Prayer and Thanksgiving

If you haven’t got enough, pray to God-
If you have just enough, thank Him-
If you have more than enough, praise God!
While praying for and helping 
Those who haven’t got enough

Food

John + 4:32 & 34

“…I have food to eat that you do not know about… (34) My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work.” (Jesus Christ)

As with most of the things Jesus said to His disciples, having only a natural minded standpoint through which to weigh them, these verses must have perplexed them no end. To them, food was a physical necessity, but the nourishment Jesus spoke of was of another sort- the nourishment of the spirit.

John + 6:63

“It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (Jesus Christ)

John + 4:24

"God is Spirit."

John + 3:6

"…what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit." (Jesus Christ)

John + 3:5

“I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God…” (Jesus Christ)

Ephesians + 4:23

"Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God's way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth."

The mind is what feeds on the food Jesus speaks of when He says, “I have food to eat that you do not know of.” It is the food of goodness, holiness and truth, for the food of God is what nourishes the god self, the self that can both see and enter the kingdom of heaven. Without the food of God we would starve to death.

Oh, we can become gym rats, consume all the right foods, drink and down all the right supplements and pills, become vegetarians, whatever, but without God’s Word and Holy Spirit on our training table, we would eventually join the heartrending ranks of the walking dead, those who haven’t a clue as to what real life is all about, the lives we have hidden with Christ.

It is God’s Word that opens this life up to us through our minds by way of the Mind of Christ, for “We are those who have the Mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians + 2:16)

Romans + 8:5 thru 7

"The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual."

1 Timothy + 4:8

“Physical exercises are useful enough , but the usefulness of spirituality is unlimited, since it holds out the reward of life here and now and of the future life as well.”

Mark + 7:19

“Whatever goes into a man from outside does not make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer…It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” (Jesus Christ)

The Word of God is the spiritual water of truth which cleanses us of all these impurities by changing our thinking about and attitude towards what causes us to sin. The Word of God is life itself, the food of God, the knowledge of His will and the definition of His nature and character.

Hebrews + 5:13

“Truly, anyone who is still living on milk cannot digest the doctrine of righteousness because he is still a baby. Solid food is for mature men with minds trained by practice to distinguish between good and bad.”

It is the consuming of this heaven sent food that builds us up in faith, strengthens and nourishes our spiritual persona and puts a sword in our hand to fight off anyone or anything who and that holds the potential to dissuade us from aspiring to a higher state of mind, body and spirit.

John + 6:63

“The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (Jesus Christ)

John + 8:47

“A child of God listens to the words of God.” (Jesus Christ)

John + 1:8

“The word was the true light that enlightens all men.”

Matthew + 4:4

“Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Jesus Christ)

Luke + 6:45

“…a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” (Jesus Christ)

1 Samuel + 16:7

“God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances, but God looks at the heart.”

Matthew + 6:21

“…where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Jesus Christ)

Mark + 31:31

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Jesus Christ)

James + 1:22

“…you must do what the word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.”

1 Corinthians + 4:20

“…the Kingdom of God is not just words, it is power.”

John + 4:34

“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work.” (Jesus Christ)

The work we do with and in Christ produces results so powerful and far reaching its effect cannot be fathomed by anyone but God. Each soul in Christ has been given the ability to set off a chain reaction of heaven-sent consequences, enlightenment and faith every time we step forward to minister the Word of God. It is our duty and a privilege to plant the seeds of God Word wherever He tells us, and to expect in faith that whatever we sow will feed the hunger of a soul in search of truth and the life they have hidden with Christ.

Isaiah + 55:11

“…so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”

The food of God is the doing of the will of God by being the very substance of God’s Word, just as Jesus was, is, and always will be.

John + 1:14

“The word was made flesh, he lives among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Romans + 8:16

“The Spirit Himself and our spirit are heirs as well; heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his suffering so as to share his glory.”

The Temple of God

Our physical bodies are the outer shells of a place deep inside of every believer in Christ, a heart house, if you will, where God’s food is digested and stored that others may partake of its holy sustenance whenever we share what God has fed us with them: the Spirit and Word of truth.

1 Corinthians + 3:16

“Didn’t you realize that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.”

The destruction of which scripture speaks is caused by starvation, a severe lack of God’s Word and Spirit in our day-to-day faith diet.

