

Sheppard Me Oh God

Jesus in the Gospel of John 10: 14, 10 says “I am the Good Sheppard” “I know my sheep and my sheep knows me. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I ( Jesus) have come so they may have life and have it to the full."

Who is your Sheppard? What and who's voice are you listening too and by what authority do they speak? Who is promising to give you life to the full? There are lots of voices, which one are you listening too?

The first time I heard my Sheppard’s voice and then after heard the scripture from John 10: 14 read in mass, the tears streamed down my face. For many years I knew God existed but I did not realise that HE spoke and spoke so clearly. Thus I write this, inorder for you to take the first step, to know Jesus Christ and listen to his voice. He will teach you to recognize his voice. He is alive today as he was 2000 years ago. Take that first step, start with 10 minutes a day in silence, read the gospel of John, the psalms and listen for God to speak to your heart. Seek Him with all your heart, while he is yet to be found. Pay attention and wait.

Seek truth and ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of discernment. In conversation with my colleagues, there are lots of quotes used to debate an issue, and their answers may sound plausible, but when you truely delve into the depths of what is being said, there is no foundation for it to stand. They are excuses that we rationalize in our minds to escape with sin, because honestly we lack the strength of character to truly LOVE. True love is tested by the deprivation of oneself for the good of the other. In Genesis the serpent said to eve. "Did God really say that you must not eat from this tree in the garden?" You will not surely die. For god knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." It is the rationalization of a half truth to gratify oneself is what started this. The sorry state of it all to make ourselves feel better we invite a few friends to fall along with us, because if they agree then surely it must be the right thing, just as Eve invited Adam to eat of the fruit. It is called disobedience to the simple law God set in place to give us LIFE in ABUNDANCE.

We are constantly trying to claim for ourselves what belongs to God. Stop and Trust God with your life and impossible circumstances. Let go of the rationalizing and our reliance in human strength and be still and know that Jesus Christ is God, listen for His still small voice, leading you on the path that few travel, but will launch you into everlasting life.

GOD'S LOVE

Dear Heavenly Father I thank you for this day and the opportunity to share. Father I ask in the name of your son Jesus Christ that you pour out your Holy Spirit in the hearts of everyone here and fan into flames the fire of your love. AMEN.It is said that Mary the Mother of God in Medjugorje Bosnia-Hercegovina never addresses anyone as believers or unbelievers, only those who do not know the love of God.

The main purpose of our lives is to do three very important things, “To Know God to Love Him and to Serve Him.” Because you cannot love God if you do not know Him and you cannot truly serve Him if you do not love Him.Today I pose a very important question to you “Do you know God? Do you know the Love of God?” There are many who know about God and Jesus Christ, but do not know Him. Do you know Jesus? If not, my greatest desire and prayer for you is to come to a personal relationship with HIM and experience the fullness of His Love, because God does exists.1 Corinthians 2:13 says “No eye has seen, no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”GOD’S LOVE IS REAL

I am not a theologian; I have very little background in theology. I am also not a fisherman or an actor my profession for seven years was engineering, but I am not here to talk about chemical or mechanical systems but to tell you that God exists and his love is real.

Read more!

I was a cradle catholic and never realized how real God and his love were, until a very sad moment in my life when I lost my JOY. I did everything everyone told me would make me happy, I had the education, the job, my own home, and the list goes on, but none of these things truly satisfied. You see God was not the foundation behind all that I was doing and, as a result, I did not understand the purpose of it all. After awhile I found myself tired and empty until One Christmas. I was heading to Florida with my friend and in that moment in her presence ……You see when God wants a change in our life he always sends someone, who is he going to send and who is waiting for you?.... I gave a very desperate prayer with tears flowing. I said to God, “if you are for real, reveal yourself to me and I will do anything you ask.” God did not hesitate to answer that prayer; within minutes what seem like a comedy of errors, was “God getting my attention intervention” and my prayer was answered. After that initial experience I kept my promise and sought God with all my heart though prayer, penance, reconciliation and daily mass (Holy Communion). As the months followed he kept leading me and that is the reason I am standing here before you today, because Jesus has asked me to leave everything behind and move from the Northeast to the Northwest. Of course my family and friends were thrilled.After my conversion experience and on the morning prior to giving in my resignation, I asked God one more time, are you sure this is the plan? God did not hesitate to answer me, when I got to church where I go to my usual morning mass the priest was giving out a free book, “Trusting God’s Purpose by Edith Stein,”Jeremiah 29:12-13 says,

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.Even though I am away from my family and friends I am not alone. Jesus love is real.

