Don't Poison a Child's Mind.

I was bless with an experience I will never forget when passing through Immigrations in Singapore.  We were in line and in front of me was a Filipino mother and two children.  One child a boy about 10 and a girl about 3. In the next line was an Indian mother with two young boys maybe 5 and 8. 

These children started reacting with each other in spite of language and cultural difference with pure love - no bigotry, no bias, just pure love and delight. It was a reminder to me bigotry is a learned habit or character trait. It is not a God given characteristic. Matthew 21:16 - "...out of mouths of babes and sucklings God prepared praise ..."  NOT HATE!  Oh, if we adults could only learn from the  young children the world would be a better place indeed!

"Hatreds never cease by hatreds in this world.  By love alone they cease.  This is an ancient Law."  

I have shared many thoughts over the year's concerning our thinking for ourselves and not depending upon others to think for us or teach us absolute truths about God, self, world or the universe.

It is delusion for us to allow others to teach us to cherish pride and selfishness when we all know in the end it leads to suffering, loneliness and death.

God did not put upon the heart of every person the right way to live with self and others simply for us to think about them. God put them there for us to practice and to make them part of our daily lives. 

We should control our own minds and keep them clean of evil thoughts concerning greed, jealousy, prejudices and hate.  Love, respect, humility and faithfulness to God (not denomination, nationalities, preachers, priest, bishops, traditions, anger, religions,etc) is the only way to a happy life.  

The youngest Indian child at the airport had a bottle of water and without words he walked over to the youngest Filipino child and sat it down in front of her and backed away.  I knew instantly he was sharing all he had to offer the other child love (water).  Tears filled my eyes and I knew I had witness pure love. 

Our minds, our learned behaviors, can make us like God or like the devil.  We should control our minds and not allow others to leads us away from the right path.  RESPECT each other. Human's have more in common than we have differences.  God created us to be like milk and water to mingle together not like oil and water that repel each other.  

I honestly believe if you do not feel this way you have never had a personal relationship with God.  You certainly are NOT a follower of Christ.  

Life is becoming more clear to me as I grow old and my body falls apart like an old worn out car that has traveled many, many happy miles.  Do not make the same mistakes I did if you are still young in body.  You cannot cram five lifetimes into one there is only so much time.  

You do not need to see or do everything to have a full life. You only need to recognize the importance of love and service to each person you meet.  

God did not ask us to solve all of the world's problems just do the best we can with those we encounter. 

There are always people around you that need an encouraging word, a person willing to listen and or a helpful hand.  It is not all about having large sums of money to give away.  A little becomes a lot when good people come together for one cause. 

Few if any of us would sleep with a poisonous snake in our bed so why go to bed with a poisonous snake (our mind)?  Ephesians 4:26 "...do not go to bed while you are still angry..." Go to bed filled with hate, anger, bitterness, jealousy, prejudices and discontent and  you will awake the next morning with the same bed partner not beside you, but inside you.  You should control your own mind.  Protect your mind from poisonous thoughts of others. 

We should practice being like the children I witness in the Singapore Immigration line.  

Excuse me, but FAITH and CHURCH are not the same thing!

It is obvious some people don’t realize that faith and church are not the same thing.  I say this from the comments I have received.  It might surprise you, but some of the greatest accomplishments in the church have come from people who had the courage to question the church. 

Each of Christ’s apostles did not doubt the church they doubted that Christ would be resurrected. It was incomprehensible to them… even after having witnessed a man walk on water and raise the dead. All of the original apostles had doubts. And, some of you want to stone me because I doubt the actions of some of the hierarchy in the church and yet you are willing to follow men that even had some doubts about Christ.  GET REAL!

Each of them, one by one, sat there witnessing the mighty miracles that came from this Nazarene. They had questions and problems with much of what Christ had taught, but their minds were open not like some of you. 

The problem exists when a person thinks that they are beyond FAITH. That they are too logical for miracles. That their intellect exceeds the need for faith. I have never said any of those things. People who are honest enough to admit their doubts and then face them head on without becoming antagonistic, making hardline rash decisions, or ruling out the need for faith are some of the greatest contributors to this kingdom. 

If you want to follow men blindly that is fine with me - go ahead!  I am not that naive. You may trust the words of men. I trust the Holy Spirit.  I can reason right from wrong by comparing what man says and what scriptures says. I am not going to rely on tradition and rituals to support the words of man when they are contrary to the words of the Bible. 

The Forgotten Man - Jospeh

All the attention is given to Mary the Mother of Christ, but what about Joseph?

Joseph had as much to do with raising Jesus as Mary and maybe even more. 

After the bar mitzvah the Jewish boy became the responsibility of the father. That is how Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem. Jesus got separated from his parents after his bar mitzvah and they started home. Going he would have traveled with His mother and returning it would have been the custom for Him to travel with his father. Each parent probably thought Jesus was with the other. 

There is not much said of Joseph in scripture. He is only mentioned by name about 17 times. The preachers do not mention Joseph much and do not preach sermons on Joseph. Sometimes he is mentioned on Father's Day.

I know my denomination teaches there were no other children than Jesus, but I personally do not believe that teaching is correct. I do not accept the doctrine that my denomination uses to explain away the reference in the Bible of Jesus siblings in order support the doctrine of Perpetual Virginity.

We do not know much about Joseph, but we do know he was a carpenter and trained Jesus to be a carpenter. We do know he was an honorable man. He married Mary in spite of the pregnancy.

We can use our imagination and assume since Joseph was a carpenter (craftsman) he would have been creative, patient, dedicated, disciplined, took pride in what he did, quite and humble. I say humble because God always chose the humble for great things in scripture. Scripture makes clear God always looks into a mans heart when judging him.

Joseph did not build houses because he worked with wood and houses were not made of wood in Israel. He made furniture, doors, shutters, etc. requiring great skill and dedication to perfection.

