When God pours out his spirit

Pentecost (Acts 2)​​;​ the reverse of what ​happened at the tower of Babel​ (Genesis 11)

At Pentecost, God poured out his Spirit.  At Babel, the people did not have the Spirit of God.

Tower of Babel	Pentecost
1. Confusion of tongues [Genesis 11:9]	1. Tongues are understood [Acts 2: 5-10]
2. God scattered the people in judgment to the four corners of the earth [Genesis 11:8].	2. People will scatter to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to bring into the Covenant the harvest of souls from every corner of the earth [Acts 1:8]
3. Language is used to promote a human agenda: "Let's make a name for ourselves..." [Genesis 11:4]	3. Language is used as a "sign" to announce the mighty works of God.
4. Results in disunity [Genesis 11:8]	4. Results in unity

and the Church started with just 120 people....​

Peace​

Love has already found us

The first command in Ephesians 5 tells us to be imitators of God by reflecting the way he loves us. 

Our love for others flows out of our sense of being deeply loved. 

Instead of constantly looking for the right person, God tells us to become the right person. 

Instead of looking for love, God tells us to realize that love has already found us!

Peace

The daily prayer

EAR JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.  -Mother Theresa 

Peace

Holy, holy, holy!

1. Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
 Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
 Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
 God in three, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy!  All the saints adore thee,
 casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
 cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
 which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

3. Holy, holy, holy!  Though the darkness hide thee,
 though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
 only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
 perfect in power, in love and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
 All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
 Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
 God in three, blessed Trinity.

Peace

Entertaining angels

Genesis 18

18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. ² He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

³ “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. ⁴ Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. ⁵ And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

⁶ So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” ⁷ Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. ⁸ When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

⁹ “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. ¹² So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Hebrews 13

² Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Peace

Go!

It is easy to say we believe in God as long as we remain in the little world we choose to live in; but get out into the great world of facts, the noisy world where people are absolutely indifferent to you, where your message is nothing more than a crazy tale belonging to a bygone age, can you believe God there?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." -  Matthew 28:19

Peace

Athanasius' Struggle

ATHANASIUS' SRTUGGLE FOR THE DEITY OF CHRIST

If Jesus is something less than God, he has no right and no power to forgive our sins. If Jesus can’t forgive our sins, we have no hope.

Yes, the doctrine of the deity of Christ is worth contending for. And there is nobody God used more to contend for this biblical truth than Athanasius. 

Athanasius was born in the year 298AD in Egypt. In his early twenties he was a deacon in the church in Alexandria (North Africa). During that time, the doctrine of the deity of Christ came under attack by a highly influential pastor named Arius. Arius taught that Jesus was a created being, that he had a beginning, and there was a time when Jesus was not. Therefore, according to Arius, Jesus is the son of God, but not God the son. His heresy was later known as the Arian heresy (named after Arius). It sparked a flame throughout the empire, that would dominate the church for 60 years. It was a 20 year old young man by the name of Athanasius, 40 years younger than Arius, that God would use to contend for the doctrine of the deity of Christ (good word to 20 year olds, you don’t need to wait to have a huge impact in the kingdom. God can use you now). 

Athanasius would endure decades of persecution, banished from the church, sent into exile five times, framed for murder, threatened with death, slandered by emperors and bishops, all for standing firm to the doctrine of the deity of Christ. In the end he prevailed, truth was preserved, and the church has stood on his shoulders ever since.

Peace

Bless the Lord, my soul

Bless the Lord, my soul,

and bless God's holy name.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

who leads me into life.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

and bless God's holy name.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

who leads me into life.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

and bless God's holy name.

Bless the Lord, my soul,

who leads me into life.

...

Peace

O you of little faith

"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" [Matthew 6:30]

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. [Matthew 8:26]

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” [Matthew 14:31]

But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? [Matthew 16:8]

Peace

Cast your bread upon the Waters

Ecclesiastes 11

11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
    for you will find it after many days.
² Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
    for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
³ If the clouds are full of rain,
    they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
⁴ He who observes the wind will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

⁵ As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

⁶ In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Peace

The way of simplicity

Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.

