No its not my body…silly goose…its the body of Christ. Of which you and I are called to be a part. But you cannot truly be a part of the body of Christ or any body so to speak…if you refuse to contribute to the body’s functions…or if you deny the very existence of the body. My discussion today will center around the Eucharist or Communion. As I begin I have a bone to pick with my protestant family members. When I was part of the Pentecostal blend of Christianity. One of the things that I was most intrigued about was the preaching and or discussion of typology. For in the Catholic church you never heard of such things albeit they were there all along. And for those of you who know nothing about typology.. it is simply this.

It is an event or an action as recorded in the Old Testament scriptures. That prefigures a future event in the New Testament in form an fashion. And for my own purpose today we will be discussing the sacrificial lamb and its blood in the Exodus of the Jews. An event which was and is a foreshadowing or looking forward to the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary in the new. And in particular the Eucharist in the Catholic church. Now let me take the gloves off for a minute because this is going to develop into a real street fight. One of the things I missed most in going to Pentecostal services was Holy Communion Catholic style in the Mass. My Pentecostal brethren were always talking badly through the years in a kind of tongue in cheek  way. About the Catholic Church. And most of them had come from it including the pastor. And I could never find any real justification for their comments. In other words they were just repeating something with no real grounds for saying it.. and the person next to them would simply agree.

 

For instance a Pentecostal would say that Catholics worship the pope and another one or two would simply agree. Whereas I as a Catholic know that I don’t worship the pope in any way shape or form…And that he is simply elected as the chief overseer of the church. But he does not act alone and has a huge body of educated Godly…for the most part…men under him. Men who are debating rigorously as to the direction the Church should take. Keep in mind that I said for the most part. For the devil goes to church also. And he holds offices in all Christian venues be they Protestant or Catholic. And his office may very well be your Pastor or my Bishop. Think its not true? Think I am filled with allot of hot air? Lets go together to the Word of God in the book of Second Corinthians chapter 11…Starting in verse 13…For such are false apostles, deceitful workers in the church. Having transformed themselves into workers of Christ. And this is no marvel…for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing that his ministers can also be transformed into the ministers of righteousness. Whose end will be according to their works.

So there you have it. Satan and his minions being exposed by Paul as having infiltrated the church both then and now. And even more so now with the passage of some two thousand years of church history. So is it now so amazing by any stretch of the imagination that Satan should be spending so much time trying to degrade Catholicism and in particular the sacrament of the Eucharist? I don’t think so….this is war. We now have the term being bantered about…false news. You may also be unaware that Martin Luther was a great devotee of Mary the mother of God. Which Pentecostals also despise. And Mary who was a New Testament typology of the Old Testament type being the Ark of the Covenant. An Ark which the Jews carried which contained the ten commandments stones, Aarons rod that budded and the very presence of God himself. In fact if anyone so much as touched the ark they died instantaneously. Mary herself having been immaculately conceived…another teaching of the Catholic Church. Was chosen as the New Testament ark which would carry the very being of God in the form of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Just two more things and I will move on to the Eucharist. If Mary was not herself conceived in an immaculate way. Than Christ would have been carried in an  unpure or sinful vessel. And if you think that Mary was just some arbitrary lady both then and now..well..you need to check out your own salvation…Second Corinthians 5 verse 21…For
God has made him to be sin for us…who knew no sin. That we might become the righteousness of God through Him…That means that during and after his birth as well as during  his life leading up to the cross…he was without sin. And if Mary was in fact a sinful vessel as is every other woman on earth. Our Lord would have been born into the same original sin as you and I are. Jesus became sin for us only at  the moment of being nailed to the wooden cross…not before. But that is a lesson for another blog. I love Mary and you should to. Now lets get back to communion. For it is in and through communion that we grow nearer and nearer to Jesus.

In the book of Exodus chapter 12 beginning in verse 1…the Lord God initiates his divine plan for humanity. It begins in Egypt with the Jews in captivity as we shall soon read. and it culminates with the blood and the flesh of the Lamb of God…Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. This is the bibles recording of the first Passover….The Lord said to Moses and Aron in Egypt. This month shall be the beginning of months to you. It will be the first month of the year. Tell all the congregation of Israel. That on the tenth day of the month, they shall take every man a lamb or a kid. According to the size of the family of which he is the father. A lamb or a kid for each house.