God’s desire is for us to be with HIM on EARTH as well as HEAVEN, we say the Our Father all the time thy kingdom come thy will be done. The day Jesus was born the Kingdom of God came to earth. Jesus came to heal the sick, give sight to the blind and set the down trodden free. God is not just waiting for us in heaven, the Father’s spirit, the HOLY SPIRIT is with us and Jesus is with us. Jesus said. “I will never leave you or forsake you. The spirit of God is here and now and HE wants to do great things with us, for us and through us, but we must walk by faith and RECEIVE, un-wrap those buried treasures which are there to help you in this life and that will launch you into eternity.God listens! God Speaks! God touches us and intervenes in our lives and offers us the fullness of life. What is it going to be?

Did you have your encounter with Jesus?

The bible from the beginning to the end is a love story and after reading numerous passages I have come to realize that God is in the business of the heart. It does not matter to him who you are, what you look like, where you have been or what you have done, because when you meet Jesus everything can and will change in your life. You will be a new creation.The bible is filled with great saints who have had their encounter with Jesus and they were not all models of holiness and sanctity…… This is not an excuse not to thrive for holiness. …There were murderers, prostitutes, adulterers, and liars in the blood line of Jesus, we have, David, Tamar, Jacob…….. Who all loved God and were very repentant of their sins.So come on in there is room for everyone.

Psalm 103 David wrote:The LORD is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love.He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

TRANSFORMATION

Paul’s story is one of the most phenomenal stories of transformation I have ever read. Paul was a persecutor of Christians and they were deathly afraid of him. When he was heading to Damascus to imprison more Christians, a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground and heard a voice “Saul why do you persecute me?” By God’s immeasurable grace the scales were removed from his eyes. Saul was renamed Paul, What happened to Paul is very symbolic of many people; we are spiritually blind and cannot see the truth even though it surrounds us. Paul was transformed by the love of God, because you cannot give what you do not have, and Saul did not have any love in his Heart, until he met Jesus. Paul wrote many books in the New Testament, Corinthians 1 and 2, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 timothy, Titus, Philemon, he went from persecuting people to proclaiming God’s Love. Love is patient, love is kind….faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Have you had your encounter with Jesus?

Zacchaeus the chief tax collector a very wealthy man was very short in statue. He heard Jesus was coming, but because he was short, he could not see through the crowds. So He got a bright idea and climbed a sycamore-fig tree… He was seeking…. Jesus saw him and said, “I must stay at your house today”. At his home Zacchaeus, says to Jesus, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."Jesus said today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Have you had your encounter with Jesus?

Jesus encounters the woman at the well and he asks

“Will you give me a drink?” The Samaritan woman replies “How can you ask me for a drink?” I am a Samaritan and you are a Jew” Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who that asks you for a drink, if you only ask him he would have given you living water. Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.Don’t miss the opportunity to encounter Jesus?

DEFINING GOD’S LOVE

God’s love is an agape love, but it is much more real than that, it is an Eros love, an intimate love; it is a pursuing and a passionate love. A love that burns so deep in your heart you cannot contain it. The emotions are so strong that you are not sure whether to laugh, cry, sing or just be still. Have you experienced that kind of love? If not, today is an invitation from God to spark into flames the fire of his love. Today is the day to say YES to the HOLY SPIRIT. We have to say YES with our whole being, our minds, hearts and soul to God. God said “Seek me with all your heart and you will find me."

RECEPTIVITY

The question some maybe asking, why don’t I experience that love. We have free will and God will not force his love on us. We have to say Yes to Jesus Christ. Mary the mother of God had to say yes even though she was set aside for this one thing. Mary’s Yes was the most important Yes any human being would have to make. The gravity of her CHOICE, would affect mankind for all eternity. Therefore the question is not if God is ready for us, but are you and I ready to receive HIM?