I would also assume Jesus had a good relationship with Joseph and called him daddy, since Jesus called His Heavenly Father Abba meaning daddy.

Yes, I would say Joseph was a good father and a good man all together. Jesus had a good role model on earth.

We can learn much from Joseph, especially daddies. If we do perhaps 26 percent of young men that were surveyed in the U.S. in 2016 when ask next year about their relationship with their father’s will not say they have a bad relationship with their father's.

What have we all done (mothers, daddies, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles) to be good role models to children and young people today? We need to model our faith in order to pass it on to the next generation. We need to demonstrate love of God, others and self.

You would be surprised how many men and women avoid a relationship with God the Father because they had a bad experience with their earthly father.

It seems Christians complain as much as unbelievers

For the past two years it seems all I have heard in media and from friends is about the downward spiral of the secular culture. All I hear when I get around my Christian friends is about the U.S. presidential candidates, the turmoil over transgender bathrooms and in the last few weeks the tragedy in Orlando. I agree there are many problems in the world today, but society has always, since the beginning of time, faced many problems. It is good to think through and process the implications of these societal problems. But as believers in Christ I am beginning to wonder if we differ in any significant way from our culturally conservative, but unbelieving neighbors? It seems we complain as much as the rest.

It’s easy to complain about how society is disintegrating around us. It’s easy for us old enough to recall the 1950's middle-class America and imagine that everything would be better “if only we could go back to the nation we once were.” But Christians are called to be salt and light. It seems many Christians have no problem “being the salt”, but have some difficulty “being the light”.  We complain, criticize and judge as much as the unbelievers and offer few suggestions.

Do we still believe God is all knowing and is not surprised by any of the wickedness in the world? Do we still believe God is sovereign over evil and yes even using it for our good and the glory of his name? Do we still trust God? Have we given up hope - if we have we have lost faith in God.

Christians should be praying for our leaders, our nation, our families and neighbors. We should be trying to make wise and informed decisions with the help of the Holy Spirit. We should be willing to serve and to sacrifice. We should not be judgmental, prejudice, know it all bigots.

We are commanded to rejoice, even though, for a little while, we are grieved by various trials. For we are not without hope. We have an imperishable, perfect, unfading inheritance waiting in heaven for us. (1 Peter 1:4–6). God’s promises to us should make us different than the unbelievers that surround us. There is light at the end of the darkness, but I am witnessing some Christians who know the most about God, loving and doing the least – why? We should be doers, endeavoring great acts of love for others regardless if they believe as we do or not.

Griping, grumbling, whining, murmuring or belly-aching regardless of the word we use to describe it always has the has the same symptoms. The dictionary defines it as “an expression of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or discontent.” Complaining is the outward expression of discontent from within.

In the Old Testament God always considered complaining as an act of unbelief directed toward Him. When they complained about their circumstances, their type of food, and even at Moses, God was displeased because they weren’t thankful for what He had provided them. He was disappointed that they refused to trust in Him to provide, protect, and direct the order of their lives. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1). Do we think God views our complaining any differently? Regardless of whatever circumstances may cause discontent or dissatisfaction, complaining is always an expression of unbelief towards God.

Complaining is unbelief in God’s Word which says “...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). If we really believes that the Lord is in control of our life’s, and is working “ALL THINGS together for our good,” we will stop complaining and start thanking the Lord for the plan He is working together for us.

The Apostle Paul warned Christians to avoid the danger of complaining. “...nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). In this Paul indicated that complaining actually gives place to the Devil in our lives and opens the door to destruction by Satan (the destroyer). The Devil thrives in an atmosphere of complaining. Complaining can literally invoke a curse of destruction as it did in the lives of the Israelite's who were destroyed in the wilderness.

Complaining is common-place in the lives of unbelievers who have no trust in God, but Christians should be people of faith, filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving. 

Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord (which God hates - Proverb 6:16-19). Are we acting any different than unbelievers when we gripe and complain?

“What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain.” ― Maya Angelou

Maybe we should begin to ask ourselves if morality is declining or changing. It is false to say that over the centuries Christianity has not adapted to a changing morality – do we still own slaves, are women still property of men, do women not wear jewelry and makeup, etc.? THINK!

You can and do face fear and faith at the same time

How many times has a brother or sister in Christ or a misguided preacher told you that if you are a Christian you cannot fear and have faith because they are total opposites? The problem with foolish statements like that is we are human and humans have emotion and fear is an emotion. You do not have to choose to live in fear that takes control of your life because you can trust God to be with you in all circumstances, but the emotions of fear, love, jealousy, greed are natural emotions which God allows into our lives.  

For practical purposes fear is the enemy of hope and IS the opposite of faith, but we have to deal with reality. There will be times in life when we will all side with one or the other fear/faith. Fear can be good. One of the first things I was told when arriving in Vietnam was fear those that claim they do not fear for they will get you killed. Faith can be misplaced at times for instance taking literally we can move mountains with our words of faith. If you have FAITH you do not need to live in fear that paralyzes you from moving forward or taking a chance you know you should take. The faith I want and I want you to have is the God-given strength to face down uncertainty and doubt and move forward down the path He is leading us.

Fear will keep you from living the life God created you for. It will keep you up at night with thoughts of facing the new day without the courage to change and fear will rob you of opportunities. We were not meant to live in fear, but fear can be so paralyzing it can be hard to imagine rising up from beneath it. We know as Christians we shouldn’t feel the way we do and can be determine to overcome it, only to find ourselves frozen over and over again in fear.

Faith is the answer for common fear. Faith is an action word, a verb. Faith is so much more than a simple belief. We read in James 2:20,” …faith without action is useless.” The more active our faith becomes the less confining our fear will be.  Little steps of faith each day snowball into a dynamic and rich faith that helps us face fear when it comes and it will come.  