If we would find God amid all the religious externals we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now as always God discovers Himself to "babes" and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond.  - A.W Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

Peace

It is all right

An immovable foundation

‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’Psalm 11:3

There is something which the righteous man can do, if the foundations are removed, and that is, he can trust in God that it will be well in the end. The worldling says, ‘It will be all the same a hundred years hence.’ The Christian says, ‘I do not want to look so far ahead as that; it is all right now.’ But the wind blows! ‘It is all right.’ But the waves dash! ‘It is all right.’ But all the sails are reefed! ‘It is all right!’ But the ship flies before the wind! ‘

It is all right.’ But there are rocks ahead! ‘It is all right.’ Why? ‘Because he who is at the helm knows all about it; he created both wind and wave, and he knows how to cope with the storm. I cannot see that it is right, but I know that it is, and I walk by faith, and not by sight.’ Christian, this is what you can do. If the foundations be removed, you can bring faith into heavenly exercise, and you can sail against the wind. The night may be dark and dreary but it will usher in the brighter morn, and merrily will the celestial music and songs greet his ears as the fresh dawning light triumphs over the fleeing darkness, and spreads itself till it bathes with its splendour all things which even in the darkness were working together for the good of God’s people. Yes, the rough March winds and the dreary April showers were all fulfilling their task then, and now we can see it and rejoice in it as well as in their result. We will sing in our dungeon with Paul and Silas, for all is well now as it will be hereafter in heaven. It is only in degree and realisation that earth’s joys differ from heaven’s to the true believer in Christ. - C.H. Spurgeon

Peace

Don't worry be happy

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6

You have a fundamental need for joy in your life. Life without joy is overwhelming, overburdened, and oppressive. Studies have actually shown that the more joy we have in our lives, the more productive we are. I read an article in "US News and World Report" that said that corporations hire "joy consultants" to build up the joy in peoples’ lives so that employees can be more productive. It is true that you have more energy, more creativity, and more productivity when you have joy in your life.

In the short book of Philippians — only four chapters long — Paul uses the word “joy” 16 times. The amazing thing is, Paul didn't write this book when he was on vacation in the Caribbean. He was in prison in Rome, waiting to be executed. In the darkest days of his life, he wrote the most positive book in the Bible.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21

 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Peace

Dio e' tutto

Saint Anthony of Padua said:

So cos'e' la vanita'. E ancora oggi me ne sto pentendo.
E mi addolora. E mi raggela l'anima.
Cercavo Dio tra i manoscritti, nella comodita' di un convento.
Volevo poi innalzare il mio nome come ricordo di un martirio in terra d'Africa.
Vanita'.
Orgoglio.
Presunzione!
Io.
Dio.
Oggi mi accorgo che una semplice, umile consonante...cambia tutto!
Io...io...non sono nulla.
Dio e' tutto!
Io non so dove il mio corpo peregrinera' per il mondo, ma...affido i miei passi.
Sono accompagnato dal vento, dalle stelle, dalla pioggia, dal sole...
Non abbiate paura!
Tutto non finira' qui!
No!

English Translation

I know what vanity is. And until this day I am repentant.
And it fills me of sorrow. And it freezes my soul.
I looked for God amidst the manuscripts in the comfort of a convent.
Then I wanted to elevate my name as the memory of a martyr in the lands of Africa.
Vanity.
Pride.
Presumption!
Io ( I )
Dio (God)
Today I realize that a simple, humble consonant...changes everything!
I...i...am nothing.
God is everything!
I do not know where will my body wander throughout the world but...I commend my steps.
I am accompanied by the wind, the stars, the rain, the sun...
Do not be afraid!
Everything will not finish here!
No!

