Could You Walk on Water ?

     

                                                                               

                                                                       

Could You Walk on Water?

 This past Sunday at church we heard the  Gospel about Jesus walking on water.  This is one of the most familiar sstories in the New Testament.  The account of this miracle is in the gospels of Matthew ( Matt 14:22-33), Mark (Mk 6:45-52), and John (Jn 6:16-21), but not included in Luke.  

The story of Jesus walking on water follows the miracle of Jesus  feeding five thousand.   After the feeding Jesus sends His disciples by ship back to the "other side" of the Sea of Galilee, while he remains behind to pray alone.   At the end of the evening the apostles started across the sea.   Soon the winds and waves rise up  causing the apostles to become distressed.   Then, they see Jesus walking towards them on the sea.  The apostles were startled to see Jesus, at first thinking it was a ghost.  Jesus tells  them not to be afraid.  In Matthew's account  Peter asked Jesus, "If it is you , tell me to come to You on the water."  We know that Peter got out of the boat  and began to walk to Jesus, but when he saw the ferocity of the wind he became afraid and began to sink.  He cried out to Jesus for help.  Jesus immediately caught him and led him back to the boat admonishing him for his lack of faith.  As they entered the boat,  the wind died down.  Those who were in the boat worshipped Jesus saying, "Truly , You are the Son of God."

Of course the first and most obvious thing is that the miracle of Jesus walking on water speaks to his divinity.   Those in the boat recognizing this worshiped Jesus saying, "Truly, You are the Son of God." , and so for us it shows His divinity.   But, this story is much richer in lessons for the faithful.   First we see Jesus going away on his own to pray.  We too should spend private time with God every day, to worship, to ask, to thank.   Then we have Peter, who shows his faith when he asks Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water.  So this story is about faith.  When Peter takes his eyes off Jesus to look at the wind, however,  Peter begins to sink.  His faith has weakened .   Jesus reproves him with, "You of little faith".  

So, I ask, " Could you walk on water?"  Is your faith strong enough ?  When the winds of life come along will your faith weaken ?  Would Jesus say to you, "Oh you of little faith." I believe that the key is to keep your eyes on Jesus, not your difficulties and troubles. In the story , when Jesus enters the boat the wind subsides All things are possible with Jesus.  We have nothing to fear. 

Have faith and keep your eyes on Jesus !

I hope this helps. 

God Love You !

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Are you Stressed?

Be Not Afraid:

The bible tells us, "Have I not commanded thee?  Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."  Joshua 1:9.  In another place it says, "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  Deuteronomy 31:6.    So, why do we have fear?

Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior; such as running away, hiding or freezing.  Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus happening in the present or to a future situation which is perceived as a risk to health or life, status, power, security, wealth or anything held valuable.  Fear is modulated by the process of cognition and learning.   Motivational speaker and writer Earl Nightengale calls fear:  False Education Appearing Real.  People develop specific fears as a result of learning. 

Fear is judged as rational or appropriate or irrational or inappropriate also called a phobia.  Anxiety is slightly different from fear  and results from threats which are perceived as uncontrollable or unavoidable.

As people of faith we have a most powerful resource to help face and overcome our fears and anxieties.  It is our belief in God's loving care for us, and His word revealed in the bible.   Here are a few verses to keep in your heart:

• The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom, shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of  my life; Of who shall I be afraid?   Psalm 27: 1
• Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.   Proverbs 3: 5-7
• For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.  2Timothy 1:7
• Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God.   Philippians 4: 6
• I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.   Philippians 4: 13

Pray to God for stronger faith that you might draw strength from his Word and be able to face and overcome your fears.

God love you!

Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible:

For those searching for a reliable voice of authority, the "Word of God" is it.  His word sheds light on human nature, world problems, and human suffering.  It also reveals the way of God.  

The message of the Bible is the message of Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  It is the story of salvation, the story of life, of peace, and of eternity.  

In the Holy Scriptures we find the answers to life's ultimate questions:  Where did I come from?  Why am I here?  Where am I going? and "What is the purpose of my existence?

The Bible contains 66 books written by 40 authors covering a period of approximately 1600 years.

The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew with a few short passages in Aramaic.  About 100 years before the Christian era the entire Old Testament was translated into Greek.  The word ":Bible" comes from the Greek word "biblos" , which means "book".

The Bibloe can be read at pulpit speed from Genesis 1 to Revelation  22 in 78 hours.  

To read the Bible through you need a plan.  Leave 80 hours, and schedule that time.  How much time can you give each day?  How many days a week?  One plan is to read one book of the Bible per week.  Some readers use the 31 chapters of the Book of Proverbs to begin their reading each day by reading the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month.

Here is a break down of what is contained in the books of the Bible:

Old Testament:

• Law - 5 books
• Historical - 12 books 
• Poetical - 5 books
• Prophetical - 17 books  (5 major - 12 minor)

New Testamnet:

• Gospels - 4 books
• History - 1 book
• Prophesy - 1 book Epistles 21  (Pauline 13 - General 8)

You probably already have a Bible.  If you do, get it out and put it in a prominent place.  If you don't have a Bible I urge to get one, and then start reading!

God Love You !

Radical Sayings of Jesus

Radical Sayings of Jesus:

To say something is radical is to say it relates to the fundamental nature of something.   It means to get down to the root of something.   A radical can be defined as a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform.  

Jesus was motivated by the truth.  He wasn't worried about being politically correct.  He didn't have a need to be liked by people.  Jesus did not have a desire for expedience or convenience.  In the Gospel of Matthew , chapter 5 Jesus gives us his sayings which cut to the root of the life he envisions for us.   Are we able to be radical as Jesus was radical.  