 

And if the household is to small to consume the lamb, let him and his next door neighbor take it according to the number of persons. Every man according to what each can eat shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb or kid will be without blemish, a male of the first year. And you will take it from your sheep or your goats. And will keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill each his lamb in the evening. They shall take of the blood and apply it to the two doorposts and to the lintel above the door of the house where they shall eat the Passover lamb. and they shall eat the flesh in that night also. Roast with fire and unleavened bread. And with bitter herbs shall they eat it.

 

Do not eat it raw or boiled with water. But roast it with fire. Its head and its legs and the appurtenance thereof. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning. And should any of it remain in the morning you will burn it with fire. And thus you shall eat it…with your clothes on and your shoes on your feet. And your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste for it is the Lords Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night…And I will kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.

Both of man and beast. And over the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement…I am the Lord. And the blood shall be as a token for you upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood I will Passover you. And the plague will not be upon you to destroy you…When I smite the land of Egypt.

 

And this day shall be to you a memorial throughout your generations. And you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord. You shall keep it as a feast by ordinance forever. And now lets fast forward to Jesus sitting at the table with the apostles at the table of the last supper as we know it. It was by the way the very week of Passover which we just read was to be kept by the Jews as an ordinance forever. And this is exactly why Jesus was there. He knew that he was about to become the final Passover Lamb to be sacrificed. Only this time the lamb was in fact the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. And this time the blood was not going to applied to the doorposts. It was to cover the sins of every man, woman and child who would ask of him the forgiveness of their sins…forever and ever. Have you done that yet? The gospel of Luke chapter 22 starting in verses 14….And when the hour had come he sat down with his apostles at the table. And he said to them. with great desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you that I will not eat any more of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

And he took the cup and gave thanks…and said to them. Take this and divide it among you. For I say to you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come. And then he took bread and gave thanks and broke it giving it to them saying…This is my body which is given for you..do this in memory of me.. Likewise after supper he took the cup in like manner. This is the cup of the new testament in my blood which is shed for you. Now please correct me if I’m wrong. Jesus is sitting at the table with them..am I correct so far? His human body and the blood contained in it is eating dinner with the apostles at the table. And then he picks up the wine cup…Which of course had unfermented concord grape juice in it for you Pentecostals out there… and he says this is my blood. And then he breaks some bread and gives it to them saying this is my body. All if this being done.. he tells them that whenever you do this ..do it in memory of me..

 

Now lets backtrack to quite some time before this when Jesus is addressing the Jews and his disciples who were gathered before him in a synagogue. The Gospel of John chapter 6 beginning in verse 47…Truly ,truly I say to you he that believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats this bread he shall live forever. And the bread that I give you is my flesh. Which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews hearing this argued among themselves…How can this man give us his flesh to eat?. Then Jesus said to them. truly I say to you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.

 

And as the living Father has sent me…and I live by the Father. So he that eats me shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers who ate manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever…So now let me ask you. There were only twelve people at the last supper table. How do you think everyone else who comes to know Christ both then and into the future is going to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life within them? I’m waiting….It is done during the mass. Which is and has been going on in the Catholic Church long before there was a Protestant Reformation. And may I add long after the Reformation. Jesus truly is present in the Eucharist.. when we believe in faith that he is.. every Sunday at mass and every other day as well….To be continued

 

 

 

   Whether or not you own a business or are employed by one is of no consequence to the Lord. The fact is that he is your partner in all aspects of your life including how you make a living. There are therefore Christian values and rules by which we are to live our lives. Habitual wrongdoing is sin in no uncertain terms and must be dealt with. That is to say if you care to make heaven your eternal home. Lying,cheating,extortion,unjust weights and measures, false delivery dates and all other manner of deceit when doing business with our fellow man is sinful activity. And there are no exceptions with regards to this type of behavior. I would ask you to keep in mind as we cover this topic. That even though the grand stock markets and huge businesses of our day were not around during the time of Christ. There was still plenty of commerce and trading of goods and services going on.

