Trust In God

Three words weakness,prayer,forgiveness remind us that without God's help we cannot go forward in life.We asked for help from the Lord,who is our strength.In our weakness,we can do nothing without your help.These words express our awareness that we are weak.This weakness that we all have,after the wound of original sin:we are weak,we slide in to sins,we cannot go further without the Lord's help.Weakness leads us to ask the Lord for help,since,as recited in the collect prayer,in our weakness,we can do nothing without your help.

2 Cor.12:9 But he said to me,"My grace is sufficient for you,for power is made perfect in weakness," So,I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness,so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. We cannot take a step in Christian life without the Lord's help,because we are weak.Remember,that father who,after the transfiguration,brings his son Jesus to heal him.And Jesus says that all is possible for those who have faith.If one have faith,make it grow.

Ps.34:17-20 " When the righteous cry for help,the Lord hears,and rescues them from all their troubles.The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,and saves the crushed in spirit.Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the Lord rescues them from them all.He keeps all their bones;not one of them will be broken." We all have faith,and we all want to move forward in the Christian life. But if we are not conscious of our weakness we will all end up defeated.

Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God,and he wants to get to know us better.The Apostles asked Jesus:"teach us to pray as John did with his disciples." He teaches the disciples how to pray and advises them not to be like pagans who waste words.

"They think that they will be heard for their many words." "Do not be like them,for your father knows what you need before you ask him." 1Jn.5:14 "And this is the boldness we have in him,that if we ask anything according to his will,he hears us.2 Chr.7:14 " If my people who are called by my name humble themselves,pray,seek my face,and turn from their wicked ways,then I will hear from heaven,and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Rom.8:15-17 " For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,but you have received a spirit of adoption.When we cry,"Abba! Father! it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,and if children,then heirs,heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-if,in fact,we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." 

God's forgiveness stands out as a theme throughout the Old Testament.Mt.6:14-15 "For if you forgive others their trespasses,your heavenly Father will also forgive you;but if you do not forgive others,neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." We  remembers Jesus words from the cross."Father,forgive them."  The First Apologize is the Bravest.The First to forgive is the strongest.And the first to forget is the happiest.Rom.4:7-8 "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,and whose sins are covered;blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin." 

In the Eucharistic celebration,He too makes himself weak for us,He become body and blood:there is the strength.He prays for us. And He forgives us:Let us learn from Him the strength of trust in God,the strength of prayer and the strength of forgiveness.

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The Will Of God.

What is the will of God,what is Good and acceptable and perfect. The new life in Christ.Rom.12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,by the mercies of God,to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and acceptable to God,which is your worship." The aim of all human life in God's eyes is that Christ would be made to look as valuable as he is.Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus.There is a way to live-a way to love-that does that.There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God.If you can't find it,that mean you should change your job.

Those who believe in Christ Jesus are already blood-bought new creatures in Christ.If any one is in Christ,he is a new creation. 2 Cor.5:17 "So if any one is in Christ,there is a new creation:everything old has passed away see everything has become new!

God's will for our lives has reason and purpose.It is through scripture,where we can find meaning and principles discerning God's will 1Thess.5:18 " Give thanks in all circumstances;for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." What in short,is the will of God?.To answer this question we need to step back and ask ourselves;What are we talking to God about?Of God,as of any person we come in contact with,each of us makes our own image and starting from this image we tend to relate to him.This image of God is internalized from the ideas we have learned about him,the emotions gathered from the various religious experience we have lived through, from habits,and the ways we have acted to express our faith.

However,we can decide to journey to interiorize the true image of God and to live in such a way by only doing His will.That is the way of conversion.Man would have to study and know the rules so as not to make any mistakes that would ruin the proper functioning.In this sense,every event of nature that escapes man's control is interpreted as an expression of a preconceived plan of God which would have been foreseen even as catastrophic and calamitous events.