Romans + 10:17

“…faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ.”

Ephesians + 2:8

“Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith…”

We have two choices in life, one, to feed the faith God has given us by living in His Word, and two, to over-feed and appease the outer shell of his temple with physical food, drugs, sensual gratification, grandiose appearances and so forth. Neglecting the former will most certainly lead to overindulgence of the natural self, which leads to obesity (heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.), self-satisfaction, and all the destructive ego-tripping pleasures of the natural mind, and the flesh in the form of infections, mental illness, and an overall result of ill health.

3 John + 2

"My dear friend, I hope everything is going happily with you and that you are as well physically as you are spiritually."

As scripture says, “It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual." But the death referred to here is more than just physical, it’s spiritual as well. For the ultimate condition of death is eternal separation from God. “I am the Way, the truth and the life” says Jesus, and this life of which He speaks is in the Spirit of God. For “The Spirit gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

Overindulging the flesh with drugs, foods and sensual pleasures is suicide, for “Life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual.” The best cook book we can own is the Holy Bible, for in its hallowed pages are the recipes of life in the Spirit of God and heaven on earth. As with every meal we eat each day, God fills us with the nourishment of the spirit through the recipes His Word cooks up for our temples.

1 Corinthians + 3:22

“What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it, since you are still unspiritual.”

Again, he scripture speaks of the need to stop behaving immaturely, to see everything through the eyes of the Spirit. But in order to do that we must involve ourselves with that which is spiritual, and since God’s Word is spirit and life, since the kingdom of God is not just words but power, the power to turn our lives around and point it in God’s direction, would it not be advisable to seek after that kingdom from His perspective, which can only be accessed through the Holy Spiritual Mind of Christ?

This is what every practicing Christian must do in order to achieve Holy Spirit instrumentation, for by doing so we also become one with the power of God, the power He works through us whenever we exercise the faith gifts He has given us through His Son Jesus Christ. This is the solid food of righteousness, the doing of God’s will by the letting go of our unspiritual natures and to the will of God.

John + 4:34

“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work.” (Jesus Christ)

This scripture quote appears three times in this message, and for good reason, for whenever we are not doing God’s will, we are also suffering the malnourishment of our true selves, the selves that can be in heaven on earth by simply maintaining a steady diet of God’s food.

Amen

In the name of Jesus Christ

Daily Scripture - Tuesday 29th March

Matthew 24:29-31
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24:36-44
"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In (those) days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

Both these scriptures talk about the second coming of the Son of Man. They talk about a few signs of the second coming. If you believe in God and have accepted Jesus as your God and Savior, then you need to read your Bible and know he is going to come and it will be when we least expect Him to come. Pray diligently and always study the Holy Bible. For the Holy Bible is our manual that will guide us to loving and believing in his mighty power and unconditional love.

Sunday Mass - 27th March

I was woke this morning after a terrible night of constant pain in back and knees. After finally falling asleep around two in the morning, after taking some pain medication. I slept for a couple of hours,where Pacer one our cat pounced onto my body causing another about of intense pain. I got back to sleep at six in the morning, only too be woken up at eight, no almost nine this morning. I found that I wish I could stop Pacer coming into my bedroom so when I could sleep, i wouldn't be disturbed.

I got dressed and ready for church. Our friend Suzie came to get us. We went to church, it was a nice service and I liked the homily. Our Pastor is a good one and I love his homilies. During Mass I prayed for a relief of the pain i was enduring all last night and this morning. I wanted God to ease my pain, but somehow he didn't answer my prayer. I guess I'd have to wait a little longer for relief of my aches and pains I suffer right now.

After my prayer we had the Eucharist, i saw a vision. It was amazing that this was happening to me. I wanted no pain, even if it was for a few minutes. Nope I found myself whisked away and on a cloud. I tried to look down, but i couldn't see anything beneath me. I looked forward and the angel was white, a pure whiteness I'd never seen this whiteness anytime before. The angel spread their wings and lifted me off the ground and from my wheelchair. The got me standing in front of another heavenly being. I can't explain it, but I felt I was in the presences of God. I was told my time has not come. I will endure pain a little while longer and the pain was going to get worse before it got better.