 

   And oh yes, Rip Offs! Part of the fallen nature of man is to try and take advantage of another for personal gain. God has addressed this both then and now in his holy word. And when we address this topic we are speaking of work in general. This includes the basic human need and desire to be both gainfully employed and working at providing for your family. And so as I bring to the forefront some of the scriptures teachings on this topic. I hope you will allow the Lord to speak to you about your own illicit behavior if there be any. And so we begin by reading what Gods word says to those who reap financial gains in an unscrupulous manner. Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 8 says the following…Better is a little with righteousness…than great revenues achieved without the right. Proverbs chapter 21 verse 6 says this….The getting of wealth by a lying tongue is a vanity which is tossed back and forth by those who seek death…Fairly poignant I might add.

 

   And in Proverbs 22 verse 16 it says…He who oppresses the poor to increase his own riches…as well as he who gives to the rich shall surely come to want in the end….Now let me see…..I wonder if he was addressing my local power company? But I digress. The book of Jeremiah states the following in chapter 22 and verse 13…Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteous doings. And its rooms by wrong doing…Now let me pause for a moment to bang on the heads of some heavy hitters out there. Those who think that their dirty deeds be they in business or government are unseen by the Lord. Whose end will be destruction in the lake of fire. The oil  companies continue to post record profits quarterly. Profits which dwarf those from the previous quarter. Yet they proclaim…that the price of oil is responsible for the rise in gasoline prices.

 

 

 

   Now call me stupid…but it seems to me that you must buy cheaply and sell at a higher price to turn a profit. And to make a higher profit quarter after quarter you must purchase at a lower and lower rate each time. And yet we are lied to by these devils and politicians that this is not so time and time again. We are also taking oil out of our own ground here in the United States which is then put out onto the world market and sold back to us at a higher rate. The banking industry has picked our pockets clean with the recent housing fraud scams being their latest heist. Our own so called representatives have given them our money to so call…bail them out. Money with which they continue to line their own pockets . Wall Street has been rife with fraudulent acts from its inseption. They continue to make money off the backs of the common man who believes they are doing what is the best interest of their family investing with them.

 

 

   It doesn’t matter what changes are made to my portfolio. When I make a little they make allot. And when I make nothing they make allot. And when I lose my ass they still make allot. The large banks as well continue to be caught laundering illicit monies. While the fines they pay are substantial…they are noting next to the profits they reap in between. And as if that wasn’t enough…nobody goes to jail. These businesses are filled with people who claim to be Christians and Catholics and are nothing of the sort. Do not think for a moment sir or mam that God does not see your evil deeds against your fellow man. Neither will he reserve his judgement against you. For the time will come, and sooner than you think, that God will give to you and all who have been stealing from us your just rewards.

 

   We also read that God wants us to work and not to be idle. Which includes being on Welfare or collecting Unemployment if it is within your ability to work you bum. Proverbs 18 verse 9 says this…He who is lazy in his ways is a brother to him who wastes…Ecclesiastes chapter 10 verse 18 says….By much laziness the building decays. And by the hands remaining idle the roof will fall in…God despises laziness. If you are able to work you should be doing so. And if you cannot find a great job, work at what you can until God provides something better. There are also many people out there grubbing off the body of Christ. Pretending to be poor they enter into churches seeking how they can get some money or food under the pretense that they are without. I know a man whose acquaintance deliberately appears as a vagabond. His total appearance is a fraud as though he just climbed out of a garbage pail.

 

   He stands by busy intersections holding a sign that says he is hungry and out of work. He is a liar and a cheat. But there are others who wear a suit and a tie. They call themselves Tele-Evangelists. Pretty girls and boys mugging to the camera proclaiming Gods word to the viewer. They say give God 10 dollars and he will give you back a 100. Well if that’s the case why don’t they give 10,000 and God will give them a million? They are thieves. Wolves in sheep’s clothing defrauding the body of Christ. Building for themselves mansions on the backs of Gods people. Wearing the finest of clothes and hob knobbing with the world. They too will be destroyed if they do not repent. There are also those commanding that the members should tithe. That is to say give a tenth of their income. And after having received the tithe they build themselves bigger and better edifices. While dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As the poor in their churches come in hungry and leave the same way.

 

   Vile and corrupt individuals are they. Heaping up treasures form themselves and their families. God is good they say while the poor have nothing to hold on to. I was told a bishop by me had a wine cellar built for himself. And no doubt had it filled as well. How much wine can you consume you drunkard? Don’t speak to me from your pulpit of God’s word. Demonstrate it to me by your actions. You will drag your money to the grave and hell will be your reward. You say these are some harsh words that you readily spew out Mr. Pundit. To which I say…I am a sinner just like you my dear reader. And in Gods mercy I have been on the receiving end of his wrath and lived to tell about it. The fact is that the world has entered the church and not to be saved. It has entered the church for personal gain and not for salvation from sin. Be vigilant and repent. For the Lord will come as a thief in the night whether you are ready or not.