God continues to intervene in guiding events,and the affairs of humankind as well as nature according to a simple principle:every effect has its direct cause,and this cause is only God.this concept of God is summarized in the adage:"Not a single hair will not falls without His knowledge." Mt.10:29-30"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted." This vision reduces the ambit of man's freedom to its lowest,so the will of God is understood as an unpredictable.God becomes the one who rewards or punishes people according to their behaviour: sin is thus a sure source of condemnation and damnation,and to get to heaven there is instead need to sweat to subdue oneself and this has its own merits.

God is a good and merciful Father who wishes to interact with adult children.One who has established a relationship of trust and confidence with God,perceives him as a loving presence that takes care of him and allows him to make free and responsible choices.He understands slowly that the will of God is not a pre-established programme to which one must conform.

The will of God is his constant and tireless presence in the events of history,even when suffering and fear,sin and death seem to mark the passage of an inevitable separation from him.Use these bible verses to gain a better understanding. Jer.29:11"For surely I know the plans I have for you,says the Lord,plans for your welfare and not for harm,to give you a future with hope." 1 Pet.2:15 "For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish."

Whatever happens in our day today life,like birth,death,marriages,friendship,pain in life,stress,man made disasters,natural disasters,personal crises, etc.think that all happening is with His knowledge and will of God.

In other words,God want all of us to be happy and to do this He makes us gradually capable of free and responsible choices illumined by reason,discerning what is good by the thrust of a heart passionate for the kingdom.

Categories: Bible Thoughts Good Thoughts happiness Our God Perfection

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Is Happiness A Momentary Thing Or Is It Everlasting?

Momentary happiness lasting only for a moment.Everything we need to be happy is easy to obtain.Happiness is not entirely related to a feeling of a precise moment.Instead, it's more closely related to the overall life we live,as well as the life we hope to have in the future.If you quit alcohol,you might still want a drink some times.And if you into the craving,you might enjoy it at the time-but will you still feel good afterwards.No,real happiness is much better measured through meaning and fulfillment.It's something to work for.No matter how you define. Success,momentary happiness should have some role in it,happiness has also been thought of as having a larger,almost spiritual quality that goes beyond both momentary feelings and reflective thought.

Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God,but though both happiness and joy can bring us to laughter,there's an important distinction between them-a difference I experienced many years ago when my mother died.Obviously I was not happy about my mom's passing,but I was calmed and encouraged by the joy I had knowing she was experiencing a new closeness to God in eternity.The thought of that glorious reality continues to give me joy. 

The Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times,while joy and rejoice appear more than 300 times.In the Old Testament,is covered a wide range of human experiences: sex,marriage,the birth of children,harvest,victory and drinking wine. Song.1:4 "Draw me after you,let us make haste.The king has brought me into his chambers.We will exult and rejoice in you;we will extol your love more than wine;rightly do they love you." Ps.104:15 " And wine to gladden the human heart,oil to make the face shine,and bread to strengthen the human heart." As we read the New Testament,we see the word joy is more than an emotion;it is a characteristic of a Christian,part of the fruit produced by the inner working of the Holy Spirit. Lk.2:10 "But the angel said to them,"Do not be afraid,for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people." 

The Bible guides us to happiness through God's word. Ps.144:15 " Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.Real faith leads to Everlasting Happiness.The Bible guides us to happiness through God's word. Ps.144:15 "Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;Happy are the people whose God is the Lord."

Happiness is the one thing that every one is looking for,irrespective of what we are doing.What relationships we have established, what we are trying to achieve,and so on.Are we looking for happiness in the right places.We do it through different means:it could be through possessions,property,relationships,achievements etc.If you ask someone what they want in life,they often say,success. Why they want success is primarily because it makes them happy.Again,you ask someone what they get out of a relationship.The response is often happiness.So,finally everyone is looking for that one thing:happiness.

Happiness should be permanent.If happiness is something that every one like,if it's something that ones desire,and it comes naturally to him.then it won't be dependent on anything else outside.If it is dependent on something then it can never be constant.