Before you start lecturing Christians on fear and faith think about this. A Christian man was crucified by a jihadist group which took control of Yemen’s southerly province of Abyan. The man was crucified on an electric pylon. His bloated corpse showed that the body had been there for several days in the hot middle-eastern sun. A sign above his head stated that those ‘who wage war’ against Allah and the Prophet Mohammed ‘shall be killed or crucified.’ Are you as brave and faithful as you thought you were?

Faith says you may be able to kill me but God can give me eternal life. Faith says I may have to live alone, or walk alone, but I am not lonely because God is my security, God is my companion, and when I am alone, I can commune with God because He surrounds me. Faith says you can take the house, the car, and the job, but God provided them in the first place and, just as He provided them before, He can provide them again. Faith can win over fear, but you must remain focused on God at all times and I am not saying it will always be easy. God did not promise easy He only promise to be with us at all times.

I recently was reminded while dealing daily with health issues, 5 hour brown outs and 12 plus hours of no running water in Davao, Philippines that despite all the suffering that Paul endured, he understood that there was a bigger picture. Looking at that big picture and not focusing on our problems can allow us to feel peaceful even though the waves are crashing around us. What seem to be major daily problems to me did not seem to bother my Filipino neighbors. I discovered that I had begun to walk by sight and not by faith and was allowing the problems I saw rob me of God’s peace.  I was focusing on things (inconveniences) and not God.

It is easy to live in fear today with all the uncertainties we face – fear of economic collapses, fear of terrorist attack, fear of drive by shootings, fear of losing our jobs, fear of having costly medical bills, fear of running out of money before we die, etc. We have gotten so used to living with anxiety and fear that we sometimes forget that there is an answer.  I’ve discovered as my faith increases my fears and anxiety decreases. My faith increases when I focus on God!

I would like to throw in a little non-theological thought to cause us that were born and raised in First World Western Countries to possibly think about another cause of our fear. I have witness the differences first hand in the Third World Countries I have live in among the people. If Western people had something more to live for than materialism and entertainment then we could overcome the fear of hard economic times easier. But, for most Westerners, “building a life” means buying a home, building up a bank account and accumulating as big a pile of possessions as possible. When the good times are gone, very large percentages of Westerner totally lose it and think that life is not worth living anymore.

What about you? Are you going to give in to fear or are you going to have something to live for when and if that day arrives?

I can promise you every individual living today will have to decide how they will respond to the fears we face in our world today. I hope all Christians reading this will remember our Savior Jesus was not a coward he walked boldly into Jerusalem knowing He was about to be crucified. The strength of the Father gave Jesus His strength and He will give us our strength in difficult times. God did not promise us easy He only promised to be us in good and bad times.

I know it is easy to say do not fear and often hard to accomplish it, but faith can ease fear. If you can trust God in good times you can trust God in bad times. We will live in uncertainty in this world, but we do not have to live in constant fear. The degree of fear we have is a choice we make and depends on the amount of faith we have.

Is your Christianity worth you dying for – thousands are dying around the world for Christianity – for their faith. I would imagine the Christians in Kenya, Iraq and Syria are wondering what Christians in First World Countries really have to fear.  

Coincidence - God - Life - Fate - Death - Who really controls it?

I have written before about a friend that gives coincidence credit for all the blessing in his life instead of God.  I guess he gives credit to coincidence rather than God because he is not totally convinced God is involved in our daily lives.

"What if coincidence is just God's way of remaining anonymous?" Donna Tartt

My faith has never allowed me to believe in coincidence. I credit all blessings ultimately to God and the ability He gave me to think and make right choices. That does not mean I have to give credit to all problems in my life to God because as I said I have free will to make choices.

I can choose to allow frustration, impatiens, doubt, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness and greed in my life and I can choose to turn to God when it creeps in and kick it out. I can choose to surround myself with negative thinking or positive thinking people. I can choose to waste time with gossipers and liars or not. I can choose to be loyal, helpful, charitable, truthful or not. SO CAN YOU!

Life is short. Fate can be cruel, but it is not random. You can wallow in it or pick yourself up and move forward. Death will always win, but that does not mean the in between birth and death cannot be exciting and rewarding and if you are a believer in God's promises eternal life is fantastic!

Stop waiting on God!

I am so tired of hearing people say, "Well, I am waiting on God."  Stop waiting on God and take action to solve your own problems. God is not going to do for you what God equipped you to do for yourself. I know a family that is "Waiting on God" to build a room on their small house so their mother will have her own room. Do they really expect God to deliver nails, hammers, saws and timber to their doorstep. They have internet, cable television and a car. They need to decide what is a priority and stop blaming God for their mother not having her on room.

God warned Noah and NOAH build the ark. Noah did not wait on God to build the ark. I do not take that story in the Bible literally, but it sure teaches me a lesson not to wait on God to do all the work.

In most cases if you do not have what you need it is because you have not taken action to solve your own problems. I know there are exceptions. The elderly, physically and mentally ill, children and people with special needs often need a helping hand, but if you are healthy and sitting around on your butt waiting on God remember -  the Bible says those that do not work should not eat.

IF YOU DO NOT BUILD IT GOD CANNOT BLESS IT!

Have you tested what your preachers or religious leaders said?

Pope Francis during a meeting of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Sciences said the scientific account of the beginning of the universe and the development of life through evolution is compatible with the Catholic Church’s vision of creation and he is being attack by some theologians/preachers for saying it.

Christians should reject the idea that the world came into being by chance, but to continue to dispute proven scientific facts makes a mockery of Christianity and the Bible.  Why can evolution not be part of God’s plan?

The author or authors of Genesis were trying to explain something they could not possibly understand at the time. They were not lying, but theologians/preachers today that continue to support the fantasy that everything was created in seven days are lying and I believe they know it. It insults my intelligence, the intelligence that God gave me, for them to continue to try and force me to believe a fantasy in order for them to consider me a Christian.