 

   The book of Ezekiel chapter 22 verse 12 says this…You have taken money to shed blood. You have taken bribes and great increase…Sounds like our government…And you have greedily gained by extortion from your fellow man and forgotten my ways. Says the Lord. The prophet Amos in chapter 5 verse 11 foretells what will be left behind by the sinful…In as much as you have tread upon the poor. And you take from him his food. You have built houses out of beautiful stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards but you will not taste of the wine…Where are your riches now you corrupted man? As judgement brings you naked before the throne of your Creator. Someone else now owns your possessions as Christ asks you to give an account of your life as a Catholic. You have nothing to say.

 

   For everything done by you was for yourself. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Turn away dear reader. Turn away before it is too late and the door is closed behind you. In Luke chapter 12 beginning in verse 16 we read about someone just like you. He was also a little presumptuous as you are…The fields of a rich man brought forth a bountiful harvest. And he thought within himself what shall I do? For I have no more room to store all of my goods. And he said…I know…I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones. And then I will store all of my goods for myself. But God said to him…You fool! This very night your soul will be required of you! Oh wretched man or woman that you are. Another boat. Another gold watch. Another deposit in your bank account. Fifty thousand a year for your child’s education while the hungry weep and mourn in their lack. Truly the scripture says how hardly a rich man will enter into heaven….To be continued   

 

 

 

I am quite sure you have heard the title of my blog before. Its my way or the highway Bub. Or perhaps this one…take it or leave it Mack. When a man or a woman comes to the point in his or her life…that they make a decision for Christ. This process is not a negotiation. You don’t say yes Lord I want you in my life…But! To begin with. Lets talk about how this scenario unfolds in ones life. And then we will dig a little more deeply into the reality of what can be expected. The gospel of John chapter 6 verse 44. Jesus is speaking to the crowd….No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me first draws him near… And just 0ne more scripture before I begin.. which is found in Matthews gospel chapter 20 and verse 16….For many are called but few are chosen. Now that we have set a little ground work in place. What do you say we try to do a little building? First of all Jesus himself just said that nobody can even walk down the path of salvation unless God the Father calls him. As you can plainly see and read. The plan for your and my salvation is initiated by a call from God. That still  small voice within us that begins by telling each of us that things need to change. And they need to change now. We then read that Jesus said…that he calls many people but few are chosen. The word chosen simply implies those who finish the course of their Christian walk to its ultimate conclusion. Judas Iscariot for instance was 0ne of the initial twelve apostles. And yet there came a time when he gave himself back to the temptation of Satan. And he sold out our Lord for a bag of silver coins. In Matthew chapter 26 verse 24…Jesus speaks about the betrayal. Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. For it would be better for him if he had never been born.

God does not take it lightly when he is rejected. One can not begin to imagine the fate that awaits you when God himself says it would be better that you were not born. And he’s not talking about abortion for those of you who think that’s okay as well. Unless you repent of that sin you will wish you weren’t born as well. And for a further layer of intensity we will peruse what the apostle Paul says about behaving badly in the book of Hebrews chapter 10…beginning in verse 25. By the way my wayward reader. If you think in some twisted way…and I know you do…that what you don’t know cant hurt you. You couldn’t be more wrong. You will be held even more accountable for having the bible readily available and choosing not to read it . And instead… doing things your own way. You know the gig…a little God a little rap music…a little God and a little homosexuality…a little God and a little pornography…a little God and tying one on once a week. A little God and a little tax evasion. Are you getting this?

 

And now back to Paul’s lesson…Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together…That would be going to church…we continue..as the manner of some is. But exhort one another to do so. Verse 26…For if we continue to sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth. There remains no further sacrifice for your sins. But a certain looking forward for judgement and fiery wrath…which will devour you and the adversaries of God as well. Verse 28…those who despised Moses law were killed without mercy under the vision of two or three witnesses. Of how much greater a punishment do you think that he shall be thought worthy of…who has trampled under their feet the Son of God? And has counted the blood of the covenant…with which he was sanctified an unholy thing. And has done this despite of the Spirit of grace that was given to them.