Can one find happiness without desires and dependency? We have this long-held belief that happiness is derived from the outside. So,the dependency is on the act being performed in the right manner.Children is conditioned to believe that if their parents feel happy,then they will feel happy,and if their parents are not happy,then,how can the children be happy. 

Everlasting secret of the happy man's happiness is the following.

1.Repentance-the happy man has repented of his sin. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to change of action. 

2.Faith-The man is now happy because he has turned from sin to God, to Christ,to the will,the word and the way of the Lord.He is     also a man of faith.

3.Obedience-His delight is in the law of God almighty, therefore he is a man of obedience,and faith plus obedience brings true happiness, say its everlasting.

Categories: Bible Thoughts Good Thoughts happiness Our God

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Conscience Is The Light Of Soul.

Conscience is a moral sense of right and wrong.For example his guilty conscience was troubling him all the time.In other words conscience is the light of the soul that burns within the chambers of our psychological heart.We hear a lot about conscience,but what exactly does it mean? The general concept of conscience an be found in almost every human culture,but it has a unique and distinctive meaning for Christians.

The term Conscience is not found in the Old Testament.Perhaps the closest Old Testament term to conscience is heart. 1 Sam.24:5 "Afterward David was stricken to the heart because he had cut off a corner of Saul's cloak." In the New Testament conscience is used 31 times,mostly by Paul.The key passage in Rom.2:14-15 "When Gentiles,who do not possess the law,do instinctively what the law requires,these,through not having the law,are a law to themselves.They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts,to which their own conscience also bears witness;and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them."  Scripture teaches that humans,made in the image of God,have an innate sense of right and wrong,a moral monitor that either approves or accuses.

It protests whenever anything unrighteous is done or thought of.Conscience is truth transferred through our genetic stock.It is also a ledger where our offences are recorded.Conscience threatens,promises,rewards and punishes,keeping all under its control.If conscience stings once,it is an admonition,and twice,it is condemnation.

Conscience is an internal rational capacity that bears witness to our value system.It is a trustworthy guide only when it is informed and ruled by God.It is to be subordinated to,and informed by,the revealed word of God.To willfully act against conscience is always a sin,it can be suppressed by sin.

What does the Bible say about conscience.Heb.10:22 "Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith,with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." 1Tim.1:5 "But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart,a good conscience,and sincere faith." 1Pet.3:16 " Yet do it with gentleness and reverence.Keep your conscience clear,so that,when you are maligned,those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame." 

Rom.9:1 "I am speaking the truth in Christ-I am not lying;my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit."

Spiritual leaders have evolved morals,codes and teachings of righteousness.Songs and prayers have been written and composed. But the possible annihilation of conscience by corruption is frightening.Religion has not been effective in evoking conscience.Can our conscience be redeemed. 

Corruption is an assault on consciousness.It has become a way of life,affecting all aspects of living;it is not restricted to the pecuniary .It takes other forms too.Immoral ways of people in high positions have taken the sense of guilt away from lesser mortals.

A virtuous man alone can hear the soul's inner voice clearly.In a wicked man,this faculty is dead.The sensitive nature of his conscience have been destroyed by corruption.Hence,he is unable to discriminate right from wrong.This applies also to organisations,business enterprises,institutions and governments.Is it not wise to have a clean conscience and enjoy freedom from anxiety and worry.

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Why Is Oxygen So Important To Us.

Bible also given references to the 'breath' (Oxygen) as being necessary for life.Ps.104:29-30 " When you hide your face,they are dismayed; When you take away their breath,they die and return to their dust.When you send forth your spirit,they are created;and you renew the face of the ground." 

We all know that we cannot live without oxygen and that it enables life for almost all living organisms on our planet.But do we really understand why is so important to us and which body functions it support.God created man from the mud.Gen.2:7 "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground ,and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;and the man became a living being."

We are breathing oxygen from the air,Which contains approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen.In average, human inhales and exhales around 16 times a minute in order to get enough oxygen makes up 65 percent of human body and is responsible for 90 percent of body's energy.People can live about a month without food,a week without water and just few minutes without oxygen.