Just as some theologians/preachers today have a need to think they can explain everything some of the authors of the Bible may have suffered from the same weakness. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but it is not the dictated Word of God. It is time for theologians/preachers to stop trying to force us to believe that the Bible is a science book or history book. The Bible is a book that God used and continues to use to teach us moral values. Unfortunately, some authors of scripture allowed their personal moral values, which were influenced by man’s traditions and culture, to be included in the Bible and we must use our God given intelligences to try and distinguish between what is God and what is man.

I do not need to believe in fictional stories in order to believe in God. I do need to try and understand the lessons that are being taught by those stories in order to have a better relationship with God and to be a better person. Quite honestly, I do not believe God endorsed slavery; I do not believe God endorsed the killing of innocent women and children; I do not believe God endorsed denying women equal rights; I do not believe God endorsed many of the things found in Proverbs and Leviticus and I do not believe theologians/preachers that claim to believe in the literal translation of the Bible believe it either or they would apply them to their personal lives, instead of ignoring them as they do.

A lot of Christians today are making the mistake of listening only to theologians/preachers, instead of listening to the Holy Spirit. The Father sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Yes, He instructed the disciples to go forth into all the world baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but he never said they were to become our god or take the place of the Holy Spirit.  God does not come in confusion and when a theologian/preacher speaks words that cause you confusion you need to get alone with God and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.  Do you not inject your personal beliefs into the things that you communicate? If you do then why do you think theologians/preachers do not do the same?

Transubstantiation is the teaching that during the Catholic Mass, at the consecration in Communion, the elements of the Eucharist, bread and wine, are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus and that they are no longer bread and wine, but they retain the appearance of bread and wine.

 In the year 1215A.D. Pope Innocent III decreed the doctrine of transubstantiation. Five years later in 1220A.D. Pope Honorius sanctioned the adoration and or worship of the wafer and wine as doctrine. Then The Council of Trent re-confirmed the teaching: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."  The Council of Trent began Dec. 13, 1545 and ended on October 11, 1551. Was transubstantiation always ‘the conviction of the Church of God’ or did it come about in 1215A.D.

Saint Thomas said, “No act is greater than the consecration of the body of Christ. In this essential phase of the sacred ministry, the power of the priest is not surpassed by that of the bishop, the archbishop, the cardinal or the pope. Indeed it is equal to that of Jesus Christ. For in this role the priest speaks with the voice and the authority of God Himself. When the priest pronounces the tremendous works of Consecration, he reaches up into heavens, brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the victim for the sins of man.” How many times does Christ need to be sacrificed for our sins?

This doctrine gave the men of the church tremendous power. They could do something that no other man or woman could do. People who refused to believe they had this power were killed.

No matter if I do or do not believe the doctrine of transubstantiation it does not make me love the Catholic Mass any more or any less. Regardless of my belief I like the dignity, honor and respect the Catholic Mass gives the Sacrament of Communion. A respect that I do not think most Protestant Churches give Communion and a respect that I believe Communion deserves. I do resent being told I must believe one way or the other in order to be a Catholic.

The Protestants do have a valid argument against transubstantiation. Some of the verses used to substantiate the Catholic teaching are the following: Matt. 26:28, "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins," John 6:52-53. "The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, how can this man give us His flesh to eat? 53 Jesus therefore said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves,” 1 Cor. 11:27. “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." One could question are these words spoken literally or not and how could it have been possible for them to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ if He had not yet been sacrificed.

"But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom," Matthew 26:29. Why would Jesus speak figuratively of His blood as "the fruit of the vine", wine, if it was His literal blood? Jesus called it wine. There are many more questions rightly raised by the Protestants.

I have gotten alone with God, pray, meditated, studied and sought direction from the Holy Spirit and I am content with my decision on transubstantiation and other Catholics must do the same.

Catholics are free to understand the story of Jonah and the whale as literal history or fiction to teach a moral lesson. If it happened, it was certainly a miracle. In 1891 a seaman, James Bartley, from a ship named the Star of the East, was found missing after an eighty-foot sperm whale had been caught. He was presumed drowned. The next day, when the crew cut up the whale, Bartley was discovered alive inside. We know that a man can live one day in the belly of a whale, but three days we do not know. Some Protestant theologians/preachers question the faith of Christians that do not believe the story of Jonah happened literally as told in the Bible.

I am content with the lesson we can learn from Jonah and the whale. It should bring comfort to all of us who fall short at times when it comes to obedience and when we attempt to run away from what we know God wants us to do. Jonah’s story should serve as a lesson to all who sometimes possess a short fuse and who at times are guilty of a superior attitude. What is more important, the lesson to be learned or accepting the story to be literally true.  I happen to think the lesson to be learned is more important.  

If anyone asks you do you take the Bible literally be careful how you answer. If you say "Yes," they may quote some Bible verses that, if taken literally, make little sense. For example Mark 9:42-48, which tells Christians if their hand or foot "offends" them, they should "cut it off," and if their eye "offends" them, they should "pluck it out." Do you really take that scripture literally? If you say “No.” they may claim the Bible means whatever the believer wants it to mean. Therefore, any person’s interpretation is as good — or poor — as anyone else’s.

I have found the best reply is, “I take the literal parts literally, the figurative parts figuratively, and I use common sense, my experience, my knowledge of language and grammar, the techniques of hermeneutics (interpretations) and rely on the Holy Spirit for help in knowing the difference.  I do the same thing you do any time you hear or read any statement by anyone about anything."

Knowledge of the Bible is a great thing to have; it can help you defend your faith and to teach others in it. But knowledge alone does not signify spiritual maturity. It is our personal relationship with God that causes us to grow spiritually. It is our personal relationship with God that leads us to right interpretations. It is our personal relationship with God that leads us to a stronger faith.

I think God prefers us to know what we believe and why we believe it rather than being spoon fed religious beliefs without questioning them. I know it makes for a stronger faith and not a weaker faith. Unfortunately the beliefs and faith of the majority of Christians today are based on what the leadership believes and not what the Christian personally believes.  