 

For we know Him who has said…Vengeance is mine…I will repay says the Lord. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. I cannot remember in my Catholic church the last time I heard a message on wrath..sin..and the fires of hell. And that has allot to do with money..Unfortunately greed and comfortablity has made its way into the House of God. But of course you already know that because greed and sin and being comfortable are three of your own favorite things. Aren’t they? And since most of the people who are going to church. When they decide to go…are like you. The pastor has decided to keep the messages nicety nice. After all he doesn’t want you to stop coming and leaving your lousy George Washington in the basket. Pastors can also be lead astray by the money and their own comfort as well. Tell your Pastor or priest that you are sick and tired of this trash. They are doing the entire body of Christ a disservice by not preaching the Word of God in its entirety. This is not some walk in the park my friends. Christianity is for real men and women. It will try every aspect of your humanity over and over and over again. Like the heat or a furnace which is used in the process of tempering steel. It going to get a little hot at times. You can count on it.

The bible says that many are the afflictions of the righteous. But then He adds that He will deliver you through them all. He doesn’t say that he will take you out of them or cause you to avoid them. He says that He will deliver you through them. They are designed and implemented to make you stronger and stronger as your walk with Christ progresses. This is not some Honky Dory scenario folks. Walking with Christ will test the very fiber of your being day in and day out. So what do you say? Would you like to join our little group? Sounds like a good time doesn’t it? Frankly I don’t believe that you are man or woman enough to do so. But that’s not my decision. If you are like most you will maintain your current course of action. But the coordinates that your vessel is cruising towards. Will end in a collision with an iceberg. And we know how that ended…To be continued

 

The title sounds silly. I know. A classic line borrowed  from many an old school show. We all call for a doctor in the natural realm when we  ourselves or a loved one is sick. Never do we question whether or not we should go to the doctor. We simply say get in the car and I will drive you there now. And if the situation seems grave enough its 911 and the call goes out to an ambulance to get us to the doctor quicker and safer. You and I know when things aren’t right in our body. And we are even fairly adept at looking at someone else and asking them if they feel alright. After noticing that they look pale… or when we see them stagger and start to fall. Yes we humans are pretty good at labeling sickness when we see it or feel it. But all of this is in the natural realm. And the question is …why don’t most of us recognize the need for spiritual wellness? And why don’t we see in ourselves and others when we or they are spiritually sick? Now its not all who do not see. For I do see. And that is not by accident my friend. For I am a spirit filled believer in Christ. I am filled with the Holy Ghost and power from on high. And when this happens to you God enables you to see in yourself and those around you the need for replenishing of your spirit man. And in the case of a non-believer.. the need to be born again by the Spirit of God.

And now some of you are saying…what a load of rubbish the pundit character is spewing out. Yeah sure he knows what’s going on in me. And I know what’s going on in him. Ha Ha Ha. Well maybe your right and maybe your wrong. But I didn’t start this. And I don’t think you want to call the one who did a liar. On the other hand you may actually be dumber than you look. Lets look at the Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 3 and I will give you some snippets. This is Jesus speaking. You may remember him… he’s the one whos tomb is empty. You may have heard that he rose from the dead….Truly, truly I say to you. Unless a man is born again …he cannot see nor enter into the kingdom of heaven…For truly I say to you…unless a man is born of the water and of the Spirit…he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

When you are born again by the Spirit of God. Our mortal members are now quickened or a livened by the Spirit that now resides in you. You are from this day forward equipped with some brand new tools in your box. And they are spiritual in nature. But for now lets you and I go back to the doctors office in the book of Matthew chapter 9 verse 12. Once again Jesus is teaching those who are willing to hear.. and he is chastising the heathen bums who are there to criticize….Those who are well do not need a physician…but those who are sick do. As is always the case with my Lord…all is not as it seems when he speaks. He smacks the listeners in the spiritual face by telling them…you think you are well…and therefore you also think to yourself who needs a doctor? But there are others who are acutely aware of their needs both in the natural and the spiritual realm. And they are the ones that he speaks of as needing a physician. I meet so many cocky and arrogant snobs in the world. And a fair amount of them are in churches. Oh yes my friend.. the devil attends church also. Sometimes he is named the usher. And other times he shows up in a pair of yoga pants to cause a little disturbance on Sunday. After all its all I had to wear. Right?