Peace

Peace of Cake

• Sometimes we ask ourselves: What did I do to deserve this? Why does God let these things happen to me?
• Here's a cool explanation...
• A daughter tells her mother how everything is going wrong for her; She probably failed her Math exam,
• ...Her boyfriend just dumped her... for her best friend.
• In times so sad, a good mother knows just the thing to cheer up her daughter... “I make a delicious cake.” In that moment the mother hugged her daughter and walked her to the kitchen, while her daughter attempted to smile.
• While the mother prepared the utencils and ingredients, her daughter sat across from her at the counter. Her mother asks, “Sweetheart, would you like a piece of cake?” Her daughter replies, “Sure,mom, you know how I love cake.”
•  “ Alright...” the mother said, “Drink some of this cooking oil.” Shocked, the daughter responded, “What?!? No way!!!
• “ How about a couple of raw eggs?” To this the daughter responded, “Are you kidding?”
• “ How about a little flour?” “No, mom, I’ll be sick!”
• The mother responded, “All of these things are uncooked and taste bad, but if you put them together... They make a delicious cake!”
• God works the same way. When we ask ourselves why does he make us go through these difficult times, we don’t realize the what/where these events may bring us. Only He knows and he will not let us fall. We don’t need to settle for the raw ingredients, trust in Him... And see something fantastic come about!
• God loves us so much... He sends us flowers every spring...
• 
• He makes the sun rise every morning...
• 
• And anytime you need to talk... He is there to listen!
• 
• He can live anywhere in the universe... But He chose to live in your heart!
• 
• Enjoy the cake!
• 
• Peace

May...

“May today there be peace within. 

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. 

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. 

May you be content knowing you are a child of God. 

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. 

It is there for each and every one of us.”

St Therese

Peace

From God

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

1 John 4:4

Peace

The Beauty of the Beet

The 9th

O friends, no more these sounds!

Let us sing more cheerful songs,
more full of joy!

Joy, bright spark of divinity,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire-inspired we tread
Thy sanctuary.
Thy magic power re-unites
All that custom has divided,
All men become brothers
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.

Whoever has created 

An abiding friendship,

Or has won

A true and loving wife,

All who can call at least one soul theirs,

Join in our song of praise;

But any who cannot must creep tearfully

Away from our circle.

All creatures drink of joy

At nature's breast.

Just and unjust

Alike taste of her gift;

She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,

A tried friend to the end.

Even the worm can feel contentment,

And the cherub stands before God!

Gladly, like the heavenly bodies

Which He set on their courses

Through the splendor of the firmament;

Thus, brothers, you should run your race,

As a hero going to conquest.

You millions, I embrace you.

This kiss is for all the world!

Brothers, above the starry canopy

There must dwell a loving Father.

Do you fall in worship, you millions?

World, do you know your creator?

Seek him in the heavens;

Above the stars must He dwell.

Peace

Holiday at the Sea

 “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” - C. S. Lewis

Peace

The Labee*

Do not judge, or you too will be judged - Matthew 7:1

Before I proceed, allow me to apologize for not explaining the origin of the word “Labee”.  I’ll just limit myself by saying that it’s an abbreviation of a certain personal reflection.

To begin:

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:17

I’m not the one who said these, the first was said personally by our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, and the other by St John in the book of revelations, the revelations of God, the creator of heaven and earth and all its seen and unseen inhabitants.

Most Christians, nowadays, have become what the Bible as well as Fathers of the Church describe as Lukewarm. To make it easier and for the fun of it, I shall call them “Labee”s

Labees are not atheists, no no no, they are Christians, and proud of screaming it off the rooftops. They turn all emotional whenever they find themselves in a church, religious event and wherever you find candles. They live their life as if God is only present in churches and “Return to Innocence-Enigma” places. As for elsewhere … He cannot see them, He cannot hear them; they’re not on God’s territory.

Now that you got a bit acquainted with the Labee stereotype I will start by specifically concretizing some major Labee views.

Labee views on Christian life

The Christian life, to all Labees, is something impossible to live; it’s a utopical illusion of a perfect world or even a depiction of Heaven itself, so why walk the extra mile if you know you can’t do it. Labees believe that we have 3 kinds of people the “can-never-be-Saints- but- good-people”, bad people and finally Saints. They easily tag themselves in the first category.

Nota Bene: The “can-never-be-Saints- but- good-people” can also be defined as “not-aiming-for-Sainthood-but-good-Christians” or “Sainthood-is-taking-it too-seriously-my-goodness-is-enough-people”.

Labees believe in God the Father and in Jesus the Son,  but is belief enough... the devil believed in God but what differentiates us Christians from the devil is that radical abiding by the word of God through the Bible.