Reconciliation is more important than gifts at Christmas

This Christmas was difficult for me. I posted a blog a few days ago about “toxic friendships” and said there were two friendships that I must end before 2016. I still intend to end those relationships, but in my heart I feel a tugging by God that it is not the “Christian” thing to do.

The thought of walking away and not attempting to reconcile, one more time, has brought me lots of pain. I cannot help recall that Jesus Christ suffered, and died in order that I could be reconciled with God the Father.

I know if I even attempted to reconcile they would say they did not intend to make me feel as I do and that I misunderstood their actions. That is what they have said many times before. They will give an insincere apology that does not come with change. I have traveled that road many times over the past eight years with them and I just do not want to travel it again. I do not want to pretend any longer that we have a relationship that we do not have.

I debated all Christmas day if I should take the long road back or just take another path in 2016.  Reconciliation with them would not be comfortable and honestly seems pointless.

But, I feel I need to try to reconcile not for my relationship with them, but for my relationship with God.  Reconciliation is so much a part of our Christian faith.

“Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconcile” – it is easy to sing about, but when it comes to sinner and sinner reconciling that is not always so easy to do. I can think of many reasons not to reconcile with them, but then I recall all the things I have done that God could use as reasons not to reconcile with me. 

I know the Bible and that makes it even more difficult because I know the scriptures that point out my sins. I know when I mistreat someone God loves I mistreat God. When I am unreconciled with one that God loves I am unreconciled with Him. I believe Christ in many ways said we cannot be reconciled with God if we are not reconciled with our brothers and sisters. God loves them as He loves me!

“If you come to my altar to offer your sacrifice and you remember you are not reconciled with a brother or sister leave your gift and go reconcile with them and then return and offer your gift to me.” God makes it difficult to not be at peace with others, but how can you be at peace with others when peace means nothing to them if they are not getting exactly what they want from you. What about tough love?

The true meaning of Christmas is the baby Jesus who is our reconciliation with God. But, I am sure they have never thought about that so why should I – I know that is secular response and not the Christian response.

I am praying for help from the Holy Spirit, because on my own, I cannot sweep past hurt under the rug any longer.

If God and sinner can be reconciled then how can Christians withhold the offer of reconciliation to others even if they do not accept it or simply do not care? I want to challenge you to do the right thing today – to do what God would want you to do – not what I am presently doing. If you are thinking of someone that you are at odds with right now at least consider reconciling with them. I can testify to the fact that if you are a Christian being unreconciled with others does bring pain!  I want to do what Christ did for me, but at the moment I just cannot bring myself to do it – the dysfunction is just too great.

“The pursued of peace without the promise of peace is never a waste of time.”  Knowing the right thing to do (reconciling) and doing it is difficult sometimes even for ministers. Keep that in mind in 2016 if you ever feel your minister has failed you – he or she is human just like you - they may think you failed them. 

Teachings of Pope Francis - Part V

Our goal is not to proselytize but to listen to needs, desires, disappointments, despair and hope. We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future and spread love. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.

You cannot know Jesus without having problems. We only come to know Jesus on the daily path of life … in order to know Jesus; we need to enter into a dialogue with Him. If you don’t pray, you don’t know Him.

What will my cross be like? We do not know, but there will be a cross and we need to ask for the grace not to flee when it comes.

Faith contains the memory of our encountering God.

A people who do not take care of their elderly and their children have no future. The only commandment which brings with it a blessing is the fourth, the commandment which regards honoring our parents and the elderly.

God is in every person’s life even if the life of a person has been a disaster. You must try to seek God in every human life. There is always a space in which the good seed can grow.

Charity is simple: worshiping God and serving others.

Let us respect creation, let us not be instruments of destruction! Let us respect each human being. May there be an end to armed conflicts. May hatred yield to love, injury to pardon and discord to unity. Let us listen to the cry of all who are suffering and who are dying because of violence.

We can all flee from God. This is a daily temptation: not to listen to God, not to hear His voice, not to hear His promptings His invitation in our hearts.

Are you able to find the Word of God in the history of each day or do your ideas so govern you that you do not allow the Lord to speak to you?

Today let us all ask ourselves do I remain caught up in forms of material security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans. Do I truly let God into my life?

God asks us to be faithful to Him in our everyday life, even if we are sometimes unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us. He never tires of stretching out His hand to lift us up, to encourage us to come back and tell Him of our weakness, so that he can grant us His strength.

Saying “thank you” is such an easy thing and yet so hard! How often do we say “thank you” to one another in our families? These are essential words for our life. “Sorry,” “excuse me,” “thank you” - If families can say these three things, they will be fine. How often do we say “thank you” to those who help us. All too often we take everything for granted! This happens with God. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but do we thank Him.

God invites us to pray. Prayer makes us feel God’s presence. Persevering prayer is the expression of faith in God.

If money and material things become the center of our lives they seize us and make us slaves.

The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who do not place their security in material things, but in love for God.

 

That's my child - you are talking about!

Things we should not to say to parents with special needs.

I have heard people with good intentions say some unintentional cruel things to parents of children with special needs. For example: “He looks so normal”, “God only gives special kids to special parents”, “You're a saint, I could never do what you do”, “When is he going to start talking?”, “Will she ever walk”, “My child learned to read by age 1”, “Is he your only child - are you going to try again?”, “Oh poor thing”, “I’m so sorry”, “She is not that bad it could be a lot worse”, “Will he ever be normal” and “What exactly is wrong with him?”

One of these perceived unintentional cruel remarks was greeted with a very loud “I do not want you to feel sorry for me?” by a mother with a special needs child.  I am trying to smile and shake hands with people as they leave Mass and I have two well intention women standing in front of me about to start Wrestling Mania XXV.

