Mark 8:18

"Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?" Mark 8:18 

we live in a world where many have eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.

what about us? 

reject the lies of dishonest human beings. 

seek Truth.

universal fundamental invisible forces

there are fundamental invisible opposing forces in the universe:

good..................evil

hope.................fear

love..................hate

truth..................lies

faith...............doubt

etc.

1. every human being is subjected to these opposing forces.
2. we make many choices every day.
3. figuratively most of us "ride the diagonal" with our choices.
4. sometimes our choices are good.
5. sometimes they are bad.
6. how often do we choose well?
7. how often do we choose poorly?
8. figuratively where are we on the diagonal with our choices?
9. singly? and collectively?
10. which direction are we going with our choices? up? or down?
11. singly? and collectively?
12. on a cosmic level it's the war between good and evil. 

Participating in the Cosmic Conflict | God's Character (5/15/2012) 

Servant God | God's Character (9/18/2015) 

Dr. Harvey A. Elder, MD | San Bernardino, CA | Infectious Disease Specialist | US News Doctors 

2015 San Bernardino attack - Wikipedia (12/2/2015) 

Alcoholism is frequently called a disease. Is alcoholism a disease or a choice? While I believe that there's a case for believing that some people may be more genetically predisposed to abuse alcohol than others, nonetheless I believe that alcohol abuse is a choice--or, at the very least, a self-inflicted disease. alcoholics don't become alcoholics because someone holds their nose and pours booze down their throats. alcoholics choose to become alcoholics by choosing to abuse booze. I feel sorry for the family of a fraternity pledge when the pledge dies from alcohol abuse. however, I see the pledge's death as a result of his choosing to be the victim of alcohol abuse--just as he chose to pledge a fraternity. in my mind this is similar to those who choose not to get the covid vaccine. I feel sorry for those who die from covid through no fault of their own. but for anyone to refuse the free vaccine, available to everyone, and recommended by doctors, immunologists and other smart people, is their own (ill advised) choice. why should one person feel sorry for another person who willingly makes a poor choice of their own free will that results in their death?

faith

 faith is believing that God loves me despite my failures. 

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 timothy 1: 15-17 

faith mantra

God loves me unconditionally.

original sin

the sin of being born? 

john 3: 16-21

"So be perfect*, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." d. Matthew 5:48

Matthew 5:48 "So be perfect*, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." d.

*Perfect: in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in Mt 19:21. The Lucan parallel (Lk 6:36) demands that the disciples be merciful.

d. [5:48] Lv 11:44; 19:2; Dt 18:13; Jas 1:4; 1 Pt 1:16; 1 Jn 3:3.

"The LORD said to Moses: Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.* a. 

Leviticus 19: 1-2

* [19:2] Be holy, for I…am holy: in the writings commonly attributed to the Priestly collection, Israel is called to be holy through obeying God’s precepts (11:44–45; 20:7–8, 24–26; Nm 15:40–41). Cf. Dt 14:2, 21; 26:19; and Ex 19:6.

a. [19:2] Lv 11:44.

perfect? holy? how can this be? 

only God is perfect. only God is holy. 

maybe in another life? 

maybe.

sharing vs. shunning

 blessed are they who share, for sharing is like the kingdom of God. ... then they asked the king "when did we shun you?" and the king answered "when you didn't share with your brothers and sisters." 

faith 

           hope 
                       love

City of God

 City of God dan schutte - YouTube 

in God we trust

faith is fearless. 

faith is patient.

faith is quiet. 

faith is calm.

faith is confident.

faith is humble.

faith is sincere. 

a faithful soul is a grateful soul. 

a faithful soul is a happy soul. 

a faithful soul is a selfless soul. 

a faithful soul always trusts God. 

a faithful soul always loves God.

a faithful soul perseveres.

our faith is God's gift to us. if our faith is weak, then it may be because people--including ourselves--distort our faith. only God is God.

psalm 119 33-40

 Psalm 119 33-40 - YouTube 

Matthew 17:20

"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."   Matthew 17:20 

"The Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of the shorter parables of Jesus. It appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, it is immediately followed by the Parable of the Leaven, which shares this parable's theme of the Kingdom of Heaven growing from small beginnings." 

Parable of the Mustard Seed - Wikipedia 

City of God – St. Louis Jesuits [OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO] - YouTube 

City of God
John Michael Talbot

Awake from your slumber!
Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning
For all those who weep

The people in darkness
Have seen a great light
The Lord of our longing
Has conquered the night

Let us build the city of God
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!

We are sons of the morning
We are daughters of day
The one who has loved us
Has brightened our way

Let us build the city of God
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!

God is light

In him there is no darkness

Let us walk in his light

His children, one and all

O comfort my people

Make gentle your words

Proclaim to my City

The day of her birth

Let us build the city of God
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!

Songwriter: Daniel L Schutte
For non-commercial use only.

God invites us to have faith in dark times. God's gifts are cost free. We accept them with our hearts--not with what's in our wallets. Faith, not religion, is our security blanket.