Under the laws of Moses the rule was, "if you murder, you must die"But I have added to that rule, and tell you that if you are only angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgement! If you call your friend an idiot you are in danger of being brought before the court.. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

The law of Moses said "You shall not commit adultery."  But I say, Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

So if your eye - even if it is your best eye! causes you to lust , gouge it out and throw it away.  Better for part of you to be destroyed than for all of you to be cast into hell.  And if your hand - even your right hand - causesyou to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  Better that than find yourself in hell. 

The law of Moses says" If a man gouges out another's eye, he must pay with his own eye.  If a tooth gets knocked out, knbock out the tooth of the one who did it. "  But I say: Don't resist violence!  If you are slapped on one cheek, turn the other too

If the military demand that you carry their gear for a mile, carry it two.

Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow.

If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat too.

There is a saying, "Love your friends and hate your enemies.  But I say: Love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you.  In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven 

Jesus sums up with these words, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Jesus' sayings are certainly radical, mostly counter intuitive,  and assuredly difficult.  It takes a great deal of courage and strength to follow them.  The results, however,  are well worth the effort.  They cut to the root of what is good. Are you able to be radical for Jesus? 

God Love You!

The Poor in Spirit

Poor in Spirit:

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7, we find the essence of Jesus's teachings.    We are introduced to the mind of Jesus.  Chapter 5 begins with what are called The Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are 8 blessings recounted in the Sermon on the Mount.  Each is a proverb-like proclamation that is without narrative, but cryptic, precise, and full of meaning. The Beatitiudes describe various aspects of the spiritual attitudes that are supposed to be found in and to prevail in every Christian, which is religious openess to God's will in spite of the hard conditions of the present life.  The beatitudes are a reversal of worldly values that is sometimes called "counter cultural". 

The first beatitude is, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of heaven is theirs."  It has always been a little puzzling to me.  Just who are the "poor in spirit"?  

The poor of the first beatitiude are a religious, not just a social category.  They are not only destitute, but oppressed by the rich, who trusted in their wealth and disregarded God.  The poor are really poor and religious people who put their trust in God and expect help and deliverance from Him alone.   In James 2:5 it syas that God has chosen poor people to be rich in faith and the kingdom of Heaven is theirs, for that is the gift God has promised to all those who love Him. 

Today for us "Poor in Spirit" means keeping ourselves in the perspective of God acknowledging and thanking Him as the source of all good things.  It means being good stewards of all given to us for ourselves and others. 

Poor in spirit means acknowledging God's ownership of everything and that we are responsible to be good stewards of those things with which we have been blessed.  Our attitude should be  one of faithful servanats and not one of pride, envy, lust, and gluttony.   We are called to use what we have and are given to provide for ourselves and serve God's people.  

So, are you "Poor in Spirit"?   Are you humble and generous?  Do you acknowledge and thank God for all you have?   Are you ready to share your treasure?  The reward is priceless:  the Kingdom of Heaven!

God Love you!

Humility

 Humility:

As Christians we are called to be humble.  In Luke 14:11 Jesus tells us, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled , but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Then in Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart."

C.S. Lewis tells us:

I believe that humility is putting the needs of  others before your own needs.  It is a manifestation of the love of God within you. If another's behavior offends you, just let it go.  You do not know what they might be going through.  They may be distracted and having the worst day of their life.  St. Paul writes:

  

On a practical level humility could save your life.  Consider "road rage", significant anger and aggression behind the wheel .   Here is a list of behaviors  known to spark road rage:

• Tailgating 
• Yelling at another driver
• Honking to show annoyance or anger
• Making angry gestures at another driver
• Purposely blocking another vehicle from changing lanes 

Note that these are all behaviors in which we put ourselves before other drivers.

Here is some advice from AAA on how to avoid becoming a victim of road rage:

1. Don't offend. Avoid behaviors  that consistently upset other drivers such as tailgating, driving slowly in the left lane, cutting off other drivers, and making gestures
2. Don't engage.  Give angry drivers lots of room.  Don't make eye contact.  Call 911 if necessary. 
3. Adjust your attitude.  Forget winning - driving is not a contest. Keep your composure and don't take other drivers' actions personally.

When you drive, don't be aggressive, be humble.

I have come to believe that most of us do things that are thoughtless or aggresive because we become impatient and frustrated.   Humility would have us concentrate on the needs of others, not our own. 

Here is a prayer for humility:

Be patient.  Be humble.  Be kind.

God love you !

Easter 2016

Easter 2016:

.This past Sunday, March 27, 2016 was Easter Sunday, the most significant Holy Day on the Christian liturgical calander.   St. Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 15:14, "If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain."   The Resurrection is proof of Christ's Divinity!
Easter came a little earlier this year than last year.  The Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 set the formula for choosing which day to celebrate Easter each year.

Pope Francis pointed out that Easter is a time of hope.  Jesus by  His resurrection overcomes sin, suffering and death.  From this we make take hope for ourselves and for the world.  
Pope Francis tells us:
"To those in our society who have lost all hope and joy in life, to the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, to young people who seem to have no future, to all I once more address the words of the Risen One: “See, I am making all things new… To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life” (Rev 21:5-6).  May this comforting message of Jesus help each of us to set out anew with greater courage to blaze trails of reconciliation with God and with all our brothers and sisters."

So, go forward with hope in your heart.   Jesus has made all things new.  

Happy Easter!  

God Love You!