Catholic

Doing good — regardless of your situation

English: Saint paul arrested

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“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17).

Doing the will of God is not always the easiest thing to do, but it is always the right thing to do–the highest thing to do, and the best thing to do. Doing God’s will may bring discomfort, difficulty, persecution, rejection, suffering, or hardship. But God doesn’t want us to stop doing His will. He expects us to hold on to His unchanging hand, even in great sorrow, rejection and persecution. He wants us to forge ahead and do good –regardless of our situation.

Jesus told us that we would suffer because of Him, but be of good courage,  He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Even though there were those who despised and rejected Him, He never stopped doing the will of His father. He never stopped helping the helpless, loving the unlovely, and doing good to all. He wants us to follow in His footsteps and Love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which spitefully use us, and persecute us;

The apostle Paul is a perfect example of one who has suffered severely for Christ. Yet, he never wavered–he held on to God’s unchanging hand right to the end. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 he testifies about his many sufferings: “. . . I have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Believers let us keep our eyes on the prize, like the apostle,  and do good regardless of our circumstances. God bless you.

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The Blood of Jesus Cleanses

Smith's later theology described Jesus and God...

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“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20)

The blood of Jesus Christ is powerful. It is His blood that makes it possible for you to be forgiven and cleanse from every sin. His shed blood is also the purchase price that has been paid for our redemption. What the blood of Jesus cleanses, it also claims. There are great benefits for believers when we recognize the claim that the blood of Jesus Christ has upon our lives.

I am sure you have heard the saying, “God is ready to take full responsibility for the life that is totally yielded to Him.” What a blessing that truth is! It means that you are not only completely the Lord’s but that He is completely yours. His righteousness is your righteousness, His strength is your strength, His peace is your peace, and His life is your life.

Heavenly father, I have acknowledge that I am yours, and because I am yours, I have a right to all the blessings you have reserved for those who have totally yielded themselves to you. I yield to you Lord, totally and completely.

Lord, you have esteemed me, and you have raised my status. The Scripture tells me that I am Royal and I believe. You are the King of kings and I am your child—I am special. ” 1 Peter 2:9 assures me, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Lord you have made me a joint heir with your son Jesus and I appreciate that.

Father, I know all these blessings that you have bestowed upon me come with a price—a price I did not pay personally. A long time ago you looked beyond my faults, and saw my needs. And you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ to shed His blood on Calvary’s cross. That’s a big price to pay for a stranger but you did anyway.

Heavenly father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus, and I thank you for all the blessings. I know I have a duty to worship you in spirit and in truth and I will Lord! I also know if I fail to do my duty, I cannot continue claim your many blessings….Thank you Lord.

My prayer to walk in God’s ways in 2012

Lord, take control of my heart, that my heart may control my feet; my thoughts, my will and my ways. May my feet bring the word of good news, and the message of comfort to those who are broken and confused. And also to those who have lost hope in our political system, and our society as a whole–and to those who have lost their jobs and are going through tough times.

May my feet walk upon the imprint of your footsteps, May they move at the pace and in the direction that you are moving, Lord, I pray that my eyes will focus upon the things that your eyes are fixed upon. Heavenly father, lift me when I fall, cleanse me when I am soiled, and heal my every wound.

Lord, be the wings that cover me, the hiding place I need for shelter, the shield I need for defense, the sword I need for battle, and the banner I need for victory.

Let me be a light to those who are in darkness. Use me as a billow to those whose fire is cooling, and as a flint to those who need your fire.

Thank you Lord for granting my request.

Seeking What God Purposes Me To Be

English: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

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“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold for me” (Philippians 3:12).

It is clear from the Scriptures that God wants us to seek after Him. Sometimes we think that the word seeker applies only to people who do not know the Lord and are seeking the answers to life. A believer in Jesus Christ should never come to a place where he or she stops being a seeker.

Being a seeker means that you know God as a reality in your life, yet you are always hungering after a deeper intimacy with Him; being a seeker means that you know His love in your heart, yet you seek to know the fullness of its depth, its height, its width, and its length; being a seeker means that you have set your heart to lay hold of all the things that He purposes you to be.

How do I know God’s purpose for my life?

You were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. The Bible tells us that Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) and Paul (Galatians 1:15) were set apart from birth for a specific purpose–and you are no different. He has a specific plan for your life.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The Bible says that God’s will is “good, pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

God’s will, first, is that we have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

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

God wants us to be Christ’s disciples.
This means Christians must themselves commit to following God’s will daily, whatever the cost.
“If anyone would come to me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to thee!

Some five hundred years before the arrival of Emmanuel, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that Emmanuel would come: ” Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Thus, when it was nearing the time for Emmanuel’s arrival, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell the chosen virgin of His plans:

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.

And behold thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS” (Luke 126-31).

But when Joseph heard the news, he was distraught.”How could this be? He thought. Mary and I have not come together yet! I must divorce her before everybody finds out.”

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

“So it came to pass that there went Joseph up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:4-7).

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny.
From depths of Hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Day‑spring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here,
And drive away the shades of night,
And pierce the clouds and bring us light.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, thou Key of David,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!