"Let us build the city of God

May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the lord, our light and our love
Has turned the night into day!"

does religion interfere with God's plan?

I'm a believer. I believe that God created the universe, and everything in it, from nothing. 

why am I here? God created me. some would say that I evolved. OK. but that doesn't explain what happened "in the beginning". the "stuff" of the universe (matter, energy) came from somewhere. that somewhere is God. with all that humans have "created", there has always been preexisting stuff (matter, energy) that humans "created" with and from. 

why did God create humans in God's image? to choose God. 

should religion (humans) interfere with our God-given right to choose? absolutely not. when religion tells other human beings what's good and what's evil (e.g. what's right, what's wrong, whose sins are absolved (see note), whose sins are retained (see note), who receives communion and who doesn't, who to vote for, etc.), then religion interferes with God's plan. 

NOTE: there are various translations and interpretations of Matthew chapter 16 verse 19. did Jesus really say "whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven. whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."? after all, only God can forgive and retain sins. there are instances where overzealous monks copying bible text may have inserted text, e.g. Luke 23:34.  If, in fact, Jesus didn't say "whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven. whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.", then this is arguably the greatest perpetrated scam in the history of mankind. 

Praise the Lord, my soul

Cantus Mundi: Praise the Lord, my soul (John Foley) 

cantus mundi = song of the world

WITH FAITH,

EVERY DAY IS A BRIGHT DAY. 

faith 

           hope 
                       love

 

Merry Christmas: covid and faith

question: do you believe in covid? 

answer: of course I do. 

question: why? you can't see covid. 

answer: of course I can. 

• I see people suffering from covid on newscasts. people all over the world are suffering from covid.
• I see statistics: 
• people who have been tested 
• people who have tested positively
• people who have been hospitalized
• people who have died

question: but, the newscasts are just other people telling you that covid exists and the statistics are the same. you haven't seen the actual virus, but you believe that covid exists?

answer: of course I do.

****************************************************

question: do you believe in God?

answer: of course I do.

question: why? you can't see God.

answer: I may not be able to see God, but I know that God exists.

question: why?

answer:

• I pray to God and God answers my prayers. 
• I see God: 
• in the universe 
• in the earth
• in light
• in life
• in babies
• in other people who know and love God

question: but, you haven't actually seen God, but you believe that God actually exists?

answer: of course I do.

*****************************************************************

MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the God of light bless you and love you all the days of your life.

faith without religion

the pandemic has been a time for prayers and reflection. churches had to close. church services have been live-streamed. 

before our church reopened, the pastor made a video showing new rules for the reopened church. one way in, another way out. social distancing. everybody wears a mask. hand sanitizer. etc.

church services continued to be live-streamed. not everyone was wearing a mask.

months passed. we contacted the church through the church's website and asked to receive communion. no answer.

we don't know why the church failed to answer our request. we don't know why the church fails to accommodate those, particularly those in the high-risk group, who want to receive communion. many other churches accommodate those who wish to receive communion by having it brought to them in the church parking lot. 

our prayers and reflections during the pandemic have made us realize that God doesn't require middlemen. especially middlemen who ignore their flock. 

Jesus preached faith in God. He railed against the hypocritical religious leaders of His time. When He was questioned about fraternizing with sinners and failures of His followers to rigidly follow the hundreds of laws in the old testament, Jesus said that He came for sinners. He said that what a person has in their heart is more important than food. 

it's our faith that's important to God. not the religious dictates of merciless middlemen. 

U.S. Roman Catholic Church won at least $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid after lobbying

like so many others, I'm through with the catholic religion. on MANY grounds. but, NOT faith in God. every day I try to strengthen my faith. God is good. I am not. but, God's love for God's children is infinite. I want to believe this with all of my heart, soul and mind. but, alas. if I only had faith the size of a mustard seed...

faith is believing that God is omniscient and that God wants us to believe that God made us for a purpose--to believe in God. 

religion is mumbo-jumbo hocus-pocus. 

support

 I believe that on the night before He died that Jesus, Son of God, took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his apostles saying: "take and eat. this is my body." 

more than 6 months ago the church that I go to ceased masses because of the pandemic. a few months ago the church announced that it was restarting masses in the church again. the pastor made a video in which he stated that everyone attending mass had to wear a mask. 

live-streaming masses continued. it was apparent that all persons attending mass were not wearing masks. 

I contacted the church and told them that I would like to receive communion, but, being in the "high risk" group, not in the church where some were not wearing masks. no response. 

the church isn't supporting me, so I've withdrawn my support for the church. 

excellent reflections and prayers

 

Prayers During the Coronavirus Pandemic 

romans 8: 10-11

who is a christian?

is a christian a person who gets their photo taken holding a bible in front of a church?

is a christian a person who professes to be a christian but lives a life of dissipation and debauchery?

is a christian a person who hates other people because of the color of their skin?

is a christian a person who riots and loots?

is a christian a person who can quote the bible but doesn't love his neighbor?

Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

matthew 22: 37-40

faith 

           hope 
                       love