Suddenly I back in my wheelchair and sitting next to my life partner. I now know that in time I will be without pain, so I must endure for a while longer. Plus I was told my current stories were good. This pleased me much. Then I heard a voice, like the sound of trumpets sounding. I want told to Trust my church friends and mainly my partner. I closed my eyes one more time and thanks God for his guidance and I was about to leave the church as Mass was over with.

Monday Evening

Had a major experience yesterday at church, then at my bible study group. I'm a devote catholic and study the bible each day which does help with my writing. I believe God gave me a wonderful gift. I am a writer, with the thanks of the Holy Spirit. The girls I study the bible with are like having sisters around me all the time. I love them dearly and they inspire me to become the best I can be, along with my family here in Indiana.

Yesterday at church, during MASS, I had an experience I don't understand. God sends his angels' to me. It's like this last year during LENT, now this year. I believe this is something from God to tell me to be the best I can be. I love writing and I have written one novel so far. Not published or anything. Now I feel that God wants me to continue writing and finish my second or third book.

Right now I'm writing two novels, which can be hard, but I'm finding it rather simple right now. First my second novel is about a young boy who loses his only loving guardian, his grandmother. His living aunt and uncle don't want him and he is put into the foster care system. A loving family foster him and teach him things he didn't believe were possible. He finally has a second chance at a loving home.

My third is about a young adult, aged sixteen who parents are fighting, and they decide to get a divorce and  the main character is trying to cope with his mom gone, his dad finding a new partner and getting remarried. His father's new wife has two very young children and the main character is also fighting an inner battle about being catholic and gay. 

Vocation and Spiritual Gifts

Over the last week I have been having vision about what my vocation and my gift of writing. It all started with Sunday service at mass. First I was in intense pain, and I was finding it hard concentrating on the homily. Suddenly i was whisked away into a cloud and I was no longer in church. I was on a cloud and an angel was telling about my gift from God. I thought I was hearing and seeing things.

The Angel called me by my birth name, not many here knew my birth name other than my partner and a few friends. I shook my head in disbelief and thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me.

After I wasn't believing this was an angel. They took me to my birth. It was hard to realize that this was in fact an angel of God.  I saw my birth, I saw my dad, my grandmother sitting by my mom. My grandmother was holding me in her arms and cuddling tight. I knew myself this was just something to confuse me.

I saw me sitting in a bookstore and signing books that were being bought my some young adults and some adults even. They were buying my book, my first book. I found this weird and didn't want to believe this was me.

On Monday night, we went to church at seven at night for the parish mission thing. I heard the angel's voice yet again. This time it was telling me to  re-write my Having a Little Faith story. I was finding it hard to write. It made me remember the last time I saw my paternal grandmother I was when I was sixteen. But telling the story I want to tell I'm not sure it will work out at age sixteen. I prefer to write stories with the main character is from 9-14 years old.

I continued to have another vision on Sunday night, Monday night, and Tuesday night. I also had confession on Tuesday night. I was ill on Wednesday night, so couldn't go. I was given a vision to write the same story I'd heard the angel telling me to write. I believe this was something I could do if I put my mind to it. I prayed today and I have started to re-write this story I believe God wants me to write. Here goes nothing.

St. James the Greater (First century)

The Patron Saint of Arthritis and Rheumatism

One of the first apostles to join Jesus, St. James was also the first such follower to be martyred. Of the twelve apostles, St. James, his brother St. John the Evangelist, and St. Peter formed a privileged inner circle. Christ allowed them to witness miracles the other apostles only heard about later: the raising from the dead of Jairus's young daughter, the healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law, and Christ's display of his heavenly glory at the Transfiguration. While the other apostles carried the gospel to far-off lands, James stuck close to home, preaching in Judea and Samaria. Consequently, when King Herod Agrippa began to round up Christians, James was easy to find. He was arrested, given a quick trial, and beheaded.


Legend tells us that as the king's men led James outside Jerusalem for execution, he passed a man crippled by arthritis or rheumatism who was sitting by the side of the road. The man begged James to cure him. Pausing for a moment on his way to martyrdom, James said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, for whom I am being led to execution, stand up and bless your Creator." As the soldiers dragged James away, the crippled man stood and then ran to the temple in the city to give thanks to God. That's the type of cure people who suffer arthritis pain pray for.