Receive the Holy Spirit

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Consideration: We are so blessed; read these words slowly, and contemplate the awesome significance of their meaning, and how they have impacted the lives of Christians for over two thousand years. If you are not a Christian remember that Jesus loves you, and the Holy Spirit is with you as well. Peace!

Words of Living Truth

No anger, no rage 

Everything passes away

Lawless getting over in spades

No worries, they will have their day

Be righteous, choose

They may laugh at you

Stay focused on the truth

Be blessed in all that you do

Eyes of the Lord see though the pain

In tough times he will guide the way

No fear when you encounter a fight

Peace within heart and guiding light

Hands of the Lord hold you 

Wisdom sees the way to truth

Always there in times of despair

His love will shelter you there

Be ready, victory is within reach

Every step was his time to teach

A weary soul finds time to rest

No anger, no rage, truly blessed

The Lord is fixed on you to prosper

His grace is waiting for you to move

That your love will glorify his name

Extending his words of living truth 

Follow Me

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more?" He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, "Do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify Gog. And when he said this, he said to him, "Follow me."

Consideration: Lord, Jesus, how many times will you need to ask us if we love you? As many times we are confronted with a decision to follow the Lord and his teachings or follow the way of the world for satisfaction and comfort. Jesus sends us out as lambs among the wolves of this world. Be prepared to sacrifice for the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Paul's Witness

Wishing to determine the truth of why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When they heard this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some of the scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome." 

Consideration: Paul's faith in the resurrection is made known publicly and the Sadducees became violently angry with Paul for his testimony. Then, Jesus tells Paul that he must also bear witness in Rome and to have courage. Paul did in fact become very courageous in his mission that the Lord was calling him to do.

Without Attachment

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scriptures may be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth."  Consideration: Jesus said, "They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world." Praise God! Jesus is telling us that if we are one with him and follow his words and teachings that we belong to him and not the world. How blessed are those who firmness and conviction proclaim Jesus Christ as our Savior and Son of God. We go forward into the world and love one another just as our Lord loves us; without attachment to the world. Amen!

Planted in the Lord

Blessed are you whose joy is in the Lord

Who meditates and contemplates on his law

And does not spend time wasting their life

Keeping company with lives twisted and torn

Always willing to lend a hand to a stranger

Whose many struggles weigh them down

Uplifts all with compassionate sincere love 

Blessed with gifts of tenderness from above

Day and night the Lord resides in the heart

Never tiring from tasks of an average day

Like a tree planted by the rivers of water

Remains a vibrant, strong, bearer of plenty

Labors are richly fruitful and never in vain

Bringing forth prosperity and righteousness

The Lord showers blessings upon the just

Blessed is a joyful soul planted in the Lord

John 17: 1-11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.