 

You see my friend God doesn’t have any dumb children. The dummies are those who are playing church and pretending they are his kids. I believe the term is bastards. And they don’t belong to him. Again we will go to Matthew chapter 13 beginning in verse 24….Jesus is once again teaching….Or should I say giving his people a heads up….The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seeds in his field. But when the seeds had sprouted and became visible…there appeared also with them weeds as well. So the servants of the man seeing this came to him. And they said…sir ..did you not sow good seeds? Then from where are these weeds with the wheat? He then said to them….an enemy has done this thing. So they asked him…would you like for us to go and pull them out? But he said no. Because while you are pulling out the weeds you may damage the wheat.

 

Let them both grow together until the time of the harvest. And at that time I will say to the reapers…gather together first the weeds into bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my own barn. A little later his disciples asked him to elaborate on this parable. And he told him that the reapers are his angels. And the weeds are the unsaved or unjust. And the wheat are those who are justified and or saved. The barn is the kingdom of heaven. And the fire is the furnace of hell. Tell me something if you will. Have you ever stood near a blast furnace? Just a thought. The same people who go to church to be seen are those who are the weeds. The same bimbos who come to be a distraction are the weeds not the wheat. Are you getting this yet? The fat cat and his bride who are loaded to the gills with cash are the ones who say I don’t need any help. But you don’t have to be loaded so as not to pick on the rich folk. You may just be getting by and thinking to yourself. I don’t need no stinking God. I have a black belt in Karate. I am a Daoist. My astrologer told me I use to be a queen in Sweden in another life. The Long Island psychic told me god is preparing a wonderful place of fulfillment for me in my future…Oh yeah bubba….god is preparing a place for you. Nice and warm…And your gods name is Lucifer. He just hasn’t made the introduction formal as of yet. Oh yeah you’re well alright. Well on your way to the pit of hell for eternity. As for me…Hey is there a doctor in the house?…I need all the help I can muster up….To be continued

 

I will begin this blog with a quote from the Catholic Saint Augustine. And as I begin may I state the following for clarification. Catholics do not worship saints. The saints in fact were regular Joes and Jane’s like you and me. They were all saints of God as you and I are if you are truly born again. The difference being that special recognition is given to those individuals who have shown exemplary performance during their lives. Insofar as their impact on humanity as relates to the Kingdom of Heaven while they were here with us. I am sure that there are many more individuals who would receive this dubious title of canonization if all things were equal in Christianity. But as you and I both know…all things are not. So let’s move on. But before we do let me tackle if you will the jab that is continually thrown at Catholic Christians about praying to the saints.

May I pose a question or two for your consideration my esteemed reader? As it pertains to praying to saints for intercession. Now if you were to come to me and ask me to keep you in prayer for any particular intention that you may have. Are you asking a saint to pray for you? Matthew 22 verses 31 and 32…Jesus is speaking….But as touching the resurrection of the dead. Have you not read that which was spoken to you by God…saying. I am the God of Abraham. The God of Jacob and the God of Isaac? God is not the God of the dead but of the living? So if we are alive after suffering death here on earth. And we are in fact in heaven. Can we hear and see and in fact do anything once we are there? And the answer is unequivocally yes. The saints that have gone before us are with the Father and Jesus and they can hear our prayers and petitions. They have not left the body of Christ and neither have we.

And now the quote from the blessed saint Augustine…For thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee…Offering no physical or emotional rest…and that due to anxiety or boredom is the dictionary definition of the word restless. But notice his quote is twofold. First he says our hearts are restless. And then he states that this will end when we rest in Christ. If you get nothing else out of this blog…please get this. All of the saints who have gone before us and all who will be here after us if the Lord should tarry before his return. Are just like you and me. We struggle and worry and fret and kick and scream as Christians, and so did they. We are to be Disciples of Christ. In other words we are learning a discipline. And that discipline is to be more like Christ tomorrow than we are today.

Having said that… my opinion is such that most if not all of the unrest that we can and will experience is brought onto ourselves predominantly when we drift away from our duties and our Lord. It was Jesus who said that he had come that we might have life and that the life he gave to us might be abundant. The scriptures record for us all over and over again his dealings with the disciples on a daily basis. The constant need for reprimands and reinstruction on the part of the followers. His showing in both word and in deed over and over again the power of the Kingdom of Heaven that was theirs for the asking. And yet they continually struggled and failed as students of the Master.