The one with good intentions could not understand why the mother of the special needs child was insulted when she told her, “You know he really looks normal.” She began to try and defend her remarks by telling the mother of the special needs child, “Why don’t you tell me what I should say, since it appears you would be offended at any comment I made. I was trying to offer you sympathy. What wrong with offering sympathy for a child that will be at a disadvantage the rest of his life? If someone says they are sorry, why are you so angry? Don’t let your ignorance upset you - educate me as to what you want me to say!”

I am supposed to now step in and be the peace maker before they attack one another.

I took the well intentioned lady by the hand and led her back a few steps and suggested if she was ever in a similar situation she could say the same thing she would to a parent with a ‘normal’ child - “He has such a beautiful smile” or “he is growing so quickly.” Parents with special need children are not generally looking for sympathy or pity.

Parents of special needs children do not see their children as burdens. They have learned to appreciate the little things like smiles, hearing “mama”, touching/hugging their children and being touched and hugged by them. They feel tremendous joy over what other parents may take for granted.

Special needs children love to play have fun and do the same things that other children do, just maybe not in the same way. They have thoughts, feelings, opinions and desires, even though they may not be able to express them, much less speak them, in a way that the whole world can understand. Special needs children want to be loved and understood for who they are. I once saw a special needs child on television say, “I do not want you to fix me. I want you to love me just as I am.”

Parents of special need children tend to see the things their children have in common with ‘normal’ children rather than the differences. I have had many parents of special needs children tell me every child is a blessing and every child is a gift from God.

There are over 20 million families in the United States raising children with special needs. It’s a fact raising a child with disabilities can be difficult, but that does not mean their parents love them any less or enjoy them any less. There are health issues that generally bring on financial difficulties. There are mobility issues that must be dealt with. Education often becomes a major issue. If there are other children in the family finding enough time so no one feels neglected can become a problem. Planning for the child’s future in the event the parent’s become ill or dies before the child weighs heavily on the parent’s minds.

The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is never between some imaginary perfection and imperfection. None of us is perfect. No child is perfect. The real choices in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs come down to the parent’s ability to love and nurture, having courage or being a coward and between trust and fear. But, are not those the same choices all parents must face.

A baby with Down syndrome birthed in 1942, the year when I was born, could expect to live about 25 years. Many spent their entire lives shut up in public institutions. Today, people with Down syndrome often survive into their 50s and 60s. Most can enjoy happy, productive lives. Most live with their families or share group homes with modified supervision and some measure of personal autonomy. Many hold steady jobs in the workplace. Some marry. A few have even attended college.

In John 9, we read that Jesus’s disciples met a blind man, and asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus made it clear it is not a question of sin or punishment when a special needs baby is born. “Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him’” (John 9:2–3). Parents of special needs children should not feel guilt and no one has the right to try and assign guilt to them. God did not look away when special needs babies are born. He did not make a mistake, nor was He punishing anyone.

Parents of special needs children by faith believe their child is not a burden, but a special gift from God. God is always in control and has their best interests at heart. God did not give them this special child to ruin their lives, for God promises to work all things for good. It is not always easy and we cannot always see the good, but by faith we must trust that God is working all things for good.

The church should not be a burden for Special Needs Parents. The church needs to offer programs that give the parents of special needs children a much NEEDED break. Church on Sunday morning needs to be, if nothing else, a respite. A time when these parents can have an hour — just one hour! — To fellowship with other adults; to relax and drink a cup of coffee; to focus on their own spiritual walk; to get away from the constant state of alertness that accompanies raising a special needs child.

You are NOT overstepping your boundaries by expecting your special needs child to be loved and accepted in church. It is NOT too much to ask. If others in your church are heaping more burdens on you than you can bear, it might be time to look for a different fellowship.

Ninety percent of special needs families do not attend church because most churches do not have mission programs for their special needs child.  The church needs to realize special needs children are a legitimate mission field. Church leaders should not predetermine who can and cannot be help by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” –Matthew 25:40

One Catholic Church in the U.S.A. is taking seriously what Christ said and they are doing their part for the ‘least of Christ brothers and sisters’:

Handicapped Entrance & Parking: The handicapped entrances to the church are on the left and right hand side. They are accessible via the alley that runs behind 2nd Street and Glen Avenue. Side handicapped parking is available along Glen Avenue where the curb is painted blue, behind the St. Lucy house or in the lot directly across from the church.

Handicapped Bathroom: Located on the first floor in the front of the Church to the left of the altar. The main bathrooms are located in the lower level of the church by the lending library.

Handicapped Confessional: Located in the front of the Church to the left of the altar.

Handicapped Seating: Is located on either side in the front of the Church, right & left sides of the altar and the first three pews on each side of the main aisle.

Communion: Please sit in the first row of the Handicapped Seating area and a Eucharistic Minister will bring Communion to you. At St. Joan of Arc it is very important to us that every person who wishes to attend Mass and receive the sacraments can do so regardless of their limitations.

Assisted Listening Devices: They are located in the Narthex in the book cabinet.  Please see an usher.

Large Print Missals: Please see an usher.

REP for Children with Special Needs: SJA’s Religious Education Program supports all students, including those with special needs. Our program includes a special needs class held on Sunday mornings, helpers to provide one on one assistance in regular education REP classes, and in-home instruction for children who cannot attend classes. 

We will continue to partner with the Ministry for Persons with Disabilities to identify areas of improvement.

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church
359 West Areba Ave.
Hershey, PA 17033

Do Trump's actions say he is a Christian?

There was a time when I thought I could and would support Trump, but those days have come and gone. I resent him trying to use Christians to get votes.

Recently, Donald Trump sat down with Christian Broadcasting Network’s (CBN) David Brody and brought up his religion. Trump talked about his relationship with God, the church, the Bible, his being a Presbyterian, and his commitment to attending church.

Trump said: “I believe in God. I am Christian. I think The Bible is certainly, THE book. It is THE thing. The Bible is my favorite book. I was raised and I gave you a picture of my confirmation just now and perhaps you’ll use that picture (Trump is always looking for additional media coverage) I found it from a long time ago

First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica queens is where I went to church. I’m a protestant, I’m a Presbyterian (in past interviews before running for president he said he belong to the Reform Church of America). And you know I’ve had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion.”