Oxygen is essential for us.It's required for respiration.So without oxygen,body cells and the heart muscle will die to lack of respiration.Carbon dioxide is just as important for your health as oxygen and perhaps even more important,because it has to be sufficiently on board in the body before oxygen will be available.  

How we are getting oxygen from nature ie from trees,what they exhale,we inhale,what we exhale,they inhale.Trees keeps our lives going, just like the outer part of our lungs.You cannot ignore your body if you want to live,and in no way is the planet different from this.What you call my body is just a piece of this planet.And the very essence of the spiritual process is about just this.

When we say,spirituality,we are not talking about looking up or looking down.It is about turning inward and knowing the nature of what 'this' is.The first fundamental face of looking inward is always to see that you are naturally very much a part of everything around you.Without that realisation,there is really no spiritual process.That is not the goal of spirituality,that is the fundamental, that who you are,or what you think you are,is just a part of everything else.    

Today,modern physics is establishing that the whole of existence is just one energy.Scientific evidence is establishing that every particle in your body is in constant communication with the whole cosmic space.The spiritual process is about enhancing one's perception and bringing this into one's experience.Anyway,what is the a dry scientific fact that doesn't change anybody's life.

A tree is not a project for you;a tree is your life.It is an outside part and invitable thing of of yourself.It breathes for you every day.It is more than your lungs;your lungs cannot do anything without trees.We need to make people understand this in very simple ways. 

In other words trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen,they give us oxygen,store carbon,improving air quality, climate amelioration,conserving water,preserving soil,and supporting wildlife.During the process of photosynthesis,trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breath.With a great caution preserve trees nurture it, in a priority basis so that our life saving (like a drugs) trees withstand always.

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Attachment And Detachment In Life

Attachment-a feeling of love or emotionally close to or strong connection to someone or something.Detachment- a feeling of not being emotionally involved.Attachment and detachment both are important.They give us experience and knowledge and we grow and evolve.Our evolution is guided by different kinds of process.We are learning,growing and progressing all the while.

Being able to connect with someone emotionally is never a bad thing.As a human,it's in your nature.However, there is a limit to when that emotional attachment is healthy and when it's harmful and unhealthy.It's clearly mention in The Bible Gal.5:19-24 says "Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels,dissensions,  factions,envy,drunkenness,carousing,and things like these.I am warning you,as I warned you before:those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.By contrast,the fruit of the spirit is love,joy,peace,patience,kindness,

generosity,faithfulness,gentleness and self- control.There is no law against such things.And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Have you ever felt attachment with the sky,earth,the sun or moon,trees and plants.We feel attachment with material things,in relationships,both of which are of mental,vital and physical nature.Attachment means that you get connected with something because of its attraction.Your senses give you information which creates some attraction and with it some contact is established. You start feeling a harmonious pressure when the information given by your senses is reinforced with your contact with something and you get attached to that.It is a pressure of feelings. 

The same pressure transforms into detachment sometimes,and then you start feeling different kind of pressures.With pressure, layers of ignorance break a little bit and then we become more aware,more conscious.So,give different kinds of names to pressures. When it is harmonious,you call it attachment.When it is not harmonious,you call it detachment.When you get attached to your breath,you always want to listen to your breath,want to feel your breath,this attachment can give you enlightenment.

All life is attachment.When your attachment with something becomes hundred percent,it immediately becomes detachment. Suppose you are very attached to sweets.One day you will start eating sweets for breakfast,lunch and dinner,and then the hundred percent attachment will detach you.You will not even like to think about sweets after that.

The idea of all these lessons is that we should not live with attachments and detachments, but we should learn to live with con-sciousness.Our senses,mind,body,emotions,mental,vital and physical natures are like children.When you want to educate them, you put yourself into a kind of discipline to force your senses to follow this discipline.They refuse it,they don't want it,they revolt,

and you slowly convince them with love,anger,anything.You train them,teach them and educate them.This process is dedication.