So what can we expect of ourselves? Are we any different than they were? Are we kidding ourselves into thinking that we should be some super Christians and that these disciples were just some group of ignorant fools? No my friend. We are as they were. We are in fact fallible human beings and we still need all the help that we can get every day of the week. The problem begins when we stray from Christ. When we neglect daily prayers. When we neglect the reading of scripture. When we forget that we are to be living epistles that can be read by all men. And what’s to read if there is nothing to read in you or through you.

Putting it quite simply you cannot give what you do not possess. If you spend no time in the bible how can you possibly tell someone else what God has to say to them? And how do you defend the faith when a Jehovah’s Witness come to your door. Spewing out lies…handing you comic books…and directing your eyes to specific verses which they say is proof that they are doing God’s work. There bible is not even Christian. It was rewritten and created to suit their own blend of antichrist religion. And by the way. The next time you see one of these so called witnesses, and they tell you that they believe in Jesus also. Ask them if they believe that Jesus is God? That will settle the score rather succinctly. But you don’t know that as of yet. And why you may ask? Because you are busy about everything else except spending time with Jesus.

Martha and Mary were two sisters and they were friends of Jesus. If you are Christian and you read your bible you know the story. But if you don’t then here it is in a nut shell. Jesus comes to visit them. And while Mary sits immediately at Christ feet. Martha busies herself with moving around the house doing this and that. Martha than says to Jesus… Why don’t you say something to her? I am working like a slave here and she is just sitting there…I am paraphrasing of course. Now I am sure that Jesus was appreciative of Martha’s hospitality on many an occasion when he visited. But today was different. It was time to take some corrective measures to insure Martha’s future in the Kingdom. On this day he said to Martha in reply…Mary has chosen the more important thing to do.

My experience has been thus far as a Christian…that God puts up with things for quite a while. He is longsuffering. And I believe that he is ever hopeful that we will make the course corrections before he has to take the helm away from us and do it himself. Remember if you will that Jesus said the he and the Father are one. Additionally he said that he who has seen me has seen the Father as well. When my niece Sofia comes over, inevitably she will at some time sit next to my wife and hold her hand while resting her head on her shoulder. Not much is said, nor does anything need to be said.it is purely a gesture of love and a source of comfort. There is I can assure you no anxiety or restlessness present within her. In fact she generally falls asleep. She is at ease in the grasp and presence of Mama Lillian.

How much time are you spending in the grasp and presence of Jesus? Are you like Mary or Martha? Everyone, no matter what type of work you do or life that you lead needs some peace and tranquility. And that included Jesus. He spent 3 years on the campaign trail for Heaven. Battling demons, dealing with all manner of treacherous individuals, instructing the disciples, and now he just wanted rest with the comforting presence of his friend Mary at his feet. The next time that you find yourself getting up tight, which for many of you may be every hour of every day. Remind yourself of just how little time you are spending at the Masters feet. I have seen a bumper sticker in recent days. It says the following…..Know Jesus…Know peace…No Jesus…No Peace…Think about it would you?…..To be continued

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term steadfast. It basically means to be stable. Our position as Christian’s should be fixed in Christ and in the work that he has for us to do. And if I may I will bring to your attention a scripture which says the following. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. And this my friend is exactly what we are addressing. A Christian is to be single minded and sober. And is to be busy doing the things which God has for him or her to do. Job chapter 11 and verse 14…If iniquity is in your hand put it away from you. And do not let wickedness remain in your house. For only then will you lift up your face without spot in the sight of God. And you will be steadfast and without fear. Notice how the scripture ends with the word fear.

Fear cannot gain a foothold in the life of a Christian who is walking with God. Fear can overcome those who are playing church and delving into the sins of the world. First Corinthians 15 and verse 38…Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast and unmovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Inasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in Christ. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1…Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free. And do not become entangled again with the yoke and bondage of sin. The scripture says that those who sin are the slaves of sin. This is why the scripture refers to a yoke and bondage. It is sin and sin alone that holds the world in captivity apart from Christ.

