The Making of a Community

Tag: bible

  • Saving Grace…

    Pope Leo XIV

    I recently watched a movie about Pope Leo XIV, “Saving Grace”. There comes a time in many of our walks with the Lord when we wonder… am i doing enough? Am i doing this because it’s what God wants or because i know i can accomplish this? Is this all there is? Where are the miracles that are said to follow? How is this serving? So many questions and doubts. Our faith waivers.

    I have been wrestling with many things. How long do i continue with those that seem to not want to change. They talk about wanting to get closer to God, return to the church, but make no moves to do so. And prayer… “pray without ceasing”. How exactly do we accomplish that?

    Then there is the directive to “know no man after the flesh”. At first blush that seems obvious but i feel like what it’s really saying is to not listen to their problems. Don’t let them moan and groan about their struggles to you with the expectation that you are there to commiserate with them or tell them what to do about those problems.

    When i was coming up, no matter what i sought out the Pastor to ask, his first response was, “have you prayed about it”? Thus he taught me to prayer about EVERYTHING. (An entire subject in and of itself.)

    I am saved by grace ALONE not by works so I cant boast that I’m special because i did this or that and earned my way in. The whole point of his sacrifice was to redeem us from sin.

    Grace means unmerited favor. We do not do anything to gain his favor. We are his children and like most parents, as children we cant do anything to make our father love us more. He just does.

    Don’t throw away your joy in the Lord by doubting. Just be still and know.

  • Walk in Faith…

    Daily writing prompt
    How often do you walk or run?
    View all responses

    Whether you walk or run, do it with purpose. The Bible teaches us to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5 16) and to “run with a purpose.” And exhorts us to not stop. Gal 5:7-10

    I walk everyday. Some days, not so far; the mailbox and back. Sometimes around the entry circle of the complex while others, i walk the whole complex. Then, other days, I get a bit “wild” and go hike the trails.

    Didn’t know you were in a race? One of the New Testament writers said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) He seemed to think his entire life was a race he was running.

    “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”   1 Corinthians 9:24

    As for me, i just keep putting one foot in front of the other because one day I hope to fly.

    But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isa 40:31

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17HfUPMZaE/

  • Breathe…

    Sprit. Wind. Breath. Soul.

    And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Gen 1:2

    In a recent study of Earth Science i learned that the winds that blow across the planet are what moves and divides the firmaments as well as influence the currents and storms that move the storms and oceans.

    And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, (rather interesting considering he later cursed the ground) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

    I wish i could find it now that i want to pass it on… there was a video i saw recently that talks about the word Yahweh (the Jewish spelling, “Yhwh”, uses no vowels) is actually the representation of the sound of God’s breath. My connection is that when he breathed into us the breath of life, his breath, he breathed into us the same “Sprit” that moved across the face of the deep, the same “Wind” that separated the firmaments, the same “Breath” that gave us life, our “Soul”, the Holy Ghost and with each breath that we take we are to be returning praise to Him.

    At the time of the triumphal entry the High priests were rebuking Jesus to tell those shouting Hallelujah and praising him to tell them to stop. Instead he rebuked the leaders.

    I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:40

    After his resurrection, Jesus appeared into a locked room among his disciples.

    ‘Peace to to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed of them, amd said to them, ‘Recieve the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained’. John 20:21 – 23

    He showed himself alive for 40 days before his ascension. He told them he would “baptize them with the Holy Ghost” soon and gave them their commission.

    …you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

    Then then the day of Pentecost…

    …suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

    And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

    And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

    Acts 2:2 – 4

    The Spirt of God spoke through them just as His Spirt can and will speak through the rocks if we do not praise Him.

  • Today is the day…

    Do you have people in your life that have been there for years. Decades. No matter what, its all about them except when its a crisis and then, most of the time, they’re there for you in that moment. But in their day to day lives you wonder if you even enter their thoughts.

    How long do we wait? Are we waiting or “tolerating” their behavior while we wait for the change? Why are we waiting? How much time do they truly need? How long do we “coddle”?

    Jesus said, ” Today is the day of salvation.” Today. Not tomorrow or next week or decades from now. We have no promise of tomorrow.

    When he called the disciples he said, “follow me”. He didn’t give them time to think about it. Decide. Now or he walked away.

    So we’re back to those we “tolerate”. They’re lazy, slothful and self-centered. They always put you at the end of the choices; job, family, others, cats. God is not even on the list. Excuses. Maybes. Never commitment.

    How much more time and energy are we going to waste. Purge! Drop the baggage of all those you are dragging (yes, dragging!) along. They obviously don’t care for you. They’re not seeking God. The haven’t changed. They don’t want to change. Face the facts!

    No where did Jesus tell us to carry those not willing to walk. He told them, “pick up your cross and follow me.” There is an example of for carrying someone else cross but HE didn’t ask us to it, but we do need to be willing to carry someone else’ cross. But is that cross their sins? Their indifference? Their resistance to change? Jesus nailed our sins to the cross. The cross itself is not our sins. It is an alter.

    Something to think about.

  • Seeking Martha

    Sisters

    Mary and Martha were sisters and, as all sisters are, with very different temperaments. While Martha was all busy in the background doing this and that, Mary appears to be doing nothing. Yet, Jesus said she had chosen the better part. The implication? It is better to sit at the feet of Jesus than to be bustling around, worried about all the little details. Or is that what he’s saying?

    While he never told her specifically to sit down, wasn’t God always telling us in scripture to, “Be still and know that i am God”? I say there is a time to sit still and a time to be bustling about. We need both temperaments.

    I personally am of the “sit and do nothing” temperament. I read, study, mull it all over, research and put it all together. In that process there are times i do all the background busy work. I need to find something mindless to do with my hands, everyday tasks, loading the dishwasher, backing bread, vacuuming. But i would much rather someone else do all that. I want to walk, wear out my body and force myself deeper into my head. I need to breath and hear the sounds all around of God talking to me as i put all the parts together.

    I need Martha. I will gladly sit and discuss all that is rambling in my head and by helping you to understand what i have discovered it helps me clarify it even further. Many times while talking to another things come out of my mouth that are so profound to me that i am amazed because i didn’t even know that i knew that information and i know it is God speaking through me.

    We need each other in whatever capacity we are able to walk, with whatever temperament we have, with all our different skills and communication levels. God is the creator of all the diversity that exists among us. We are each part of the body that has a function; a purpose. We many be sisters but we are ONE body in Christ.