We have two sisters Martha and Mary. Jesus is in their home. Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what he is saying. But Martha with her 2000 year old to do list was distracted by all the preparations. She got mad because Mary was not helping and says to Jesus “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work myself? Tell her to help me!” "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary, Martha’s sister got the message, she was the one who anointed Jesus with the perfumed oil in preparation for his death. When no one else, not even the disciples…they thought she was wasting precious oil…. who were with Jesus day and night understood but Mary did. So I am asking, if anyone has brought there to do list with them today. Put it away.

The second most important reason we do not experience the love of God in our lives is our references and life experiences. If our life experiences have been distorted, our ability to comprehend spiritual truths can be off center. We cannot recognize the heavenly Father’s love if our earthly father does not love us or we have been abused, neglected or subjected to many evil in this world…….. The sacraments and the love of God through his chosen people are there for our healing. Silence, Solitude, Scripture, Sacraments (sacraments of reconciliation, and communion) Jesus said, “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As a man thinketh……We are the bride of Christ and our bridegroom is waiting for us. God loves us so much he marries us every day here in this church and he gives his body everyday for his bride.

SURRENDER

The last thing is that I call you to Surrender. We need to surrender our lives to Christ. We have to stop holding on to our small notions of life and GOD and allow JESUS through the HOLY SPIRIT to create for us something bigger than ourselves. We need to trust God’s will for our life.

God is always calling us not to be afraid, from Genesis to Revelation and I quote:

Genesis 46:3"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 12:2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Revelation 1:17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only SON that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Que Sera Sera

There was a popular sound published in the 50's that hit the billboard charts in the USA and London around the early 70's . I remember as a child sitting in my parents car on the way home from visiting my Grandmother, listening to that tune and wondering is it true; and for part of my life that theme did ring through. The tune is a very catchy and sounds like a lullaby:

Que Sera Sera,

whatever will be will be
the future is not our's to see

Que Sera Sera.

There are many people who are living their lives with a Que Sera Sera theme, hoping that somewhere along thejourney everything will turn out right, but when life dissappoints and the challenges becomes burdensome, thoughts of depression, sets in and they lose HOPE. But today I am telling you that the lyrics in that sound are not true. There is hope, and you do not have to live your life wondering, Where am I? and Am I on the right path?

God who created everything into being says In Jeremiah 29: 11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So my question today is "Do you know what is God's Dream/Plan/Purpose for you," Because the Lord boldly states " I KNOW THE PLANS" .

Start asking yourself the right questions, because you don't want to live your life floating on a life raft drifting down stream singing Que Sera Sera.

In Jeremiah 29:13 the lord says, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." God is there for those who want to find him. Seek him with your heart, remove the things in your life that is obstructing the channels of love that flow from God to you. It can be sin, lack of faith, your beliefs, indulging in witchcraft or black magic, distractions, disobedience, your reference of who God is. Unpeel the layers and surrender.

This is not a clause for you not to dream, no go ahead, DREAM and DREAM BIG, but don't forget to ask, the Giver of all things "Is this your will for me," because in psalm 127.1, 2 Unless the Lord build the house the builders labor in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, tolling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Everything that is created has meaning including you. A fine piece of art, tables, chairs, books, everything is designed and written for meaning, why do we think on God's green earth, we "The CROWN OF CREATION, MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD" that has a soul, mind, will and intellect would be created lesser than these things that has no life.

I pray today like the blind man, like Saul on his way to Damascus " That our Lord would wipe the scales from your eyes, and you will know that you are loved by a Heavenly Father that wants to be with you. He loves you without measure that he sent his only begotten son to live among us and to die for our iniquities so that we can be with him for eternity. The bible describes heaven as a place:

No eye has seen

No ear has heard

No mind can conceive

What the Lord has in store

For those who love HIM

Don't miss the opportunity

SEEK GOD while he is yet to be found through,

Silence to reflect on your life, to reflect on why you were created, to reflect on the creator.

Solitude, take the time to be by yourself to allow god to revealhis love, to pray.

Scripture read the bible start with the gospel of John,......

Sacraments (Confession and Holy Communion).

We don't know the day or hour when our life will end.

God is sovereign meaning he is above all things, but does not force all things, and his greatest gift to us is free will so guess what you get to CHOOSE.