Going to Church - precious memories!
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WG67WLNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=05/21/2014With thanks to Godtube
Saturday, June 7, 2014
God's Mercy With Your Imperfections
Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim Burt
Have you ever been accused of something
that you know you did not do? It hurts and most people will do what they
can to prove the accusation false. Accusations hurt and if they are
made public, defame your character which hurts even more.
If you are a Bible reader you know that the ultimate accuser in our life
is not a person. It is Satan himself. In the book of Revelation we read
about the beginning of his end. He has had this place of being able to
bring accusation against us through the ages. But at the end of the last
days God will deal with him and stop his accusations once for all. I am
showing you these scriptures not to teach you about end times, but to
help you see for yourself the evil character and strategy of Satan in
our lives.
Rev. 12:7-10 (NLT) Then there was war in
heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and
his angels. And the dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven.
This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the
one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his
angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, It has
happened at last—the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the
authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to
earth—the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day
and night.
It’s one thing to be accused by a person. It’s another thing to be
accused by Satan. If you've been accused by a person, then hopefully, if
you feel it’s necessary, you can present the truth and facts to clear
you. For the conscientious person that really loves the Lord and wants
to live upright before God, Satan is there to accuse you of every
infraction of anything that you don’t do perfectly. That would pretty
much be most of your life. He wants to bury you with guilt; ultimately
hoping to discourage you and get you to quit your pursuit of living
right for God out of feelings of being a failure.
In 1 Timothy 1:5 (NLT) the Apostle Paul wrote: The
purpose of my instruction is that all the Christians there would be
filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and
sincere faith. I remember especially as a growing Christian
that a pure heart was something I was working on. A clear conscience was
something I seldom felt because it seemed like I was always violating
something I knew God wanted me to do. And having a sincere faith—which
means living for God without hypocrisy—was another area for me to
stumble at.
It is so critical to know that God is never accusing us as we try to
follow Paul’s exhortation here. Paul gives us a goal. It’s a place to
grow in Christ. It’s a life-long challenge. Having a pure heart—wanting
to sincerely do the right thing with right intentions and motivation is a
wonderful thing. It is also a life-long pursuit filled with
imperfection! God deals with us and helps us develop right attitudes and
motivation but Satan will accuse you that your intentions and motives
aren't pure; that you are just a selfish person really only focused on
you!
Having a clear conscience comes from desiring and making the effort to
do the right thing. It doesn't mean you’ll always succeed, but your
conscience is clear when you know deep down that you really tried.
Living your life with sincere faith is knowing God's mercy, patience, and grace to help you. Lamentations 3:22 (NLT) says, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease." It's
knowing He has given you the opportunity to confess your faults to HIM,
when you don't get it right. It's knowing that He'll help you pick
yourself back up and try again. It's knowing that accusations don't come
from God, they come from the enemy of your soul to get you to quit God.
That is what you faith knows and the place it lives sincerely from each
day.
I say all this so that you see the strides you do make; not every
mistake or failure. Continue in your efforts to work toward this goal
and don’t let the accusations of Satan discourage you in your passionate
pursuit of the Lord and His will for your life. Your efforts to live
with a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith will
not only transform you into the Christian you want to be, but will fill
your heart with God’s love and help you to have a great impact and
influence on those around you. You aren't perfect but you are going to
Heaven. Satan’s doom is sealed and as you know “misery loves company.”
Rebuke him and give God your best. He’ll do the rest in you!
Psalms 37:23-24 (NLT) "The Lord directs the
steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though
they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the
hand."
In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2014 All rights reserved
Blog Post reproduced with kind permission of Pastor Tim
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Prayer
"May all beings be happy, May all be healthy,
May people have the well-being of all in mind,
May nobody suffer in any way." - Vedic Prayer
Light of Knowledge
"The light of knowledge of the self will banish the
darkness of ignorance.
p.31, Life Positive, Aug 2005, Vol.10"
Be a Lamp
'Before his passing away the Buddha's final
words were; "Be a lamp unto yourselves." '
Gautama Buddha
Important Rules in Personal Conduct
"Observe five important Rules (Niyama)
in personal conduct.
- Keep yourself pure . . . Shauch
- Be contented . . . Santosh
- Be focused . . . Tapah
- Study and reflect . . . Svadyaya
- Surrender to the Lord . . . Ishvara Pranidhana
p.179 - Vedic Mind
Refrains and Rules
"8. Refrains and Rules
Observe five important Refrains (Yama)
when dealing with others.
- Refrain from causing mental or physical hurt to anyone . . . Ahimsa
- Refrain from untruthfulness . . . Satya
- Refrain from dishonesty . . . Asteya
- Refrain from adultery or promiscuity . . . Brahmacharya
- Refrain from covetousness . . . Aparigraha
Thousands of Suns
"If thousands of suns were to blaze forth all
at once in the sky, their brilliance will still not
equal the splendour of that exalted Being."
. . . Bhagavad Gita 11.12p.135, - Vedic Mind
Who has instructed you?
"Dear boy, you shine like a knower of Brahman;
who has instructed you?" . . . Chandogya Upanishad, 4,9,2
p. 31, Vedic Mind, Indusvista Editions, India, 2004Strive for Wisdom
". . . strive for wisdom about what life means."
'Arise. Awake. Having attained the great human life,
understand what it means' . . . Katha Upanishad 1.3, 14
p 95 - Vedic Mind
The Supreme Being
"The Supreme Being is the common factor in all the
existences in the universe. He hold them together,
like a string holds all the pearls in a necklace, or
all the flowers in a garland. Like a thread, He passes
unseen through the central core of every existence."
p 127 - Vedic MindLead me
"Lead me from falsehood to Truth
Lead me from darkness to Light
Lead me from death to Immortality."
...Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3,28
p. 95 - Vedic Mind
All That Exists
"All that exists is strung on Me
like a cluster of gems on a string.'
...Bhagavad Gita 7. 07
NINE FIRST FRIDAYS DEVOTION
NINE FIRST FRIDAYS DEVOTION
The devotion of the Nine First Fridays owes its origin to one of the Messages and Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus given on 5th May, 1688, through St Margaret Mary.
Margaret Mary was a nun of the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial in France.
Jesus chose her to carry His Message of Forgiveness and Love in a unique way.
Jesus said to Margaret Mary, "I promise you in the excessive Mercy of My Heart that Its all powerful Love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on Nine First Fridays of the month consecutively, the grace of Final Repentance: they will not die under My Displeasure or without receiving the Sacraments, My Divine Heart making Itself their assured Refuge at the last moment."
The Promises made by Jesus were;
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life
2. I will give peace in their families
3. I will console them in all their troubles
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured Refuge during life and especially at the hour of death
5. Sinners shall find in My Heart the Source and Infinite Ocean of Mercy
6. Tepid souls shall become fervent
7. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection
8. I will bless the homes in which the Image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honoured
9. I will give to Priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts
10. Those that propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced
11. The all-powerful Love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My Displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured Refuge at the last hour.
A Beautiful and Ancient Christian Custom
It is a beautiful and ancient Christian Custom to 'Enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home'.
How do we do this?
The family who wishes to invoke Jesus as the Lord and Master of their Home makes arrangements with a Priest as to the date and time.
If you are in a war torn area, squatter camp or in a situation where you do not have a priest, remember that the head of the home or someone else may preside.
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart Ceremony
An altar is laid out beforehand on a table or side surface; white cloth, with holy water and the picture.
A candle is lit. The home member/family gather around, and the priest blesses the image.
Priest; 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,'
Home member/Family; 'Amen'.
Priest; 'Our help is in the Name of the Lord,'
Home member/Family; 'Who made heaven and earth.'
Priest; 'The Lord be with you,'
Home member/Family; 'And also with you.'
Priest; 'Dear Lord, we gather together to dedicate this family/this home to your Sacred Heart. Please keep Your Gracious Hand outstretched over it, and be the Refuge of all herein. Keep them safe; keep them free of fire, flood and pestilence. Let all beneath this roof grow in grace and dignity, and at the last, come in peace to You to be with You forever in Your eternal kingdom, Amen.'
Home member;Family; 'Amen.'
The priest blesses the image of Jesus with holy water.
The head of the home then enthrones the image in the place of honor prepared for it, such as the wall of the main lounge.
This is the symbolic act of Enthronement.
The Creed is then recited as an act of faith on the part of the home member/ family.
'We believe in one God, the Father the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and of earth,
Of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven.
He was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the Right Hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His Kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the Giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen
The priest addresses a few words to those present, reminding the home member/family of the promises of the Sacred Heart. The priest then blesses all present, and a hymn is softly sung to the honour of Jesus.
The Ceremony is ended.
The Devotion to the Sacred Heart
http://www.catholictradition.org/Two-Hearts/devotion12.htmWith thanks to Catholictradition.org
Good Shepherd Church; Worship and Rosary being Prayed
Good Shepherd Church is going into Worship now.
Prayer will be offered;
- for the homeless
- for the homeless pregnant sleeping on the street, begging for food
- for those who cannot find work
- for all families undergoing suffering
- for all affected negatively by drugs
- for strength and courage for Meriam Ibrahim and her family
- for all being persecuted for their personal religion or belief
- in remembrance of the two little girls raped and hanged a few days ago
- for all those who have been raped in jail
- for strength and courage for Meriam Ibrahim and her family
- for all being persecuted for their personal religion or belief
- in remembrance of the two little girls raped and hanged a few days ago
- for all those who have been raped in jail
- for all those who have been forced to give birth shackled
- for all young men ill treated, and for those forced to rape themselves with broken bottles because they belong to LGBT community
- for all forced into child marriage
- for all forced into child prostitution
- for all young men ill treated, and for those forced to rape themselves with broken bottles because they belong to LGBT community
- for all forced into child marriage
- for all forced into child prostitution
- for all euthanised
- for all babies aborted
- for all sidewalk counsellors
- for all who work in Prolife
- for the repose of the souls of all who have died recently
- for all abducted girls and boys; men and women
- for all refugees
- for all suffering in refugee camps
- for all suffering in squatter camp
- for all suffering in war torn areas
- for the end to Abortion; prayer under the Mantle of Our Lady, Mother of Jesus Christ
- for the end to Abortion; prayer under the Mantle of Our Lady, Mother of Jesus Christ
Why not join us in prayer? Jesus has promised us that when two or more gather in His Name, there He is in the midst of us. We are in need of His Grace and Healing, and He can use our hands to bring healing to hurt, our words to bring calmness to hearts, our smile to bring an end to tears, our assistance to prevent a suicide or starvation, our activism to end an indignity or injustice.
As we join in prayer and service on this Sunday, the memorial of His glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, may God graciously grant His Wonders to light the world for the above needs for prayer, and for your personal needs too.
Blessings be on you all.
Why not pray the Rosary with us?
http://www.comepraytherosary.org/
Blessings be on you all.
Why not pray the Rosary with us?
http://www.comepraytherosary.org/
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