Suppose you want to eat sweets but you want to avoid it.You try not to eat sweet.The sweets is there for one month,but you are making an effort not to eat it.That is dedication.When you make an effort-with certain intentions,with full clarity,full understanding-to become stronger than the things that affect you,this process is call dedication.

In everyone's life, we are too attached to our family,father,mother,brother,sister etc.so on.It is certain that one day or other we have to leave in this world,we become a memory and detached from all.Even often we can see diverse often. One way or other directly or indirectly, attachment and detachment is a part and parcel of every once life.

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Why God Burden Me Alone With So Much?

Sorrow and trouble come alike to all mankind.There is no respect of persons;the rich have there share as well as the poor.How true are the statement Job.5:7 "But human beings are born to trouble just as sparks fly upward." and 14:11 "As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up."

It's a narrated story.In a village a young boy was playing by the river's side.Suddenly,he heard a cry for help,save me,please save me! A Gharial (crocodile) was caught in a net and it cried out of help.The boy hesitated:What if the Gharial ate him up? But he crocodile pleaded with him and said, "I promise you that I won't devour you.Please save me. Moved the boy began to cut the net that had trapped the crocodile.No sooner was its head free from the net than the crocodile grabbed the boy's leg in its jaws.

Now it was the boy's turn to cry.How unfair you are,he shouted.The crocodile said,what to do? such is the way of world.Such is life, and continued.The boy was not worried about dying;he couldn't accept crocodile's ingratitude.While his leg was slowly sliding into the jaws of crocodile,the boy looked at the birds on a nearby tree and asked:Is the crocodile uttering the truth? Is life unjust? Are not words honoured?".

The birds replied,We take such care to build safe nests on the tops of trees to protect our eggs.Yet,snakes come and swallow them. The crocodile is right.Then the boy saw a donkey grazing on the banks of the lake and repeated his question.When I was young my master loaded soiled linen on my back and extracted maximum amount of work from me.Now that I am old and feeble, he has abandoned me.Such is indeed the way of the world.There is injustice and unfairness and such is life,said the donkey.The boy, still not convinced,noticed a rabbit and repeated his question.The rabbit said,No no I cannot accept what the crocodile is saying.It is utter nonsense,hearing this,the crocodile become angry and wanted to argue with the rabbit,even while holding the boy's leg in its strong jaws.The rabbit protested,saying that as the crocodile's mouth was choked with the boy's leg,it was not able to decipher what the crocodile was trying to say.The crocodile laughed heartily at this and said,I am not a fool! If I let go,the boy would run away.

Now you are really stupid,said the rabbit.Have you forgotten how strong your tail is.Even if he runs,you can smash him with just one mighty lash of your tail.

The crocodile fell for this and and releasing the boy,continued its argument and the boy took to his heels.Only when it tried to raise its tail,did the crocodile realise that it was still entangled in the net.The crocodile glared at the rabbit.The rabbit smiled sweetly, saying,Now do you understand?such is life!

In short while,the young boy returned with the villagers. A dog that came along spotted the rabbit and started chasing it.The boy screamed at the dog.This rabbit saved my life,don't attack him.Alas,before the boy could intervene,the dog had chased and killed the rabbit in a jiffy.

The following bible verse given strength to overcome all undue circumstance, which we face on our day today life.Isa.41:13 "For I,the Lord your God,hold your right hand;it is I who say to you, "Do not fear,I will help you." Ps.55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord,and he will sustain you;he will never permit the righteous to be moved." Matt.6:25 "Therefore I tell you,do not worry about your life,what you will eat or what you will drink,or about your body,what you will wear.Is not life more than food,and the body more than 

clothing." Matt.11:28-30 " Come to me,all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,and I will give you rest.Take my Yoke upon you, and learn from me;for I am gentle and humble in heart,and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy,and my burden is light." 

God saved the boy through a rabbit,at the same time rabbit sacrifice his life for him,its a natural phenomenon.unfairness is a part and parcel of life.Such is the way of life.Can we teach ourselves not to be victims of unfairness and face it with the understanding that life's mysteries cannot be fully understood.

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