As I watch the interview, it seemed that Trump struggled to talk about his faith and even stumbles to articulate his beliefs. But, just how genuine was this interview?  When you read the above transcript it looks genuine, but his demeanor in the video was strange.

He mentions how he always goes to church on Christmas and Easter… wow, big commitment there: “Well, I go as much as I can, always on Christmas, always on Easter, always when there’s a major occasion (weddings and funerals I guess) and during the Sundays. I’m a Sunday church person. I’ll go when I can” (I noticed he did not say how often he has attended in the last year).

Trump is pandering to the Christian right to solicit support for his run for the presidency. He is testing the waters to see if the religious right responds well to his faith statements. The fact that this interview occurred on CBN tells it all.  Why was it not done on CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX or MSNBC? Trump targeted his interview to conservative Christians, who make up the majority of the CBN audience.

Even CBN’s analysis wanted to connect Evangelicals with Trump: “Brody’s File analysis stated: “Donald Trump has piqued the interest of some Evangelical leaders. His bold talk is something conservative Christians like to hear. Remember, Evangelicals tend to operate in a world of Biblical absolutes. Their world is very black and white. Not many shades of gray. That’s how Trump sees the world too.”

It’s great that Trump is a Christian and makes a point to mention it, but I question his timing. Why didn’t he mention it 5 or10 years ago? Well, for one, he was not thinking about running for president.

I certainly commend and respect Trump for talking about his faith, but I would have preferred he did it when it didn’t profit him personally. I would prefer that we knew Donald was a Christian by his actions and not his words.

Trump says he collects Bibles. He saves them and stores them because he would never do anything negative to a Bible. I would prefer he read ‘one’ Bible than have hundreds in a collection.

Trump said on CNN he's never sought forgiveness for his sins. Please explain how you can be a Christian and not have sought forgiveness for your sins. We all sin and we all need to repent and seek forgiveness.

Trump said, "People are so shocked when they find out I am Protestant. I am Presbyterian. And I go to church and I love God and I love my church.” People would not be shocked if he was actually living his faith. They would have known he was a Christian by his actions.

Trump said, “He thinks the Bible is ‘THE’ book”, yet he says, “He does not think God is all into that asking for forgiveness stuff” – what Bible is he reading? Trump believes he does not need to ask for forgiveness because he takes ‘communion’ – WOW!  The call to confession and the need for forgiveness are central to the entire Christian tradition, and particularly to the Reformed and Presbyterian versions of it. In the Presbyterian (USA) Book of Common Worship there is a prayer for repentance and forgiveness, “A Service for Repentance and Forgiveness”.

Trump said, "When I drink my little wine -- which is about the only wine I drink -- and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed (again he avoided saying how often), I think in terms of 'let's go on and let's make it right.” Sound to me like he takes partaking communion really seriously. He talks of it with such reverence.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, forgiveness without repentance, like communion without confession, is not the real thing.

Although the United States Constitution disallows a religious test for holding public office Americans have always been interested in the religious beliefs and practices of their national leaders ever since Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Among announced candidates for the 2016 race, seven are Catholics, while four are Southern Baptist.

Norman Vincent Peale once said he saw in Trump kindness and courtesy and a trait some missed—“a profound streak of honest humility.” Sorry Vincent I missed that to!

It appears that Donald Trump has apparently decided that claiming the Bible is his favorite book isn’t enough to earn him the continued support of the more religious elements of the Republican Party. He has summoned dozens of influential evangelical Christian leaders to a meeting at Trump Tower in New York City for a ‘prayer’ meeting. I wonder how often he has done that in the past.

Trump the thrice-married former reality television star, once a supporter of abortion rights, purveyor of pageants that parade scantily clad teenage girls in front of television cameras, the man whose name is emblazoned on casinos around the world is currently leading the Republican field among the most deeply religious segment of the GOP electorate.

Money has defined Trump during the 30-plus years he has spent in the public eye. He frequently brags of his billions, and even sued a journalist who had the nerve to question whether those 10-figure pronouncements were severely inflated.

What does Trump do with his money?  Internal Revenue Service returns dating back to 1990 reveals that Trump, the Trump Foundation’s president, may be the least charitable billionaire in the United States. From 1990 through 2009, Trump has personally donated a total of just $3.7 million to his foundation, which was incorporated in 1987. In fact, the billionaire is not even the largest contributor to his own charitable organization. During the past two decades, the Trump foundation has made charitable contributions totaling a paltry $6.7 million to help those in need. This is not much for a man that bragged before he started running for President, “I have seven billion f---ing dollars in the bank.” Does a Christian really talk like that - Donald  Trump does?

Trump’s small donations have also been dwarfed by the charitable contributions of Leona Helmsley; she was the hotel owner whom Trump took great pleasure in mercilessly attacking for being cheap. Helmsley, who died in 2007, left billions to her charitable trust, which last month alone made donations totaling $12.93 million or nearly twice what Trump’s foundation has donated in the past 20 years.

In 2006, Trump’s foundation did give $1000 to the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Fund, a controversial Scientology program (co-founded by Tom Cruise) that promoted a “purification rundown” for firemen and others who inhaled toxins while working near the smoldering remains of the World Trade Center.

Donald Trump’s religious pandering should insult the intelligence of Christians. I really don’t like it when candidates mislead people about the sincerity of their religious beliefs. Tell us the truth, either you are dedicated to your faith or you are not. Don’t lie about it in order to win votes.

Now that Trump has shown me his true colors I do not know who I will vote for. In the beginning I was eager to get behind Trump, but no more.

I did not think Megan Kelly of Fox News was fair to Donald Trump during and after the first Fox debate, but she obviously knew more about him than I did at the time. She probably knew he needed to be exposed and that she had a responsibility as a journalist to do so.