Christ said that he had come to set the captives free. Sin is a dead end street. Christ also said that he came that we might have life and that it might be abundant. But that my friend would be your choice. Second Peter 3 and verse 17 says this…Therefore beloved seeing that you know these things beforehand. Beware that you are not lead away also with the ways of the wicked. And thereby fall from your own steadfastness. Keep in mind that we as Christian’s are in a race. And a marathon at that. And you will need to develop endurance if you are to succeed. Now endurance and perseverance go hand in glove. And so it is that God will develop both of these attributes within you as you walk with him.

It has been my experience in Christ that nothing happens or occurs quickly. That is to say for the most part. God is not in a hurry. He is long suffering with us and I do mean long.Hebrews chapter 12 verse 7…If you endure correction from God…He is dealing with you as he would a son. For what son is there whom a father does not correct. Job 17 verse 9…The righteous man will also hold fast in his ways. And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. If I may digress for a moment…I would like to make a comparison between Christian’s and trees. When you plant a tree…no matter what the size may be at the time. The growth process seems to take forever.

And yet you are seeing with your very own eyes the growth occurring as the months and years progress. And then one day you stand back and stare in utter amazement pondering the sheer immensity of what is now standing in front of you. Recalling how it was when you pulled it from the trunk of your car and planted it. A Christian’s growth very much occurs in the same fashion. It occurs slowly and deeply at the root level first. And then begins to push upward and outward. The book of Galatians chapter 6 verse 9 says this…And do not grow weary in doing well. For in due season you will reap your reward. May I pause with you for a moment’s reflection? For I believe it may be of great benefit to you. And perhaps myself as well. On the evening of my 55th birthday at 11:30 P.M….my telephone rang. The number on my televisions caller I.D. was the number of the nursing facility where my mother was. She started getting weak a couple of weeks before during a July heat wave. I brought her to the hospital via ambulance where the process of her diagnosis began. Her blood work soon revealed that she had suffered a heart attack and that her sodium levels where dangerously low from a medicine that she had been wrongly prescribed. And if that was not enough her heart had gone into an arrhythmia know as atrial fibrillation. This in and of itself can be fatal…for it can cause clots to develop which can move into the lungs and the brain.

As I answered the phone I was thinking that maybe my mom was up late and wanted to wish me a happy birthday. But the voice was not that of my mom but rather that of a nurse from the facility. She said we think your mom has had a stroke and we are rushing her to the hospital right now. In a moment of time all thing had changed for her and I as well. It is to those of you who believe that when you die it is not over…to whom I am speaking at this time. All of the pomp and circumstance of life becomes worthless and meaningless in the flash of an eye. When we got to her side she could not speak and did not know who my wife was. The right side of her body was limp as well. Let me say this to you my friend and listen up! You know what you are made out of at times like this. All of us will die. For some death will come without warning. And for others it will come in a slower more prolonged process.

But the fact is we will all go in the same way but to different locations. I know where I am going for I have received the promises of God through Jesus Christ. But what about you? An individual decision must be made for life or death. And it must be made by you and you alone. I stood by the bedside looking at my mom and crying uncontrollably. She was 89 and had seen allot. She and my grandparents had lived through the great depression. They lived through WW11 as Americans and had come out alive on the other side of the conflict. They saw every technological advance that was made.

Penicillin, radio, television…the Saturn 5 rocket and jet planes to name a few. But now she is the old one as you and I will be someday. When our skin is thin and sagging and our eyes grow cloudy as the day draws near .No man or woman lives forever in this life. Someone else will live in your home and be driving your car.Your clothes will be in a good will bin and your possessions will be disbursed. Jesus said that these things are written that you may know that you have eternal life. And that this life is in and through the Son of God. Do you have that life in you? Do have ownership of the promise of eternal life with Jesus and all the millions of saints that have gone before us? The scripture tells us that we who are in Christ are not our own. And that we have been bought with a great price.

God is the potter and we are the vessels which he has created. Some are to be honored and some are to be dishonored. But we are all his creation. We are not all his children. The book of Exodus chapter 19 verse 5…Now if you will obey my voice and indeed keep my covenant. Then you will be a peculiar treasure to me above all the people of the earth. First Corinthians 6 and verse 20 says this.

It is required as a steward that a man should be found faithful. Ezekiel 18 and verse 4…Behold all of the souls are mine. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sins will die… And in the book of Romans we read as follows in chapter 14 verse 12…So then every one of us will give an account to God….And exactly what will your account be my friend?…..To be continued