Labee views on the Bible

The Bible, as you have probably felt from the previous paragraph, is kind of important to sustain a competitive edge over the Devil who shares a common theistic view with us. The Bible is our spiritual ear that allows us to listen to the word of God via the, so called, personal relationship we build with Him. Well Labees believe that the Bible is being taken too literally, they believe than many verses are not as they seem. I believe they have a point there, the 2000 year old church and all its fathers have been busy reading it publicly, throughout the ages, and explaining obvious sentences taken word by word whereas they should have summarized it into an A6 colorful leaflet, making it easier for reading while driving or jogging; but unfortunately Bill Gates wasn't born yet and MS Word and its 70-80% auto-summarize  didn't even exist, maybe in these couple of years Labee technology will boost Christianity to another level…who knows?

Labee views on Clerics

Even though Saint Francis said that “The Servants of God should honor Clerics” in his famous writings addressed to the faithful, he who took the vow of poverty when the Roman Catholic Church was passing through its medieval spiritual warfare, he who refused to proceed in the mission of the Franciscan order before kneeling to the pope innocent III and taking his blessing … even though… most Labees have issues with Clerics, they consider them unworthy of their vocation, unlike all the saints who, according to them,  represent the image a supernatural man walking barefoot and eating sour herbs. Most Labees refuse to confess to Clerics and even refuse to attend mass and participate in the Eucharist due to their mature spiritual judgment of unworthiness. Receiving Holy Communion, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, will surely be “un-genuine” if a sinful Cleric, a hypocrite, a human, is celebrating the Eucharist. Amplifying any mistake these Clerics do as well as falsely accusing them for everything they do, considering it untrue, is the Labee strategy that will bear all the fruit needed to transform the minds, souls and hearts of believers thus creating a better man unlike Adam and Eve who could not but eat the frickin apple.

Labee views on sexuality

As discussed previously some verses in the bible, for example a couple of commandments are either taken too literally or not applicable to our modern liberal times.

“You shall not commit adultery” is one of those old fashioned commandments, a beautiful concept; a poetic statement yet an illusion that can never be applied practically in daily life. Long story short, sexuality is Love when it comes to an unmarried couple, if one of the the partners is married or if marriage is their status but without them being married to each other… it’s a different story, in that case sexuality shall become instinct, an uncontrollable need that explodes on everything that moves. God understands this, he created us, and this commandment should not be taken too literally.

 Paul in his first letter to Corinthians said: “ know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men” What Paul did is just a scene to create terror and control over all the chaos, back then, in Corinth but he did not mean it literally, the reality is that we shall all inherit the kingdom of God even if we did everything mentioned above because God is Love, he is loving and merciful and as long as we don’t kill, steal, or forget to do the sign of the cross near every church we pass by, we are on the right track. Courage!

Labee views on Love

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” all those definitions added to several others in the Gospel are approved by Labees but they tend to focus on some more than others; they create a subjective importance. As an outcome you get different Labee forms:

·         The Egoistic-Love Labee: This form is very kind and affectionate, focusing on patience and kindness and neglecting pride which resulted in the great fall of humanity. This Labee ends up becoming the main supplier of kindness and affection with high expectations of getting emotional satisfaction, ego boost as well as social status.  This Labee enjoys upbeat dance music.

·         The Aggressive-Love Labee: To this Labee pride is more or less a secondary issue, he looks humble but patience and kindness are often jeopardized by his mood and daily challenges and thanks to his lack of wisdom end up hating and offending everyone; nevertheless he considers himself very loving, satisfying all the needs of peers  surrounding him. This Labee enjoys upbeat dance music as well as chillout soothing music.

·         The Whats-Love Labee: My personal favorite, this Labee doesn’t really know what love means. Although they might read the bible more than the previous two yet they tend to consider it poetic and end up confused. They follow their emotions, the drivers of their inaccurate definition of Love. This Labee enjoys calm religious chants.

·         The N/A-Love Labee:  This Labee does not fit the three conventional classes or is a combination of 2 or 3 classes. This Labee is very dangerous and any interaction with such a form should be dealt with extreme care, ex. The Egoistic-Aggressive-Whats-Love Labee. This Labee enjoys oriental upbeat or downbeat or middlebeat music but whatever you do don’t stop the beat.

Now that you grasped the Labee concept, if you find yourself sharing any Labee characteristic, eLabeenate it since being a Labee is desLabeelizing and is not Christianity. 

Peace