All I have stated about Donald Trump is fine and good, but the real question is - DOES OUR ACTIONS SAY WE ARE CHRISTIANS?

 

God has a plan for your life!

It would be great if once we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior life would be smooth sailing from then on. But, believers like non-believers have ups and downs and go from highs to lows. That is just life!  Our lives are incredibly busy.  Our schedules are rigorous. Our time is short and precious.

I grew up in a Christian home, my parents were good people, but they were not ones to take going to church seriously.  It goes without saying they could have been better role models when it came to praying, attending church and having faith in God. How did I as a child come to have a desire for Sunday school, Church, Christian youth organizations and realize from a very young age I wanted to be a minster? God had a plan.

I am sure Joseph asks the same questions I did as he experienced the ups and downs in his life (Genesis). His brothers hated him because they were jealous of his relationship with their father and Joseph was a young dreamer who delighted in carrying tales on his brothers to their father. Joseph dreamed one day his brothers would one day bow down to him and he was foolish enough to tell them of his dream. This only angered them more.

The brothers were out doing chores for their father when their father decided to send Joseph to check on them. When they saw him coming they began to plot how they could get rid of him. They settled upon throwing him in a well and leaving him to die. They would tell their father a wild animal devoured him.

Some foreign slave traders came along and they changed their plan. They would sell Joseph to the slave traders. Joseph ends up a slave in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s house. Joseph’s time serving the Pharaoh was filled with highs and lows. He had the favor of the Pharaoh and because of circumstances beyond his control the Pharaoh would turn against him. There was a period of time when the Pharaoh placed Joseph in prison.

He was released from prison when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams, dreams that even the wisest men in Egypt could not interpret. Joseph told the Pharaoh that a seven year famine was coming and that he had seven years to prepare for it. The Pharaoh followed Joseph’s advice and Joseph became second in command only to the Pharaoh. God had a plan! 

The famine became so bad that Joseph’s brothers had to travel to Egypt to ask for help. They did not know they would be asking Joseph for help. Remember Joseph’s childhood dream. His brothers bowed before him when they ask for help.  When Joseph revealed to them who he was they became afraid, but Joseph told them not to fear him. He helped his family through the five remaining years of the famine. It was at that time Joseph realized that from boyhood God had a plan for his life and the ups and downs he experienced were preparing him to save the lives of his family members.

Has God shown you the ‘why and what for’ of your life? Even the years that Joseph did not understand the ‘why and what for’ of his life he never lost faith in God. 

We are passing through a time when great changes are coming in the world. America is not as great as she once was. We elect men and women to office that are not fit to lead. People are becoming more hopeless than I have seen in my lifetime. Many are ready to give up and many have given up. It is more important than ever for believers to constantly remind themselves God is still in control and God brings about possibilities that we can yet see or imagine. As Joseph we must remain faithful to God.

In the summer of my sixth year I was attending vacation Bible school when I became sick. It took about five days for my parents to be told I had polio. I spend months in the hospital. I had the best medical care at the time because exactly 91 days before I became sick my family was visiting my sister and an insurance man knocked on the door and persuaded my father to purchase a polio policy. The policy had to be in effect ninety days prior to diagnosis. God had a plan!

At age twelve I told my mother I had terrible pains in my stomach. She thought I was trying to skip school and she told me to get dressed for I was going to school. My sister dropped by and she convinced my mother that something was wrong and they needed to take me to the hospital. We arrived at the Community Hospital in Jacinto City, Texas and the doctor said it was my appendix. I needed surgery right away and they could not wait until my father arrived to sign release papers. The doctor took a legal gamble and took me in surgery. The appendix burst in his hands as he was removing it. God had a plan!

At age twenty-seven I had just finished my deaconate year. I ran six miles every day at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas. I noticed it was getting difficult for me to complete my run and I was totally exhausted when I did. It took several weeks before I was forced to go to the doctor. I was told I had Guillen Barre Syndrome. It is a disease that affects the nervous system. You have paralysis that resembles a stroke. I thought my ministry and active lifestyle was over. For two years I could not walk without assistance. God had a plan!

In my late forties I had by-pass surgery.  The recovery time then was much longer than now and the suffering was far greater. I was to return to work the following day and I decided to burn a large pile of logs on my farm. I intended to use diesel fuel, but used gasoline instead. When I struck the match there was an explosion and I was burned over all my body. Once again I would spend months in the hospital and at home nursing my wounds. I made a complete recover with only minor scaring. God had a plan!

Six angioplasty procedures would follow over the next 15 years and at times I thought of just giving up. God had a plan!

When angioplasty no longer worked and I could not have any more by-pass surgery they began to put in stints. I now have six and the last two were put in after I came to the Philippines. When they were putting in the last two they administered Diprivan Propfol not knowing I was allergic to it and I flat lined. God had a plan!

I was told when I was in my early fifties I would have to take disability Social Security, but I refused to give up. God had a plan!

Just this year I changed cardiologist because I was told nothing could be done for me. I was in the final stages of heart failure and my medicines were at the maximum levels. God led me to a doctor who referred me to another cardiologist and within a few months I was able to get out of the house and go back to church. God had a plan!

My ups and downs have made me a better minister. It is easier to give advice to others if you have experienced similar problems.  It is easier to understand the emotional turmoil they are going through. Of course I wish life had been all smooth sailing, but then I would not be the person I am today if God had not allowed me to encounter difficulties.  I now realize through it all God had a plan and He was always there with me.

What has God done for you? I bet if you give it serious thought you will come to realize that God has provided you many escapes from disaster. God has a plan for your life.

I recently heard a minister say on television, “In the way I walk and talk, in the way I think and pray, in everything I do, I want to honor God by the way I live each day.” I have tried to live my life in that manner, but many times I have failed. Regardless of the times I have failed God never stopped loving me and never turned His back on me. God will do the same for you. God has a plan!